General Information » Culture & Lifestyle » Language

The official language in Qatar is of course Arabic. It is used by locals and the relatively big Arab community residing here. The Arabic dialect used in Qatar is commonly dubbed as the ‘Khaleeji’ accent in reference to the Gulf or Al Khaleej.

English is widely spoken in everyday life in Qatar and most road signs are written in both English and Arabic. English is also used in the workplace, especially at private companies which are capable of completing transactions and services in English. English is also widely used in tourist areas, hotels and malls.

You might get by using English in governmental buildings, but you may find it a struggle so if possible an interpreter will help to make sure that you grasp fully the ins and outs of the bureaucratic system here. Also all official documents such as visa and resident permits should be translated into Arabic. Urdu and Hindi are also commonly used languages in Qatar due to the huge community of Asian workers.