10.11.2025
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What is it about? The language of the United Arab Emirates is MSA, which is used for paperwork, media, and government bodies. Previously, the authorities did not provide translators for foreigners in courts, but in 2020 this rule was changed.
What to pay attention to? The second most common language in the Emirates is English. It is used on signboards, menus, road signs, and direction signs. Locals are required to study it in schools. However, even with good English proficiency, knowing several words and phrases in Arabic will be useful both for tourist trips and for living in the UAE.
The official language of the United Arab Emirates is the current version of Arabic. It is also called MSA (abbreviation stands for Modern Standard Arabic). It is used for all government documentation, office work, and most of the media use it as well.
Regarding local courts, the proceedings are conducted only in MSA. For a very long time, local legislation did not require providing interpreters to foreign defendants. This had to be arranged at the expense of the accused. Otherwise, those who did not understand the local language were relegated to the role of bystanders.
Only on 08.11.2020 were changes in the regulations made, thanks to which state-hired interpreters may be provided.
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The local population of the Emirates speaks various dialects. However, this is the case in many Arabic-speaking countries.
Modern Arabic has 3 most well-known dialects:
Besides the UAE, these languages are spoken by residents of Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
There is another variant of the Arabic dialect — Omani (alternatively called Shehhi). It can be found in the eastern part of the country, in areas bordering Oman.
The indigenous population of the Emirates does not communicate in MSA during childhood. At home, people speak the local dialect, and children begin to study modern Arabic at school. Television programmes provide some assistance in this. English language is also added for senior students.
By and large, the differences between dialects are small; people can understand each other. Naturally, an Egyptian, for example, will not understand the meaning of some words used by a UAE resident, but this can be overcome.
The situation is similar to the English of a Londoner and a New Yorker — in general, they can communicate, but nuances, meanings of certain concepts and expressions need to be clarified.
Thus, if you have some vocabulary in Arabic acquired in other countries, keep in mind that it might not be understood in the UAE.
What other foreign language is widespread in the United Arab Emirates? It should be known that in Dubai, for example, English is not just studied at school — proficiency in it is mandatory.
Indeed, the situation is similar in other emirates. So it is not rare to meet an employee of a shop, car rental service, hotel, restaurant, or amusement park who speaks English sufficiently well.
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The situation is easily explained. Until the 20th century, the territory of the Emirates was a British colony, and then until 1971, it was a British protectorate. That is why the colonizers' language was widely used among the local population, becoming practically the second official language.
Therefore, now in the most economically developed part of the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the like), it is common practice to duplicate Arabic inscriptions on signs, road signs, and shop signs in English.
What if a tourist from Russia does not speak English sufficiently? For example, in Dubai, where there are quite a lot of Russian tourists, there are several hotels where there will definitely be an employee who understands Russian.
However, one should not count on universal knowledge of Russian by all staff. Moreover, the cheaper the hotel, the higher the chance that the staff won't understand any foreign language except English. In such cases, the only solution might be a pre-booked guide.
But in general, to live comfortably in the UAE, you need to know English, especially in everyday life and for doing business. But a tourist can manage with either a guide or a hotel employee.
However, there is no need to despair. Dubai is tolerant of its guests. In restaurants, menus are accompanied by illustrations of dishes, shopping centres are automated or organised in a hypermarket format. There are even special services for Russian tourists, such as airport transfers with Russian-speaking taxi drivers, excursions with Russian-speaking guides, and so on.
Finally, there is the possibility of installing a translator app on your smartphone to communicate with locals. This requires mobile internet, but in Dubai, for example, there are no difficulties with this.
The language of the residents of the United Arab Emirates is not easy to learn. However, knowing a few words can be very useful for solving everyday tasks when communicating with locals.
For example, real estate transactions in Dubai are conducted, in part, in Arabic. Even for an ordinary tourist, having a Russian-Arabic phrasebook is a way to solve many minor everyday problems. Below are some common expressions and their Arabic pronunciation.
Greetings and Farewells:
Expressions for Basic Communication:
Phrases for General Use:
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Words, useful for Arriving/Departing Tourists:
Phrases for Transportation:
Phrases for Hotel Check-in:
Phrases for Dining Out:
Phrases for Shopping:
When shopping at the market, speaking Arabic can help you get a discount from the seller.
Phrases for Market Shopping:
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Numbers for Pricing:
Phrases for Emergencies:
Statistics from a few years ago indicated around 50,000 Russian expatriates. It is likely that this number has since doubled. However, even if this is accurate, it is a small figure compared to the UAE’s population of 10 million. Therefore, it is unlikely that you will hear Russian spoken on the streets, beaches, or shopping centres.
Ideally, it is best to avoid any involvement with foreign authorities while on holiday, especially in conflict situations. However, anything can happen.
Foreigners will be provided with an interpreter and assistance in drafting a claim, protocol, or complaint. However, not understanding what is written in a document, even if it is based on your words, is not advisable. It is wiser to immediately arrange for a translator and a lawyer. This can be organised through the embassy or consulate at the police station.
Business meetings often involve standard phrases that require equally standard responses. This is a matter of politeness.
During casual conversations, people often use gestures. This is part of the norms of communication.
Muslims may not be comfortable discussing their family or health. Generally, it is better not to bring up private life in conversation.
If you decide to make the UAE your holiday destination or permanent residence, a small set of Arabic phrases and expressions will suffice. For a comfortable stay, a good command of English will be enough, at least in major emirates like Dubai.
Article header image source: hamdi bendali / shutterstock.com
