Arabic Translation Services in the UK: An Ultimate Guide

The United Kingdom has the second-largest language services provider (LSP) market in the world, reaching £35 billion in 2018. Every UK translation company has felt the growth of the industry. In particular, the demand for an Arabic translation service is growing rapidly as businesses create new market opportunities in the Middle East. In fact, each UK translation company employs Arabic to English translators to offer these services to British businesses.

This article looks at the growing competitiveness of the LSP industry. We discuss how these market forces require UK translation companies to provide a wide range of comprehensive services – including Arabic translations – and how to choose the best UK translation company for your project.

LSP Industry Data in the United Kingdom

Translation industry trends reveal a growing and increasingly competitive marketplace. There are currently 1,200 translation companies in the UK, according to a report from the Association of Translation Companies (ATC). Each UK translation company provides various language services to the UK’s private and public sectors, including an Arabic translation service.

The report goes on to discuss how each UK translation company plays a crucial role in the economy of the country: “Their revenues contribute £1.2 billion per annum to the economy and provide employment for over 12,000 staff. The added value that language companies generate for the UK’s economy through the growth of international trade far surpasses the numerical data.”

Unfortunately, the report also notes a decline in foreign language learning in the UK. Therefore, the demand for professionally trained translators has increased to serve the growing market. Arabic to English translators are in particularly high need in the UK. Although Arabic is the fifth most-spoken language in the United Kingdom, only a few of these individuals are qualified to offer translation.

Globalisation Data on UK Businesses

The growing demand for an expert Arabic translation service makes sense when looking at globalisation data for UK businesses. The ATC report included the results from a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Directors (IoD) Going Global Trends in Trade. IoD surveyed its members to determine the average number of markets served. The survey found that:

• 10% of businesses serve only one market
• 44% of businesses serve 2-5 markets
• 30% of businesses serve 11+ markets

For the purpose of the survey, the entire European Union (EU) was considered one market. Therefore, most UK companies operate in markets such as the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The Arabic language is spoken in all three of these markets, so it is unsurprising that every UK translation company needs Arabic to English translators and vice versa.

Importance of Arabic Translation for UK Companies

Even after finding a reliable UK translation company, determining which languages to translate content into is challenging for several organisations. However, investing in an expert Arabic translation service is advantageous for many reasons:

• The Arabic language is the fifth most commonly spoken language in the world
• Arabic is the official language of 22 countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe
• There are more than 420 million non-native and native Arabic speakers worldwide
• Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations

With its large global audience, Arabic can help businesses gain a competitive edge in many international markets. Beyond that, consumers often expect personalised service in today’s competitive marketplace. Therefore, working with English to Arabic translators can help appeal to this vast customer base, increasing sales and brand reputation in a global marketplace.

Most notable is the market potential size regarding the number of prospective customers and their increasing level of disposable income. Arabic to English translation is growing in demand because more businesses are considering expanding into the Arab World and reaping these rewards.

Importance of Professional Arabic Translations

Unfortunately, the Arabic language has a unique set of translation challenges. With varying local dialects and a complex writing system, it is a difficult language to master, and the risks of improper translation can be dire. As such, it is critical that you only entrust your projects to a professional UK translation company offering an Arabic translation service.

Even when working with a professional UK translation company, not all English to Arabic translators are on par. For best results, work with a translation company that employs qualified native speakers. For example, when translating to Arabic, your translator must be a native Arabic speaker fluent in English, while Arabic to English translators should be native English speakers.

You should also only work with qualified linguists holding translation degrees. Furthermore, consider that all translators have their own areas of expertise. Ensure that your Arabic translator is familiar with the topic and your unique translation goals, whether that be legal translations, website translations, or technical Arabic translations.

Let Renaissance be your Trusted Arabic Translation Company

Renaissance Translations is a UK translation company you can trust. Over the years, we have proved to be the expert Arabic translation service provider businesses are looking for. Clients such as Aramco, HSBC, CRDF Global, LG, Thomson Reuters and others were happy with our work – and we are sure you will be, too!

All our Arabic translators are fully qualified and native speakers. Regardless of your required language pair, our team can help. We regularly translate to Arabic from any other language, such as French, Chinese, or Spanish. Our experts will work hard to meet your strict requirements, and the results will be flawless.

Let’s discuss your Arabic language project goals today. Click here to contact our team or request a quote for your translation project.