SHARE Arabic is one of the 15 languages spoken by half of the world’s population, according to the World Economic Forum. It’s the official language of over 20 countries, and has around 300 million native speakers. It also ranks in the top five on the Power Language Index. As we celebrate Arabic Language Day on Friday, it is more important now than ever for businesses that want to appeal to the Arab target audience to communicate in Arabic with their customers. A growing body of research provides credence to the fact that language is closely linked with consumer behaviours. Online shoppers prefer businesses that speak their language. According to a 2018 study by Rbbi, the Middle East’s first data-driven agency, 88 per cent of online shoppers prefer to buy products using their native language.