On a recent trip through the Persian Gulf, visiting the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Jordan, the goal was to examine what actually works and what falls short when it comes to language access. Each of these nations faces distinct but related challenges. Some, like the United States, have deep linguistic diversity rooted in Indigenous populations with hundreds of languages spoken daily. In places such as Qatar and the UAE, nearly 90 percent of residents are multilingual expatriates. The result is a uniquely complex multilingual landscape wherever you turn.
If you've been following global language-access trends, you know the UAE is becoming one of the world's most multilingual business hubs. But here's the twist: the UAE does not have a Title VI, an EO 13166, or a "Section 1557" equivalent. No one is using the phrase "LEP services." There's no umbrella law that triggers language obligations.
And yet, companies in the UAE are expected to communicate in ways that everyone can understand.
So what's driving that? Let's break it down.
This is the core mindset shift for anyone who comes from a U.S. compliance background.
Instead of saying "you must provide language access," UAE laws say:
The end result is the same: multilingual communication. The path to get there is different.
Here are the laws and habits that shape practice. Not in legalese, just the parts that matter.
Consumer protection If your customers can't understand what you're selling, you can be hit with penalties. This applies to banks, telecom companies, real estate brokers, retailers, subscription apps.
Contracts Arabic is the official language, but English is used. Bilingual contracts aren't required by law, but they are the norm because regulators can question the validity of agreements if one party didn't understand the terms.
Misrepresentation & fraud If information is unclear or mistranslated, companies can be held responsible, even if the confusion was an accident.
Employment & worker safety With a workforce of expatriates, regulators expect companies to communicate workplace rules, onboarding materials, and safety instructions in the languages people speak.
Digital consent As more transactions move online, authorities are paying attention to whether users understand a platform's terms, pricing, renewals, and privacy permissions.
In other words: you don't need an "LEP program" in the UAE, but you do need multilingual clarity.
Here's the checklist I give clients:
And something I learned recently at the 5th International Translation Conference (ITC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: develop any system with Arabic localization in mind. This means you must remember that Arabic is a right-to-left (RTL) language, while English is left-to-right (LTR). Except for the numerals, typically presented in left-to-right order, the entire interface, layout, and reading flow must be designed to function in RTL
These aren't "requirements," but they're what regulators expect in practice. And they're what keep businesses out of trouble.
The UAE is positioning itself as a global business, tourism, and innovation hub. With that comes a principle that shows up in practice:
"You are responsible for making sure people understand you."
That's the language-access story in the UAE. No civil rights framework. No protected classes. Just a growing, enforcement-backed expectation of clarity in a multilingual environment.
