Community interpreting and translation in the Arab world : status quo and strategies for change

Community interpreting and translation enable public service providers and users to communicate in situations where they do not share the same language. These professions are essential for social equity and egalitarian access to legal, health, education and other services. Many countries with significant numbers of migrants or autochthonous language minorities have developed more or less satisfactory services and standards in this burgeoning subfield of translation and interpreting. Instances can be identified of countries that have made significant progress (e.g., Australia, Canada and Sweden) as well as of those which started only recently (e.g., Spain and Italy). In Arab countries, however, one can hardly find a reference to this subfield of translation studies, although situations requiring such interpreting and translation services are numerous. This paper describes and raises awareness of the status quo of community interpreting and translation in the Arab World. Three examples are focused on: Morocco as a country with a national language minority, the United Arab Emirates, as an affluent country hosting migrants, and Saudi Arabia, a country with a special religious position which hosts millions of pilgrims every year. The paper also includes recommendations based on migration and pilgrimage statistics and the experiences of the pioneering countries above.