Glocalizing Identity: Linguistic and Semiotic Representations in the Urban Landscape of Qassim

Gibreel Sadeq Alaghbary; Sulaiman  Alsowaina

doi:10.53286/tewqbj73

Authors

Gibreel Sadeq Alaghbary Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8531-2913
Sulaiman Alsowaina Assistant Professor of Translation Studies, Department of English Language and Literature, College of Languages and Humanities, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7907-9107

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53286/tewqbj73

Keywords:

Coffee shop signage, identity, linguistic landscape, market saturation, Saudi Vision 2030

Abstract

This study investigates how verbal and visual patterns in coffee shop signage interact with business models and market conditions to construct an urban identity in the linguistic landscape of the cities of Unaizah and Buraydah in Saudi Arabia. The dataset comprises textual and visual data from 208 coffee shop signs selected through stratified random sampling and analyzed using the LL framework supported by ATLAS.ti–based thematic content analysis. Analysis identified common thematic trends and recurring linguistic and visual patterns, which were interpreted in relation to market saturation and business type. Findings suggest that in Unaizah’s highly saturated market, strong competition drives linguistic diversity, with English-only and transliteration-based bilingual signs functioning as strategies for differentiation, particularly in the sit-in cafés. In contrast, Buraydah’s less saturated market demonstrates greater reliance on monolingual Arabic, especially in traditional coffee shops, which emphasizes cultural continuity and local identity. In both cities, however, business type informs linguistic differentiation in coffee shop signage, and market saturation drives or constrains this diversification. If validated in other contexts in Qassim and beyond, these findings suggest that linguistic landscape is driven by economic dynamics and influenced as much by competition and market saturation as by cultural factors and language attitudes.

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