Arabic exhibits the linguistic phenomenon known as diglossia; a difference between varieties of the language.
In the case of Arabic, there are many dialects throughout the Arabic speaking world (North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East). Many of thes
e dialects are mutually incomprehensible.
There is a another style, though, based on the language of the Koran (or Qur’an). This is the language used in the Arabic media and is the most common written form.
Thackston’s book is an excellent introduction to this variety of Arabic. It is of limited use to the person about to leave on a vacation to Egypt (a phrasebook is what is needed), but, for more thorough study, this is the place to start!
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