FEATURE
LOCALISING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR ARABIC- SPEAKING AUDIENCES IN THE GCC
The GCC region is a rapidly growing economic force, yet the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to customer experience( CX) is failing its 61.2 million population, where Arabic is central. Rashid AlJneibi, Senior Director, CX Technology at e & enterprise, has seen firsthand how, in markets like the UAE and KSA, weak localisation which fails to address distinct Arabic dialects and cultural nuance creates significant engagement gaps, eroding trust and reducing conversions. With the rise of voice assistants and Arabic GenAI, the need for hyper-personalised CX is critical. Businesses must move beyond simple translation, investing in deep cultural adaptation and AI voice tuning to secure long-term loyalty and turn relevance into a powerful competitive edge.
Few regions are reshaping the global economic map as quickly as the GCC. Across the region’ s population of roughly 61.2 million, Arabic remains the primary language and is a central part of daily life, even within highly diverse expatriate communities.
Localised customer experience( CX) is quickly becoming a business essential.
The UAE and KSA are the largest markets and account for most of the Arabic-speaking population in the Gulf. Businesses across the UAE, KSA and beyond are recognising that a one-sizefits-all approach simply doesn’ t work in a region with such linguistic and cultural richness.
Over 50 % of global online searches are now conducted via voice assistants. Arabic GenAI tools are gaining traction for hyper-personalised interactions, the need for multi-lingual CX strategies in the GCC has never been clearer. During his time at e & enterprise, AlJneibi has seen first-hand how weak localisation can undermine customers, while thoughtful adaptations in Arabic CX design can transform customer engagement in the GCC.
The stakes are high. Research shows that customer engagement gaps in the GCC arise
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