The Arabian mate is one of the oldest mating patterns there is, known as far back as shatranj, the forerunner of modern chess. It is delivered by rook and knight working as a pair: the rook checks from the edge of the board while the knight simultaneously takes away the king's escape square and defends the rook so the king cannot capture it.
In this position the black king is shut into the h8 corner. The white rook on h7 checks along the edge, and the knight on f6 covers g8 and h7. The king has nowhere to go: g7 is raked by the rook, g8 is covered by the knight, and taking the rook on h7 is impossible - it is defended by that same knight on f6. Mate with not a single spare piece.
The Arabian mate turns up most often in the endgame, when a rook and a minor piece drive the king into a corner. The pattern is easy to remember as «the rook checks, the knight backs it up»: spot the king in a corner and your knight one jump away, and the mate finds itself.
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It is the mating side to move. Find mate in one.
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