- Raï - Arabic music style mixing modern, western rhythms and technology with a traditional music line.
- Rabat - Capital of Morocco with an estimated 1.4 million inhabitants. Industries include manufacture of textiles, processed food and building materials.
- Rabbi - Title of those learned in the Torah in Judaism. Now associated with term meaning minister in a specific synagogue.
- Rabin, Yitzhak - Israeli politician, the country's 5th prime minister (1974-77, 1992-95), but the first to be born in the country. Includes biography. (1922-1995).
- Ramadan - Ninth month of the Hijra calendar, which is used in Islam. Often used as a synonym of sawm, the religious fasting festival that fills the entire month.
- Ramses I - Egyptian pharoah, reigning from 1320 to 1318 and founder of the 19th dynasty.
- Ramses II - Egyptian pharoah, ruling from 1304 to 1237 BCE and the 3rd Pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty. Includes biography.
- Ramses III - Egyptian pharoah, reigning from 1198 to 1166 BCE, in the 20th dynasty. Includes brief biography.
- Red Sea - Sea between Africa and the Arabian peninsula, bordering Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Length is 2,250 km.
- Rif Mountains - Located in northern Morocco. Not part of the Atlas Mountains. Includes photo.
- Riyadh - Capital of Saudi Arabia, with estimated 4 million inhabitants and situated in the middle of the country. Economy is connected to national administration and financial activities.
- Rosh Hashanah - Celebration of the Jewish new year, taking place on the first and second of the month Tishri. Falls normally in October, but sometimes occurs in September.
