Titles & Address Etiquette in Saudi Arabia

Use formal titles and honorifics when addressing people, especially older men, professionals, and hosts, and wait for them to invite first-name use. Common respectful forms include Sheikh, Ustadh, and Abu followed by a child’s name, while for women you may hear Umm followed by a child’s name; using the full name with a respectful prefix is safer than jumping straight to a first name.