Gulf Arab Culture:
Know how to say thank you like a Gulf Arab?
No, it’s not just shukran.

(1)
ما قصرت maа gaSSart (maа gaSSarti if said to a woman) – it basically means something to the effect of “you didn’t come short”, or “you didn’t cut corners”, “didn’t economize efforts”, “you did what it takes”.

(2)
الله يعطيك العافية
allaah y^aTiik al-^aafiya
(if said to a woman, it's allaah y^aTiich al-^aafiya ) – this means “May God give you wellness and health”.

Local Arab men at Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar It's sometimes shortened to just
يعطيك العافية y^aTiik al-^aafiya
(y^aTiich al-^aafiya if said to a woman)

You can actually use both expressions together:

ما قصرت يعطيك العافية
ma gaSSart, ya^Tiik al-^aafiya

or, if you want to thank more profusely:

شكراً ما قصرت يعطيك العافية
shukran, ma gaSSart, ya^Tiik al-^aafiya

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