Arabic remains a fundamental language skill in the Middle East business community, even as demand for English proficiency grows, according to Anil Singh, chief business officer for Saudi Arabia at TASC Outsourcing.

The comments came after a new study found that nine in 10 human resources decision-makers across 17 countries believe English-language proficiency is critical to organizational success.

The findings, published in ETS' Global English Skills Report, included respondents from Saudi Arabia, with 92 percent saying English proficiency among employees is more important now than it was five years ago.

Singh noted that organizations are becoming increasingly global, digitally connected, and cross-functional, prompting employers to place greater emphasis on communication skills as teams work across multiple markets, cultures, and time zones.

However, he emphasized that Arabic remains fundamental to the region's identity, business culture, and customer engagement.

He added: "Arabic remains fundamental to the region's identity, business culture, and customer engagement.

What we are seeing instead is a growing expectation for bilingual or multilingual capability, where professionals are able to operate confidently in both Arabic and English depending on the business context".

AI RAISES PRESSURE Contrary to assumptions that AI translation and communication tools could ease pressure on non-native English speakers, the report suggests the opposite.

Across speaking, listening, reading, and writing, about six in 10 employers said AI cannot compensate for a worker's lack of competency.

Employers also said the growth of AI is increasing the need for English proficiency, as workers must be fluent to interact effectively with AI systems and maximize their benefits.

Roughly nine in 10 employers said English skills are necessary to use AI interfaces, generate effective prompts, and assess the accuracy of AI output.

FASTFACT Organizations are becoming increasingly global, digitally connected, and cross-functional, prompting employers to place greater emphasis on communication skills as teams work across multiple markets, cultures, and time zones.

A respondent from Morocco's finance sector noted that English is essential for employees using AI tools that primarily operate in English, while a professional services firm in Germany said programming and data-analysis interfaces are typically English-based.

Singh said: "In many AI-facing and technology-driven roles, employers increasingly see communication skills as complementary to technical expertise.

While AI tools are becoming more advanced, professionals still need strong comprehension skills to interact effectively with platforms, interpret outputs accurately and collaborate with global stakeholders".

He added that many AI systems continue to operate primarily in English, naturally increasing the importance of language proficiency in certain roles.

THE BUSINESS COST The business case for investing in English skills is not merely aspirational; it also carries measurable costs when ignored.

Some 83 percent of respondents said hiring candidates with insufficient English skills imposes costs on organizations, including higher turnover, weaker retention, and lower productivity.

The risks also extend to customer relationships.

Roughly one in three employers cited customer turnover as a pressing challenge, while 74 percent said miscommunication stemming from limited English proficiency had strained client relationships.

"Communication mismatches can certainly affect performance outcomes, particularly in roles that require extensive coordination across departments, international stakeholders or technical systems," Singh said.

He explained that technically strong candidates may still struggle in roles requiring frequent collaboration with multinational teams, documentation review, or multilingual client interaction.

"This can impact onboarding speed, confidence levels and overall productivity".

ADOPTION HURDLES Despite growing demand, implementation remains uneven.

About nine in 10 respondents reported at least one barrier to adopting English-language assessment tools, with time constraints, scaling challenges, and difficulty finding trusted providers each cited by 36 percent.

There are also quality gaps in tools currently available on the market.

HR leaders said the biggest shortcomings involve accurately assessing speaking and listening skills, where the gap between employer expectations and existing solutions remains most pronounced.

Looking ahead, 84 percent of organizations expect companies in their countries to invest in English-language assessments and employee education within five years.

There is also growing expectation that governments will play a role, with 53 percent of respondents predicting policies promoting English fluency in secondary education will be introduced over the same period.

For now, the competitive advantage lies with organizations moving early.

As one HR leader in Saudi Arabia's finance sector said in the survey, English proficiency enables employees to compete and succeed in an increasingly interconnected global work environment.

Singh concluded, saying: "We do see hiring processes becoming increasingly assessment-led over the next few years, not only for language skills but across technical, behavioral, and cognitive capabilities as well.

In the GCC, however, the future will likely be centered around multilingual readiness".