Buzuq
Levant
and Iraq: a long-necked fretted lute with metal strings and a carved sound-box.
Often associated with itinerant players. May be derived from the Turkish
saz.
Guenbri, ginbri, hajouje
North Africa: deep three-stringed wooden bass instrument, sometimes with an added wooden resonator. Fretless, with a long cylindrical neck and a sound box covered with skin. In Morocco, often used by Gnawa musicians.
Jawzah
Iraq: a four-string spike-fiddle. Sound box is part of a coconut shell covered with skin. One of the instruments traditionally used to accompany maqam singing.
Kaman, kamanjah
Nowadays this is the term for a western-style violin (though tuned to Arab musical requirements). Previously it referred to an Iranian violin, played vertically, which had been adopted by the Arabs. It is also a name sometimes given to the rababah.
Lotar
A Berber lute, with three or four strings and a round body.
'Ud, Oud
Typically
pear-shaped, short-necked and fretless, with five or six strings. It is
played by plucking, either solo or in ensemble. The instrument has a warm
timbre, low tessatura, and microtonal flexibility - which makes it extremely
popular. It is often intricately decorated. "Al-'ud" is the origin of the
English word, "lute". More about the 'oud (arab-heritage.com).
Oud music (Munir Bachir sound clips).
Qanun
A
flat zither-type instrument with 26 strings which are played by plucking.
The strings are tuned to the basic notes of a given scale and the pitch
is raised or lowered by stopping the strings with a series of metal levers.
Rabab, rababah, rbab
A
spike fiddle, traditionally used to accompany poetry. The Bedouin version
has a quadrilateral sound box covered with skin and a single horsehair string.
It is played with a horsehair bow. The Moroccan variant has a boat-shaped
sound box and the string may be positioned to the side of the neck. In Egypt,
the sound box is made from a coconut shell. Some versions have two strings.
Santur
Iraq: a hammer dulcimer with metal strings. One of the instruments traditionally used to accompany maqam singing.
Information provided by: http://www.al-bab.com