206,000,000 L1 speakers of all Arabic varieties (Wiesenfeld 1999). L2 users: 246,000,000 L2 speakers of all Arabic varieties (Wiesenfeld 1999).
1 (National). Statutory national language (1992, Basic Law, Article 1).
Classical Arabic (Koranic Arabic, Quranic Arabic), Modern Standard Arabic (Modern Literary Arabic). Preserves the ancient grammar. A member of macrolanguage Arabic [ara].
Not an L1. In most Arab countries only the well-educated have adequate proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic. Education, official purposes, written materials, and formal speeches. Classical Arabic, with archaic vocabulary, is used for religion and ceremonial purposes.
Modern Standard Arabic is modernized Classical Arabic.