Getting around in a dynamic cosmopolitan center like that of Dubai, translation is not just an option but a necessity. There is an increasingly high need to translate documents in languages like Arabic, French, German and Urdu since people hailing all over the world are living and working in the city. Regardless of whether its visa application, court submission, education or business growth, the translated documents are a very vital part of life and work in the UAE.
Nevertheless, as much as accuracy and official certification are always given priority, turnaround time (TAT) is usually the most urgent issue among clients. Some of them are in time-urgent needs, such that even missing a day may cause them a missed deadline or delayed appointment. Not every language is of the same character in terms of translational speed. So, we can discuss the issue of turnaround times comparison across four major languages in Dubai and the causes of a relative improvement.
The availability of language and its effects on speed
The availability of qualified translators on each side of the language is, probably, the first and the most significant factor, which influences turnaround time. It is not surprising that Arabic has the greatest demand in Dubai. Arabic translations are compulsory with most legal and governmental documents since it is the official lingo of the UAE. The result of it is a fully developed infrastructure of professional Arabic translators, some of which have been qualified as such in the Ministry of Justice. Due to this fact, even such ordinary documents as certificates or licenses can even be translated into Arabic within several hours or the following working day. Even the Arabic language form agencies give same-day or express services, and this makes it among the very rapid options.
French is also one of the languages which have rather great availability. French-to-English and French-to-Arabic translations are also common activities in UAE due to a large number of both North African and European expatriates. Consequently, translators are abundant who have linguistic competence as well as familiarity with the region. French documents turnaround time is a little bit longer than Arabic, but on average around 24 to 48 hours, and this is quite acceptable.
The demand of German is however a bit lower compared to that of general German and this is translated in the number of certified translators found in the region. The German speaking community is the emerging community in Dubai but the number of those who can translate legal or technical material to or from German is small. The complexity of the grammatical usage and layout of the German document can be added to this mix and you will have an idea about a turnaround time of about 48 hours to 72 hours max, unless notarization/or attestation is required.
Urdu, though not the official language in Dubai, is very common because most of its people are South Asians and use it as a means of personal and legal writing. Urdu turnaround times tend to be rapid, averaging about 24-36 hours, especially the simpler documents. Nonetheless difficulties might occur during the translation of some delicately worded expressions and informal styles to either English or Arabic and this might need to be treated carefully to comply with official submission requirements.
Type and Complications of Documents
Everything is not written equal. A birth certificate, which is only a page long, does not take a long period of time to translate as compared to a multi page employment contract, academic thesis, and power of attorney. Short and to the point documents in all the four languages can be finished in a span of a day or two but complex and technical information takes a long time.
Translations of the documents of the legal or medical character into Arabic, though endorsed with the vast base of the translators, still require the profound knowledge of the terminology and are frequently under the quality control prior to the delivery. The same happens with French, where an official transcript or a document presented in court is more likely to have formal or localized ways of expression and it should be precise.
The complexity of German is further highlighted in technical papers, for example business contracts, patents or academic papers, where a typical compound word may consist of several words and the equivalent usage of a compound word in any of the languages: English or Arabic has to be precise. They are not only a nuisance to translate but they are cumbersome to set formats and they are hard to prove and this makes the turnaround sometimes take several working days.
In the case of Urdu, complexity of words is not the most important aspect of the document. A great number of the documents in Urdu are generated in an informal or non-standardized format and this means that the translators should translate intentions and reorganize the written material in an official reading sense. To take one example, an affidavit of family or an agreement of property that was hand written will need some explanation to be made before it could be translated into a form acceptable to the UAE authorities.
Certification, Formatting and Delays due to Others
Speed of translation is not merely about language, but it is also about process. In Dubai, a great number of documents regarding this issue require certified translations, i.e. they should be translated by a certified translator and may be also notarized or certified by an authorized body. Those extra steps may provide you with an extra day or more on your calendar, particularly when you need outside approval.
In the case of Arabic translations it is quite a smooth procedure since Arabic is a key component in government operations. Dubai is home to lots of agencies that are licensed to deliver certified Arabic translation services within a short duration. In case of French and Urdu, it is rather efficient, but certain documents can still need additional time to be sent in case of being corrected legally or in connection with their formatting.
However, in case of German translations there is a tendency that there is an administrative delay. In case of necessitating the submission of documents in Germany or to the German institutions, they may have to conform to a certain set of formatting regulations or be marked with a German consulate stamp that may extend the process further than just getting these documents translated.
Delivery is also influenced by weekends, UAE holidays and working hours. Agencies can make additional charges in case of any working in the weekend or the expedited deadlines and it is always a good idea to go through the calendar and inform the urgency and use of the weekend in advance.
Ahead Panning Process of a Faster Result
With limited time, the clients usually believe that the quickest means the best. However, although agencies in Dubai also have express translation, one must not sacrifice reliability in exchange for fast translation. Uncertified documents or those that have been poorly translated may be rejected by government agencies or its embassies and this may take long and cost much money to redo.
It goes without saying that to prevent the delays it is better to turn to the agency that may not only possess the expertise in the field of language but also know the needs of the institutions in UAE. Request a definite deadline prior to accepting the job, and mention whether certification or lawful formatting is required. In case of bulkier documents/ special content, ask whether a group of translators can be given so that turnaround can be cut down.
There is also an increasing rate of digital submission. A great number of translating services in Dubai already have online portals with safety systems, where you can upload a document and receive your translation without the necessity to visit the facility at all and hasten the delivery.
Conclusion
The constant requirement to get high-quality and on-time translation is evident in Dubai due to the fast-paced multicultural environment around. Though Arabic is the quickest language to translate, there is a close second in French and Urdu which the other language can offer a good turnaround in the normal documentations. The German language, although accurate and becoming increasingly requested, is likely to take more time thanks to the complexity of the language or rather administrative bureaucracy.
Finally, people and companies would be more informed when it comes to planning, where they know the average turnaround time and anything that can add to it. Translating a visa document, a marriage certificate, or a corporate contract, it is important to know what to be expected regarding the language-specific time schedule so that one could also be sure that the process is promoted with no additional delays.
