Arabic is studied at Stanford in three places. Primary among them is the Language Center, where the Arabic language is taught in formal, colloquial, and regional registers from beginning to advanced levels. The Department of Comparative Literature teaches Arabic literature, culture, and advanced Classical Arabic. The Department of Religious Studies teaches Islamic intellectual history.

The relevant points of contacts in these three places are Dr. Khalid Obeid in the Stanford Language Center; Professor Alexander Key in Comparative Literature, and Professor Behnam Sadeghi in Religion.

The Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages (DLCL), of which both the Language Center and the Department of Comparative Literature are part, administers a Minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (MELLAC) with an Arabic Track. The coordinator of the Minor is Dr. Khalid Obeid. The Minor combines the study of language, literature, and culture. Students are encouraged to talk to Dr. Obeid or Professor Key about the Minor as early as possible in their time at Stanford.

A substantial number of other people at Stanford teach on the Arabic world without requiring the Arabic language. These include Professor Joel Beinin in the Department of History and Professor Lisa Blaydes in the Department of Political Science. There are also several programs and centers that include research on the Arabic-speaking world, primarily the Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies and the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy within the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.