Background: The Short Arabic version of the PSE-10 has been developed in conjunction with a large scale epidemiological survey of the prevalence of mental disorders in Southern Egypt. Aim of the study: To assess the validity and inter-rater reliability of the Short Arabic form of the PSE-10 so as to introduce it as a research instrument for Egyptian based mental health studies. Methods: 175 subjects were assessed by two trained psychiatrists in this version of the PSE-10 to perform the reliability study. The subjects include 50 healthy volunteers as controls, 50 subjects with mood disorder, 50 subjects with anxiety disorder and 25 subjects with psychotic disorder. All subjects were diagnosed according to the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis I disorders to perform the validity study. Results: PSE had 90% sensitivity and 73% specificity in detection of the specific mental disorders included in the study. On average, this version of the PSE-10 had substantial to almost perfect inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. Conclusion: The Short Arabic PSE-10 is a valid and a reliable interview with adequate levels of internal consistency. The Short Arabic version is less time consuming, and still retains the core symptoms required to reach a diagnosis of the common mental disorders