How important is it to be multilingual in today’s international business market?

English has been the language of business for many years. It is also the language most used in academia and tourism. Interestingly, although Spanish has been referenced as the most spoken language for some time, it is of course Mandarin that is now recognised as being spoken by the largest amount of people.

According to Bloomberg rankings, English remains the top language for business, followed by Mandarin. Surprisingly though Arabic is next in line, with French next and Spanish in fifth place.

In the superyacht industry this ranking sits true. China and the Middle East are huge growth sectors but France still remains top of the leader board in terms of actual superyacht business.

Yachting Pages spoke with marine surveyor Fadi Jureidini who offers a multilingual service. Fadi explained, “I am personally fluent in English, Arabic and French, being Lebanese, studying in Canada and then setting up business in France. Having worked in the marine industry since 1986 and surveying superyachts for the last 12 years, I have established that I get around 20% more business than my competitors because I can communicate effectively in several languages. English is definitely used the most, I talk with clients from Turkey, Gibraltar, Portugal, Germany and Holland who prefer to do business in English, and some of my Arabic clients also prefer English even though Arabic is our first language.”

With previous experience as a manager of a chandlers and a shipyard, an agent for a number of engine manufacturers, and as a qualified marine surveyor exclusively for over 10 years, Fadi Jureidini is happy to conduct yacht inspections and produce all related paperwork in any of his three languages. Being able to produce reports and supporting documentation in perfect written English will definitely give businesses a leading edge. Clients from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA often request paperwork that is easily identifiable in any country. However, having the ability to talk in depth with customers in their native language, whatever that may be, will continue to encourage trust and help to build fruitful, long lasting business relationships.

For more information about Fadi Jureidini