Arabic Legal Translation
Arabic legal translation encompasses a wide variety of laws and legal structures. This reason alone makes the translation service quite complex. When submitting documents for Arabic, it is thus best to indicate the purpose of the translation, as while the translation professionals switch languages from English to Arabic, they also have to restructure the documents in accordance to the specific legal system of the country to which the papers will be sent.
Arabic Legal Translation – Countries that Speak Arabic
The whole of the Middle East speaks Arabic. There are also some parts of Africa in which the language serves as their official language, but each state has its own laws to follow. Among the countries in which translations are highly in demand are:
- United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates comprises of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. The capital of UAE is Abu Dhabi, and it also serves as the country’s premier business district alongside Dubai. Dubai meanwhile houses most of foreign satellite offices, thus majority of business transactions take place in this city. Each emirate has its own local laws and structures which have to be complied with when writing legal paperwork.
- Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is another important country that speaks Arabic. There are a lot of businesses established in this part of the Middle East, many of which are oil firms. Transacting business with these firms is common among American and European corporations, and even though English has been widely used for writing formal papers, Arabic is still the preferred choice for legal documents.
Other countries that speak Arabic include Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Bahrain and Oman. Like the UAE and KSA, these countries have their own national and local laws and decrees that have to be carefully understood when writing legal documents otherwise they will not be recognized by countries’ respective legal procedures.
Writing Arabic Legal Translation
When writing Arabic legal translation, it is important for the translators to be knowledgeable of the specifications of the documents, including the names, addresses, dates and purposes. Such information details are vital as they tend to be confusing to readers, and placing them at the right positions will ensure better understanding when read by the target audiences.
Writing Arabic translations also require the use of the Arabic script, the main writing system used in the countries that speak the language.
Requisites for Arabic Legal Translations
When searching for Arabic translation services, it is best to check the specialization of the people assigned with legal translation work. They should at least have prior work experiences in writing legal documents in the various Arabic countries, or a degree in legal studies that focuses on Arabic legal structures.
It is also a requisite for translators to be native speakers of the language. At the same time they should know how to write documents in Arab script, so that the documents will be properly understood by the individuals who are going to use them.
