Arabic interpreting and translation

Arabic interpreting matched to the speaker's dialect

Most of our Arabic interpreting services take place in the client's spoken variety rather than in Fusha. An Iraqi applicant at an asylum interview, a Sudanese mother at an antenatal clinic and a Moroccan witness giving evidence each need a different linguist, and we book accordingly. Face-to-face Arabic interpreting covers hospital wards, GP surgeries, police stations, magistrates' and crown courts, tribunals and school admissions meetings.

When time is short, an Arabic interpreter can join by phone at any hour, or on video through the SILA Linguists® app or a familiar tool such as Teams. For trade delegations, investor briefings and academic events we provide conference interpreters for consecutive and simultaneous work, including remote simultaneous interpreting. A female or male interpreter can be requested, which many Arabic-speaking families value in maternity care, safeguarding visits and sensitive interviews.

Arabic translation and certified translation

Written Arabic translation is normally produced in Modern Standard Arabic so that it reads naturally from Rabat to Riyadh, while legal terminology follows the conventions of the country concerned. We translate civil status records, family registers, court judgments, academic transcripts, contracts, patient leaflets and tender documents into and out of English, and we take care with right-to-left layout and with the transliteration of names so they match passports.

Every certified Arabic translation carries a signed statement of accuracy, accepted by UK authorities such as the Home Office, courts and universities, and by employers. For brands entering Arab markets we localise websites, apps and campaigns, and we can adapt copy for a Gulf, Levantine or Egyptian audience where that matters.

Arabic transcription, subtitling and LADO

Recorded Arabic, whether a police interview, a covert recording or a WhatsApp voice note, is transcribed by linguists who know the dialect, then translated into English with time stamps. We also subtitle Arabic video for broadcasters, training providers and charities. Where nationality or origin is in question, SILA Linguists® carries out language analysis for the determination of origin (LADO) and nationality assessment.

Settings for our linguists in Arabic

Our vetted, trained and qualified Arabic linguists can support immigration and asylum teams, solicitors and barristers, police forces, NHS trusts and private hospitals, social workers, schools and universities, along with businesses in trade, finance, energy and engineering. You work with a single project team. Every interpreter is vetted and bound by a confidentiality agreement, and data is handled under UK GDPR from first call to final file.