Negotiating Identity Through Culinary Signage: A Linguistic Landscape Study in Hail, Saudi Arabia

This study explores the linguistic landscape (LL) of culinary signage in Hail, Saudi Arabia, focusing on how language and visual semiotics construct identity and mediate local–global dynamics. Drawing on 332 storefront signs analysed through both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study identifies three dominant identity orientations: local Saudi, pan-Arab, and global cosmopolitan. These identities emerge through strategic language choices (Arabic, English, and others) and multimodal elements such as imagery, colour, and typography. While Arabic remains dominant, the growing presence of English and hybrid forms reflects increasing linguistic flexibility among businesses targeting youth and international consumers. Culinary signage in Hail operates as more than functional communication; it embodies sociolinguistic transformation and contributes to the visible negotiation of cultural identity in public space. Situating the Saudi context within broader linguistic landscape scholarship, the study underscores the need for multimodal, regionally diverse, and context-sensitive analyses of language use in commercial environments.