The importance of local language in the United Arab Emirates

Hi!

This is easy.

The main language spoken in the UAE is English. While Arabic is the official language, English is the common denominator within the mostly expat population. About 7 percent are local Emirati (who mostly speak fluent English in addition to their native Gulf-dialect Arabic). The rest of us are from a myriad of countries - India, Philippines, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Europe, Russia - most of whom speak English to a respectable degree. Road signs, license plates, restaurant menus, and other public communications are either bi-lingual or English.

Hindi is probably the second-most spoken language in the UAE, but most Indians are also bilingual, so English will carry you in this community as well.

Arabic is used in official venues, ie the local legislatures, within the legal system, and the military. However, there are rare occasions for expats to participate in these forums.

I took intensive Arabic lessons early during my tenure here, but speaking Arabic was received more as a courtesy than a practical necessity. I was always impressed when attending meetings with high-level Emiratis, the meeting language would often switch to English out of courteous deference to one English speaker.

Despite that Arabic is a challenging language, I would encourage learning basic Arabic, not of necessity, but to be able to immerse yourself a bit better in the local culture and to impress your hosts of your genuine interest in their country.