This research outlines the challenges facing international students of Arabic in a global campus in the Gulf, and presents a model for incorporating service learning in a short-term Arabic language study abroad program. Drawing on a study abroad trip to Morocco as a case study, the research explores the benefits of service learning as a form of experiential education in which students relate in-class activities to out of class experiences. In addition to promoting diversity and openness to other cultures, this form of language-learning empowers students and increases their personal development and self-knowledge. Recent methods in second and foreign language acquisition emphasize the role of interaction with native speakers for enhancing authentic language learning. Service learning provides an opportunity for connecting the theoretical world of classroom instruction with the outside “real” world. Existing research argues that service learning offers a teaching-learning paradigm that incorporates community service into an academic framework with a focus on reciprocity (Speck 2001). This framework is in line with the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, which promote the five C’s: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Despite the apparent benefits of service learning as a pedagogical tool, debates have emerged regarding the efficacy of this method and its validity, given the political and ideological nature of engaging in service learning activities (Hartley et al. 2005; Carney 2013). This study discusses such concerns, and takes into account additional pedagogical challenges that arise in the context of the global campus, such as the wide range of students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the inherent constraints of learning Arabic in an English-speaking institution situated in the Arab world, and the particularities of embarking on a study abroad trip from one Arabic-speaking country to another. The study presents recommendations for a successful service learning experience in an Arabic study abroad context, including attention to both student needs and community needs, as well as a focus on academic performance and self-reflection.