Practice a Arabic Business Meeting
Business meetings in Arabic require precision: agreeing, disagreeing, summarising, and proposing next steps without coming across too aggressive or too vague. This scenario rehearses the meeting verbs ('I propose', 'I disagree respectfully', 'Let's circle back', 'Action item:'), and the polite-but-firm register most Arabic-speaking corporate cultures expect. You'll practise turn-taking, interrupting tactfully, and closing a meeting with clear ownership of next steps. By the end, you'll contribute meaningfully in a Arabic meeting instead of staying silent.
Sample Arabic conversation
صباح الخير، جميعاً. لنبدأ. البند الأول على جدول الأعمال هو نتائج الربع. هل تريد البدء؟
Good morning, everyone. Let's get started. The first item on the agenda is the quarterly results. Would you like to begin?بالطبع. حضّرت ملخصاً للأرقام الرئيسية.
Of course. I've prepared a summary of the key figures.شكراً للنظرة العامة. الإيرادات ارتفعت 12% هذا الربع. ما الذي ساهم في هذا النمو برأيك؟
Thank you for the overview. Revenue is up 12% this quarter. What do you think contributed to this growth?وقّعنا عقوداً مع ثلاثة عملاء رئيسيين جدد هذا الربع.
We signed three new major clients this quarter.ممتاز. ما هي أهداف الربع القادم؟ هل هناك استراتيجيات جديدة يجب أن ننظر فيها؟
Excellent. What are the goals for next quarter? Any new strategies we should consider?أقترح أن نتوسع في سوقين جديدين.
I propose we expand into two new markets.
What you'll learn
- Open and close a meeting with the right etiquette
- Agree, disagree, and propose alternatives politely
- Interrupt without being rude
- Summarise discussion and assign action items
- Take notes in Arabic and follow up
Frequently asked questions
How do I disagree politely in a Arabic meeting?
Use the formula 'I see your point, but I'd suggest…' — softer than the bare 'I disagree'. The scenario rehearses several variants.
What's the Arabic for 'action item' or 'next steps'?
There's a specific business term in Arabic — increasingly an English loanword in some countries. We include both forms.
How formal is Arabic in business meetings?
Quite formal — formal 'you', complete sentences, avoid slang. The scenario uses corporate register throughout.
How do I close a Arabic meeting cleanly?
Summarise decisions, assign owners, set a follow-up date. The scenario teaches the closing phrases for each step.