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Arabic Language
Arabic is the official language of Dubai, but English is extensively spoken and is the language used in the majority of international businesses. Hindi, Persian and Urdu are also spoken in the region; however, any attempts to learn Arabic are likely to be appreciated.
Arabic is one of the oldest languages in the world, related to the Semitic language family that includes the antique Aramaic and Hebrew. But it reaches its maximum glorious in Middle Ages, when the language was greatly employed in mathematics, philosophy and science, and the Muslim culture had a high influence in the languages of India and some European countries that still preserve many words of Arabic origin.
Today, Arabic is spoken by around 200 million people (the sixth of the world and part of the United Nations' official languages) in 24 countries across North Africa and the Middle East. The Modern Standard Arabic (different to the Classical language) is divided into 20 regional dialects, among them is the Gulf Arabic, defined as the dialect of Arabic native of the Persian Gulf's countries, including the UAE.
Despite that the modern Arabic varies significantly from country to country; the classical written has changed little over the centuries thanks to the holy Quran and the vast Islamic population. Arabic script is cursive by nature, written from right to left. Among the various styles of script, Ruq'ah (handwriting) and Naskh (for computers) are the most frequently used.
In Dubai and the rest of Muslim world, numerous languages centers offer Arabic classes for both corporations and private individuals. Courses are at all levels, from beginner to advanced, and usually include specialized classes for certain jobs like tourism, finance, medicine, etc. Several websites on the Internet provide online classes and there are also available some radio stations to learning. Following there is a compilation of useful Arabic phrases:
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Useful Arabic Expressions
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English
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Arabic
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Hello (formal)
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As-salam alaykum
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Hello
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Murhaba
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Goodbye (p. staying)
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Maah salama
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Good morning
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Sabaah al-khair
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Good night
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Tisbaah al-khair
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How are you? (M)
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Kayf haalak?
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And you?
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Wa ynta?
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Please
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Myn Fadlak
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Yes
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Aaywa
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What is your name?
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Shu Ysmak?
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Hospital
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Mustashfaah
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Airport
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Al-matar
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English
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Arabic
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Hello (response)
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Wa alaykum as-salaam
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Hello (response)
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Murhaba
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Goodbye (p. leaving)
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Alla ysalmak
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Good afternoon
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Masaah al-khair
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Greeting (response)
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Sabaah an-noor
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How are you? (F)
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Kayf haalyk?
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Thanks be to god
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Al-humdulyllah bykhayr
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Thank you
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Shu kran
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No
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Laah
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My name is...
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Ysmy...
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Police
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Shurtaah
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Telephone
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Hatif
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