The Language Barrier - Khaleej Times
IN THIS world of shrinking global markets through effective communication systems, the UAE stands out with a unique problem of its own created by the various languages that the thousands of expats speak.

QUOTE. With over 100 nationalities here, it’s little wonder then that language often turns a barrier. There are people who speak only Arabic and there are those who speak only English, while a majority can converse in Hindi and Urdu, thanks to the large expat population from the Indian sub-continent.

In such a situation, a simple query or directions to a particular point may well turn out to be a painfully lengthy exercise, and needless to add, waste of precious time.

Try explaining to a delivery boy the location of your house in English and you could well be heading for a torturous exchange. Similarly, an Arab trying to explain the location he would like to be driven to by the cabbie could land up tearing his hair, for most of the taxi drivers do not understand Arabic. UNQUOTE.