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Arabic Telephone Interpreting Services (OPI)

Arabic Telephone Interpreting Services (OPI)

Arabic over-the-phone interpreting (OPI) service with instant connection to Arabic interpreters covering all major dialect groups.

Buying for a firm or public body? See enterprise options

Arabic is our most requested telephone interpreting language, widely used by GP surgeries, council services, utilities companies, housing associations, and emergency services across the UK. We provide coverage across Egyptian, Levantine (Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese), Gulf (Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti), Iraqi, and North African (Moroccan, Algerian) Arabic dialects, ensuring callers are matched with an interpreter who understands their specific variety of Arabic. Pay-per-minute billing from £0.50/minute with no booking required.

What We Translate

Each document type below goes to a translator who knows the field

  • On-Demand Interpreting

    Reach an interpreter straight away, no booking needed

  • Book Online Day or Night

    Online booking available around the clock

  • Customer Service

    Customer calls in many languages

  • Medical Calls

    Pharmacy, NHS helplines and GP appointments

  • Legal Calls

    Legal aid and meetings with solicitors

  • Business Calls

    Client calls, supplier negotiations

Why Work With Us

  • Instant Connection

    For common languages, you reach an interpreter within 30 seconds

  • Cost-Effective

    From £0.50/minute, ideal for routine calls

  • Book Online Day or Night

    Book an interpreter through our online portal at any hour

  • Arabic Specialists

    Rare and common languages covered

Arabic Telephone Interpreting: The Most Requested OPI Language

Arabic is the most frequently requested language for over-the-phone interpreting (OPI) services in the UK, driven by the large and growing Arabic-speaking population across the country. From GP surgeries and council helplines to police non-emergency lines and housing associations, thousands of organisations rely on Arabic telephone interpreting daily to communicate with Arabic-speaking residents, patients, and service users.

Why Arabic telephone interpreting demand is so high:

  • NHS and healthcare, GP practices, NHS trusts, and community health services use Arabic OPI for patient consultations, appointment booking, prescription queries, and health advice calls. Arabic-speaking patients who cannot attend face-to-face appointments with an interpreter rely on telephone interpreting for ongoing healthcare access.
  • Local authorities, Councils use Arabic telephone interpreting for housing enquiries, benefits helplines, social services calls, school admissions queries, and council tax support. Arabic is typically among the top three languages requested by council contact centres in areas with significant Arab communities.
  • Emergency services, 999 and 101 calls from Arabic speakers requiring immediate language support. Arabic OPI provides instant connection to an interpreter, enabling emergency dispatchers, police officers, and paramedics to communicate effectively with Arabic-speaking callers.
  • Utilities and housing, Energy companies, water companies, housing associations, and telecoms providers use Arabic OPI to support Arabic-speaking customers with billing queries, service issues, and account management.

Our Arabic telephone interpreting service provides instant connection to qualified Arabic interpreters, covering all major dialect groups 24/7. No advance booking is required, call and connect within 30-60 seconds.

Who We Work With

Healthcare

  • Calls to NHS 111
  • GP visits
  • Pharmacist consultations
  • Mental health support lines

Public Sector

  • Council phone lines
  • Questions about benefits
  • Help with housing
  • Social care teams

Business

  • Customer support
  • Sales phone calls
  • Negotiating with suppliers
  • HR questions

For Larger Organisations

Ongoing or high-volume Arabic work, managed by one team on terms that suit your organisation

  • One Named Contact

    A single account manager who knows your files, answers quickly and coordinates every project.

  • Lower Rates at Volume

    Regular and large projects cost less, and translation memory cuts the price of text you have sent us before.

  • Framework Contracts

    Turnaround times, fixed prices and service levels agreed in advance and written into the contract.

  • Data Protection

    ISO 17100 certified, GDPR compliant, NDAs on request and careful handling of sensitive files.

See the Enterprise Service

Prefer to talk? Call the business team on 0800 193 8888

How It Works

  1. Call Our Line

    Ring your access number or open the app

  2. Select Language

    Key in a language code or talk to an operator

  3. Connected

    An interpreter is on the line in 30-60 seconds

  4. Interpretation

    An interpreter joins a three-way call

Client Story

Telephone Interpreting

Delivering on-demand Arabic telephone interpreting for a metropolitan council's housing and benefits helplines, handling over 300 Arabic calls per month across Egyptian, Syrian, and Iraqi dialects for newly settled refugee families accessing local services.

Your Questions Answered

What clients usually ask before they order

How fast can I get through to a phone interpreter?

Arabic telephone interpreting: Within 30-60 seconds. Arabic is our most frequently requested OPI language, with interpreters available on-demand around the clock. We cover all major Arabic dialects including Egyptian, Levantine, Gulf, Iraqi, and North African Arabic.

What do you charge for phone interpreting?

Telephone interpreting in Arabic costs £0.50-£1.50/minute. Calls usually carry a minimum charge of 5-10 minutes. Councils, NHS trusts and other organisations that regularly need Arabic interpreting can get volume discounts. Get in touch for volume prices.

Does phone interpreting have to be booked ahead?

No booking required for Arabic, call and connect instantly. Arabic is always available on-demand due to high interpreter availability. If you need a specific Arabic dialect (e.g. Moroccan Arabic or Sudanese Arabic), pre-booking is recommended to ensure the best dialect match.

Which Arabic dialects do you cover for telephone interpreting?

We cover all major Arabic dialect groups: Egyptian Arabic (the most widely understood dialect), Levantine Arabic (Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Jordanian), Gulf Arabic (Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Qatari, Omani), Iraqi Arabic, and North African Arabic (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Libyan). MSA interpreters are also available for formal communications. Dialect matching ensures the most accurate interpretation for each caller.

Is phone interpreting suitable for legal matters?

Yes. Arabic interpreting by phone works well for meetings with solicitors, legal aid calls, benefit appeals and first police enquiries. For formal court hearings and PACE custody interviews, we advise an interpreter in person. Our police interpreting and court interpreting pages give more detail.

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