New research from global multilingual event technology company Interprefy, reveals widespread frustration among Middle Eastern event organisers over native-language access at international events - despite recognition of its importance for business development, engagement and inclusion.
The research, Accelerating Global Communication, surveyed 387 decision-makers from events, marketing, project management and learning and development sectors across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.
The report explores how organisations are navigating the reality of real-time multi-lingual support, what challenges they face and where the opportunities lie to deliver more inclusive, impactful experiences.
The findings paint a clear picture of a region ready for increased language access:
● 86% of business event organisers report a high or very high
demand for multilingual live translation and interpretation services at their
business events.
● 45% remain unfamiliar with RSI, while 38% have never encountered
live multilingual captioning, highlighting a significant gap between intent and
understanding.
● It found that 85% of business event organisers in the Middle
East who attended international events expressed frustration over the lack of
live multilingual translation services, limiting their ability to participate
in their native language.
● Over half (52%) described their frustration as extreme or very high
“Access to language should be viewed as access to opportunities,” said Oddmund Braaten, CEO at Interprefy. “As more businesses in the Middle East expand their networks West and Western businesses increasingly host events in the Middle East, language access becomes a critical success factor. Without real-time multilingual support, participation, engagement and inclusivity all suffer, ”added Braaten.
The research also reveals key barriers to adoption. More than half of respondents (55%) worry that AI-generated captions are not accurate enough, while 49% express concerns about AI handling confidential discussions or data.
Despite these concerns, organisers see clear opportunities for multilingual support across multiple event formats - with 63% citing webinars, 58% business meetings and 56% company-wide sessions as key priorities for multilingual delivery.
Respondents shared in the report that they are turning frustration into action, with 98% of event organisers saying they are likely to use real-time translation services at their own multilingual events. Highlighting that organisers are not just aware of the issue, but are taking proactive steps to set new standards for language inclusion
Braaten added: “The Middle East is at a turning point. Event organisers understand the value of real-time language access, but they need guidance on how to integrate RSI and AI translation solutions securely and strategically. This isn’t just about technology, it’s about creating inclusive experiences where everyone can contribute.”
Interprefy’s report concludes that as accessibility expectations rise globally and regulatory standards such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) influence international operations, for example by prioritising the use of captioning to improve accessibility for deaf people and people who are hard of hearing. In this context, Middle Eastern organisations have a major opportunity to lead the way in inclusive, multilingual event design.
Interprefy notes the following key
points for Middle East organisers to consider:
● Awareness and education: Many event teams may not yet understand
the difference between RSI, AI translation, captioning and hybrid
configurations.
● Trust & accuracy: Concerns about AI accuracy and
confidentiality will likely be the top adoption barriers.
● Format prioritisation: Webinars and virtual meetings may lead to
multilingual adoption before full conferences.
● Regulatory and accessibility trends: Global accessibility
standards (e.g. European Accessibility Act) influence compliance expectations
across regions.
● Market opportunity: With global markets growing, there is room for early adopters to set benchmarks in Middle Eastern multilingual event delivery.
The global multilingual interpretation market is projected to reach $20.47 billion by 2025, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.9% through 2032. Meanwhile, the human interpretation services segment has seen rapid recent growth, increasing from $9.25 billion in 2023 to $11.6 billion in 2024, a year-on-year jump of 25.5%, driven by rising demand at international conferences, government events and cross-border business meetings. -TradeArabia News Service