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Gulf hip hop (often called Khaleeji hip hop) is the regional hip‑hop movement that grew out of the Arab states bordering the Persian/Arabian Gulf, notably Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. It blends core hip‑hop aesthetics—MCing, DJ/beat production, street fashion, and dance—with Khaleeji Arabic dialects, local slang, and regional rhythmic sensibilities. The sound frequently pulls from trap’s 808 low end, skittering hi‑hats, and half‑time bounce, but may also weave in Gulf percussion timbres (mirwās, tabl) and melodic inflections from maqām traditions. Lyrically, artists move between social observation, lighthearted party themes, identity and faith, and commentary on rapid urban change, often code‑switching between Arabic (Khaleeji dialects) and English.

Arabic hip hop is the Arabic-language expression of global hip hop culture, emerging from the Arab world and its diaspora. It fuses rap flows and beat-making with Arabic dialects, poetic forms, and regional rhythmic/melodic vocabulary, creating a distinctive voice that reflects local realities and identities. Musically, it spans classic boom-bap to modern trap and drill aesthetics, often sampling or emulating oud, qanun, nay, and percussion such as darbuka and riq. Producers frequently weave maqam-based motifs (e.g., Hijaz, Bayati, Kurd) and popular rhythms (maqsoum, saidi, dabke) into 4/4 hip hop frameworks. Lyrically, artists alternate between colloquial dialects and fusha (Modern Standard Arabic), address social and political issues, and code-switch with French or English in North African and Levantine contexts.