Many new discoverers of Dubai may wonder What Language is Spoken in Dubai?
The official language in the United Arab Emirates is Arabic. Gulf Arabic also exists which many Emirati’s speak. This is a very similar language to standard Arabic.
However you’d be surprised to know that English is actually the most common language spoken in Dubai.
Aside from Arabic and English you will find a mixture of languages spoken throughout the city ranging from Hindi to Chinese. This is somewhat due to the expansive exponential growth of the business sector and many expatriates emigrating here.
Now that we’ve answered that simple question we can take a look at some language basics to help you on your visit to Dubai and the UAE.
Language Basics for Travelling to Dubai
Although you can get about your business and vacation speaking English, it’s courteous to learn at least some common Arabic phrases.
How to Say Hello in Arabic
Formally, “Hello” is “as-salam alaykum”; however, to say “Hi” casually you can choose to say “sallam” or “hala”.
How to Say Goodbye in Arabic
“Goodbye” in Arabic also means “go with peace”. To say “Goodbye” we say “ma’a as-salamah”.
How to Say Thank You in Arabic
“Thank You” in Arabic is “Shukraan”. Furthermore, another common phrase in reply is “Welcome” which is “Hayakoom”.
Other Useful Phrases to be Used in Dubai
Now we’ve established some basics check out the below table for more useful terms to learn for your travels to Dubai.
| English | Arabic |
| How Are You? | Kayf Halik |
| I am Good | ‘ana bikhayr |
| How Much? | kam althaman |
| Excuse Me | Efu |
| Sorry | Asif |
| Please | raja’ |
| Yes | Nam |
| No | La |
| Please Repeat | arjwk ‘aead |
| I Don’t Understand | ‘ana la ‘afham |
Common Questions in Arabic
| English | Arabic |
| Where is the Burj Khalifa? | Wein Burj Khalifa? |
| Where is the Nearest Metro? | Wein Mahatat el Metro? |
| Sorry I Don’t Speak Arabic | Afwan, ma ahki Arabi |
| Can I Have a Lower Price? | Akher Se’er |
| Where is the Nearest Cash Machine? | Ayna aqrab Saraf aalee |
| Where is the Bathroom? | ayn alhamam |
| Do You Speak English? | hal tatakalam allughat al’iinjlizia |
| Good Morning | sabah alkhyr |
| Good Evening | masa’ alkhayr |
| I’d Like a Beer | ‘urid bira |
What Other Languages are Spoken in Dubai?
Due to the influx of foreign workers and expatriats the below are also common means of communication in Dubai.
- Malayalam
- Hindi
- Urdu
- Gujarati
- Persian
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Punjabi
- Pashto
- Bengali
- Balochi
- Tulu
- Kannada
- Sinhala
- Marathi
- Telugu
- Tagalog
- Chinese
Most of the phrases above in Arabic are not always pronounced as they seem so it is worth ‘brushing up’ on your pronunciation before you visit.
You can type in any of the phrases above into Google Translate or better still check out the YouTube video below which I find very helpful.
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