Arabic is a Semitic language that first emerged in the 1st to 4th centuries CE. It is now the lingua franca of the Arab world. It is named after the Arabs, a term initially used to describe peoples living in the Arabian Peninsula bounded by eastern Egypt in the west, Mesopotamia in the east, and the Anti-Lebanon mountains and Northern Syria in the north, as perceived by ancient Greek geographers. The ISO assigns language codes to thirty varieties of Arabic, including its standard form, Modern Standard Arabic, also referred to as Literary Arabic, which is modernized Classical Arabic. This distinction exists primarily among Western linguists; Arabic speakers themselves generally do not distinguish between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, but rather refer to both as al-ʿarabiyyatu l-fuṣḥā (اَلعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلْفُصْحَىٰ “the eloquent Arabic”) or simply al-fuṣḥā (اَلْفُصْحَىٰ). Modern Standard Arabic is an official language of 26 states and 1 disputed territory, the third most after English and French.

Arabic is widely taught in schools and universities and is used to varying degrees in workplaces, government, and the media. Arabic, in its standard form, is the official language of 26 states, as well as the liturgical language of the religion of Islam, since the Quran and Hadith were written in Arabic

Among the number of foreign languages that you can study, why should you learn Arabic? It is not an easy language to learn and has nothing in common with English. Therefore, a speaker of English will have a difficult time learning it. But looking at the positive side, learning Arabic can offer several benefits.

If you think of the advantages of learning Arabic, the effort and time that you would dedicate to learn the language would all be worth it.

• Experts suggest that learning Arabic is highly recommended for those planning to stay long-term in the country. Suhail Masri, Vice-President of Bayt.com (a leading employment site in the Middle East), reported to Mary Sophia (Gulf Business, Could Learning Arabic Boost Your UAE Job Prospects?) that one of the top skills wanted by employers in the UAE was proficiency in English as well as in Arabic, and the trend is just as desirable across the MENA region. Furthermore, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai, predicts the UAE to be a center of excellence for the Arabic language in the region. This objective is a vital part of the country’s initiative ‘Vision 2021’.

• Learning Arabic also helps individuals (specifically those new to the country) understand the country’s culture and traditions. The UAE business culture is vastly different from that of other countries, though it is very much influenced by the West. Companies and entrepreneurs emphasize on building a relationship with clients or partners before engaging in formal business. Additionally, even if one isn’t actually working in an Arab country yet their work involves engaging with countries and people speaking Arabic, learning the language can be extremely useful in building strong and lasting relationships.

• While English is widely used in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, other parts of the country have people who either aren’t fluent in English or have absolutely no knowledge of it, hence learning Arabic is an absolute requirement to conduct business. A Human Resources Consultant, Annalinde Nickisch, stated that apart from having better work opportunities to take advantage of, a candidate fluent in Arabic also has the chance of receiving a pay higher than their monolingual competitors (Gulf News, Rise in the number of ex-pats learning the Arabic language, 2016).

• If you are planning to join a trading firm, an import-export company, or engage in business yourself, many opportunities are available in the Arab nations. Its population is growing and with a huge GDP, it is a prime market for the export of services and goods. Learning Arabic and the culture of the people who speak the language will make it easier for you to negotiate and conduct business.

• You gain vital language skills when you learn Arabic. It is easier to learn French or Spanish and these languages will allow you to travel or work in various countries, especially in Europe. However, you have more competition because there are more learners and speakers of these languages. If you learn Arabic, you are sure that there would be a great demand for your language skills as the supply is scarce. Further, if you learn Mandarin Chinese for example, your career focus would only be in a few countries, whereas if you learn Arabic, your opportunities are wider as the language is spoken in 58 countries.

• You’ll be able to understand Islam better if you’re able to read the Qurʾān and understand its teachings.

• You’ll have an edge over the competition even if you are in the West. The demand for people fluent in Arabic is quite high and only a few people from the West attempt to learn Arabic. The secret services in the U.S. need people who are fluent speakers of Arabic. There are many businesses, including translating and interpreting that are in need of Arabic speakers. Other fields that need Arabic speakers include intelligence and foreign service, consulting, banking and finance, education, and journalism.

• Learning Arabic will make you stand out, as there are very few people from the West that speak Arabic. Having command of Arabic will make you appear clever and sophisticated.

• Maybe you are thinking about a career in foreign service but you’re also thinking you don’t have the money to learn to speak Arabic. Well, there’s good news for you. The US government is looking for a few good men and women and will actually pay them to learn Arabic. You see, the American government has chosen Arabic as a language of strategic importance. Consequently, the National Strategic Language Initiative promotes the learning of Arabic and will even pay you to learn! This includes paying for language courses from beginner to advanced levels, study abroad programs, intensive instruction opportunities, teacher exchanges, and professional development.

• The Arab culture is more than just belly dancing, 1001 Nights, and hummus. When learning Arabic, you’ll also be rewarded by learning about Arab culture. Indeed, you’ll also learn and like its unique traditions along with the things that matter most to Arabs like honor, dignity, and hospitality.

Many might believe that learning Arabic isn’t a necessity due to the exponential advancement of the UAE and English being spoken by a majority of the population. However, profitable career growth will be positively affected by knowledge of the Arabic language in the region as well as aid in building future career prospects.

So why not start today? You, too, can gain all of the mentioned benefits of learning Arabic.

Don’t wait. Start learning!!!

All the best!!!