The Arabic Language’s Global Business Significance

Former German Chancellor Willy Brandt once said “If I’m selling to you, I speak your language. But if I’m buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen (then you have to speak German).” This remains true in this day and age. To sell, one has to speak the buyer’s language and understand their persona. 

In relation to speaking your buyer’s language, one of the most spoken languages is Arabic, ranking fifth on the list of six most popular languages in the world. Additionally, it is an important pillar of humankind’s cultural diversity and a historical artifact in itself. Said to have originated in the Arabian peninsula in 110 BCE, today, around 319 million people speak Arabic daily around the world.

The Arabic language is ranked as the fourth most in-demand language all over the world. This rank is partly attributable to the Middle East playing a prominent role in the business world. The Arab peninsula is famous for abundant petrol and gas fields, which then attract other countries to invest in the region and consequently get involved in its unique language and culture. 

Furthermore, being able to communicate in Arabic instantly gives you access to over twenty countries across the Middle East. When this barrier is broken, you can gain opportunities for partnerships or investments in highly profitable fields such as oil and gas, industrial and precious metals, plastics and organic chemicals, travel and tourism, ship manufacturing, I.T., staple food products, and many more. All of which are top Middle Eastern products and services. 

Below we list the biggest industries and the best fields to invest in for each Arabic-speaking country.

1. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is best known among investors for its gargantuan oil industry, with approximately 260 billion barrels of oil reserves comprising roughly one-fifth of the world’s supply.

2. UAE: Real estate is a popular and in-demand field of investment in the UAE. The country currently focuses on information technology, tourism, and more recently, space science. 

3. Egypt: The easiest and most profitable investment platform in Egypt is exchange-traded funds. Home to the Great Pyramids of Giza and Valley of the Kings, among many other historical and archeological wonders, Egypt remains to have tourism as its main source of income. 

4. Iraq: The main sectors that Iraqi investors are currently into include telecommunications, transport, and housing.

5. Qatar: Qatar’s revenue (around 83%) belongs to the oil and gas production sector.

6. Algeria: The main sectors in Algeria are the oil industry, chemical production, food industry including wine and olive oil, textiles for carpet production, truck and other transport manufacturing, and agricultural machinery. 

7. Kuwait: Immigrants make up the majority of the population in Kuwait. Opening a restaurant or food business with an imported cuisine proves to be a lucrative investment. 

8. Morocco: Clothing is a profitable sector in Morocco. Morocco is currently the 7th largest market for fast-fashion production in the whole of Europe and the MENA region.

9. Oman: The startup industry is slowly growing in Oman, and the most profitable and in-demand sectors startups currently cater to are the food sector, retail especially supermarkets, and taxi services.

10. Syria: Syria is a middle-income, developing country with a diversified economy based on agriculture, industry, and energy.

Most people in the Middle East are bilingual. For instance, in the UAE, English and Arabic are commonly spoken. In Morocco, French and Arabic are both used in the public and private sectors. Nonetheless, when reaching out to Arabic businesses or markets, one cannot do away with the Arabic language.

Furthermore, when conducting business localization and translation for the Arabic market, it is important to pay careful attention to your target country’s culture and norms as well as Arabic language variety. Despite the countries in the Middle East using Arabic as their lingua franca (common tongue), Arabic has several varieties which are Maghrebi, Mesopotamian, Egyptic, Peninsular and Levantine Arabic. Additionally, each country speaks a different Arabic vernacular which is accompanied by slightly different vocabulary and grammar rules.

If you want to successfully penetrate a particular Arabic market or country, you will have to put importance on the nuances of the dialect and local culture, which you can do with the assistance of a professional Arabic translation and localization service provider. Professional translators can help you achieve both accuracy and cultural sensitivity in your translation projects.

We at CCCI have created a general and specialized translation team that can help you with all kinds of English to Arabic or Arabic to English translation and localization projects.

We’d like to end this article with some tips and tricks that will help you at least connect with decision-makers when conducting business with an Arabic company. As a foreigner, making an effort to learn and speak a word or two is always a foolproof way to leave a good impression on a local individual.

Here is a list of simple but useful Arabic words and phrases.

1. Marhaba (مرحباً) Hello.
2. Tasharafna (تشرفنا) Pleased to meet you
3. Kay al hal (كيف الحال؟) How are you?
4. Maasalama (مع السلامة) Goodbye
5. Asif (male) / Asifa (female)(أسف) Sorry
6. La afham ( لا أفهم) I don’t understand
7. La (لا) No
8. Naam (نعم) Yes
9. Mn fadlak/lik ( من فضلك) Please
10. Shukran (شكرا) Thank You
11. Afwan (ألعفو) You’re welcome
12. Ayna ( أين؟) Where?
13. Yameen (يمين) Right
14. Yasaar (يسار) Left
15. Bi kam haza/hazihi? (  بكم هذا؟ /بكم هذه؟ ) How much is that?

As in any other country, local Arabic businessmen adhere to specific business etiquette. Below are important tips about Arabic culture for successful and trouble-free communication:

1. Arabs are known for their hospitality and warmth; accept and reciprocate as much you can.
2. Respect Arabic culture and practices; for Arabs, culture has an extremely high value in society.
3. Have enough time for a social chat with your Arab clients before you open any business discussions.
4. Arabs reject people who do not appear to be sincere or who fail to show an interest in them personally or in their country.
5. Lastly, handshakes are also very important for Arabs. In Arabic business etiquette, handshaking can last longer than usual; thus, remember not to withdraw your hand very quickly!