This article studies the rise of OV order in a sample of peripheral Arabic dialects spoken in modern-day Turkey. Using an annotated corpus of ca. 1,400 clauses, it compares the relative frequencies of preverbal object placement (topicalization, clitic left dislocation). The additional factors studied are the argument-related values of pronouns vs. nouns and definite vs. indefinite objects as well as for the variables of object indexing (clitic doubling) and the presence of a lexical subject (crowding effects). These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that definite objects are targeted first in the contact-induced shift from VO to OV.