Ask for information: Arabic is a MUST in GCC consulting firm?

Question

Whether Arabic is a MUST in GCC T1/T2 consulting, for ones above manage level?

I have saw a british recruiting compang who work for certain MBB middle east office in sourcing pricipal/partner, particularly in Public sector. My question here is: the factor of arabia speaking consultant:

-tie to certain level, e.g., principal and above?
-tie to specific sector, e.g., public sector only?
-or both?

More insights in need for consultant in GCC area. Many thanks!

Answer 1

Hi Jessica,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

First of all, consulting firms in the Middle East generally do not require you to speak Arabic, even though it might be useful for your daily professional (and perhaps personal) life.
Moreover, I would highly advise you to take a look at the career websites of the consulting firms you are interested in or contact a recruiter directly to make sure for your specific firm and role.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

You can find the consulting salaries report 2024 here!

Answer 2

No, it is not a must.

And no there is no rule on it being “preferred”.

Regardless of the level.

If consulting firms have an Arabic requirement job-opening - they will specify it upfront.

I have had seamless experience with English across all levels.

Most consulting firms have translators if a document needs to be translated for governance purposes. But more often - the de-facto language is English.

Answer 3

Jessica,

I worked with lots of people and not all of them spoke Arabic.

Some of the offices in the GCC, especially UAE, are among the few that are still hiring at the moment, which is why they receive lots of applications, and they're also some of the few that welcome foreigners.

What I would recommend you to do is to speak with the recruiter from your target office, identify what is the role that you should apply for and discuss the language requirements upfront.

This will put all these concerns to rest.

It's important to know that language criteria differ from firm to firm - so some might be more lax with you not speaking Arabic, while others would require it.

All the best,

Cristian

Answer 4

Hi Jessica,

No, Arabic is not a must in GCC countries, therefore also not linked to any sector or position.

It is definitely a plus in the recruiting process, especially driven by the business in Saudi Arabia, but I would say the vast majority of people employed in GCC consulting forms do not speak Arabic.

Hope this helps,

Ariadna

Answer 5

Hi there,

It is not a requirement but a plus and most (the large majority of) expats do not speak Arabic.

You can see for yourself:

Go to LinkedIn
Filter for the relevant company and position
Check their language skills

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 6

Definitely not a requirement. But it is something they value.

Answer 7

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