I m quite lucky that I have a few years experience in finance and can speak and understand Arabic to a good standard Is anyone working in the Middle East at the moment and does speaking Arabic give you much of a competitive advantage? I d also be interested to hear how you secured the job you are in - Was it through a recruitment agency?
There are lots of Egyptians and Lebanese whom you will be competing with, many with US and Canadian experience.
which part of the middle-east you are talking about? i believe that it is always an advantage knowing the native language of the country one work in…n knowing arabic in the middle east is certainly an advantage