Can you simply relocate to Dubai without learning the native language? In many countries you would have a hard time finding a job without speaking the language of the local population.
But what language do they speak in Dubai, and which languages are commonly spoken in the workplace?
In this article we'll help you decide if you have the necessary language skills to successfully land a job in Dubai, and also offer some tools that will help you to improve your language skills.
Disclaimer: We are affiliates of some of the tools mentioned in this article. Learn more here.
People from Dubai speak Arabic. Arabic is the national language of Dubai, and the first language of UAE nationals. But because many people in Dubai do not speak Arabic, English has become the day-to-day business language.
When you visit Dubai, you'll notice that road signs, packaging and most written communication are in both Arabic and English.
Go to a shop or restaurant and most retail employees will greet you in English.
Although people from Dubai speak the native language of Arabic, you'll also find that most Dubai nationals speak great English too!
Dubai has an enormous expat population. A staggering 85 per cent of the population of Dubai are not originally from the UAE. This means that you'll hear many different languages being spoken. Too many to list.
Although many different languages can be heard in Dubai, roughly 71 per cent of the expat population are from Asia. More than half of the Asian expat population is from India with Pakistan, Philippines and Bangladesh making up the rest.
It therefore makes sense that Hindi, Tagalog and Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil and Farsi are very widely spoken in Dubai and the rest of the UAE.
Because Dubai is such a diverse mix of cultures and languages, it helps to have a common workplace language. This is typically English. English is widely spoken in Dubai and you'll find that it's the default language for most offices. There are of course exceptions to this rule, government offices will speak Arabic and many Indian or Pakistani run businesses will speak their respective languages.
Dubai's many Economic Free zones attract multinational companies from all over the globe. These businesses transact all over the world, so it’s generally expected that their Dubai employees speak English. English makes doing business with international clients and offices a lot easier.
English is the number one language requirement for most job vacancies in Dubai. Almost all roles will require some fluency in English. This makes it difficult to find jobs in Dubai if your English skills are not very strong.
Customer facing jobs usually require a higher level of English proficiency. This is also true for jobs where you need to produce a lot of written correspondence.
In these types of positions, a native or high level of business English is needed.
This would be equivalent to C1 or C2 on the official scales. You can learn more about this on the British Council website.
A good understanding of English is important, but you don't need to speak English perfectly to work in Dubai.
English is a second language for most of the population of Dubai. Very few people are native English speakers. So if your English is not perfect you're not alone!
However, the stronger your English language skills are, the better access you'll have to job opportunities.
For most job vacancies in Dubai your CV will need to be submitted in English. For Arabic speaking roles, you can submit a CV in Arabic.
However, a majority of recruiters in Dubai will expect to read an English CV. If your CV is not written in English it won't get read by many people.
Most Dubai job interviews will be in English. Unless you and the interviewer speak the same native language. But even in these situations they may want to assess your English language skills.
If a role has a particular language need, you should prepare to interview in that language too.
You can land a job in Dubai if English is the only language you speak. This is also true if English is your second language.
But there are some roles that need bilingual or trilingual language abilities. Some job vacancies in Dubai ask for Arabic and English speakers. This is common for roles at government or semi-government organisations.
Companies that do business across the Middle East may also need Arabic speakers.
If you do not speak Arabic you should not apply for jobs that request Arabic speakers.
All dialects of Arabic can be useful for living in Dubai. But when a job description asks for Arabic speakers, it usually means Middle Eastern Arabic.
English and Arabic are the two main languages required to work in Dubai. However, you will sometimes see other languages required.
One example is French. A lot of Dubai offices are hubs for the MENA region which includes French speaking nations.
You might also find that some companies tend to hire people who speak a particular language. This could be a company that has a majority of Indian employees.
Another example is Huawei. Huawei often hires Chinese nationals with native fluency in Mandarin.
Improving your English language skills, both spoken and written, will certainly benefit your Dubai job search.
A good level of conversational English will give you greater access to roles and help you stand out from the crowd. The ability to write well in English will also help you to navigate the Dubai job market and world of business.
There are lots of great online courses that will help you to brush up on your English skills. The British Council is a great place to begin. You can learn more about on the British Council website.
It is possible to find jobs in Dubai without speaking English. However, if you're serious about developing your career in Dubai, strong English language skills are very useful. Being able to speak and write in English will open up opportunities in multinational companies.
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