Our Chinese interpreters work between Mandarin and Arabic or English for trade delegations, factory and warehouse visits, supplier negotiations, contract signings and lawyer or notary meetings across the UAE. We brief on your product, your people and your documents before the day, and translate the paperwork that follows.
Trusted Credentials
Before You Book
"Chinese" covers several spoken varieties and two writing systems, and Chinese names and company names follow their own rules. Getting these right up front saves a wasted booking and a wrongly named contract.
Our Chinese interpreters work in Mandarin (Putonghua), the standard spoken form used in business and government across mainland China and Taiwan and widely understood in Singapore and overseas Chinese business. Cantonese, Hokkien and other varieties are a different matter: if your visitors are from Hong Kong, Macau or southern China and prefer another variety, tell us and we will check whether we can cover it before you book. We do not assume it.
Speech is one thing; the agenda, slides, price list and contract are another. Mainland China and Singapore write in Simplified characters, while Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau use Traditional. A deck in the wrong script looks careless to the people across the table. Tell us where your counterpart is based and we translate the supporting documents into the script they actually read.
Chinese names are written surname first, so a passport reading ZHANG WEI means Mr Zhang, who may also introduce himself as "David". Companies have a registered Chinese name, and the English name on a website or business card is often not registered at all. Send us a name list before the meeting so the interpreter addresses people correctly, and make sure contracts and invoices carry the registered name and the matching Arabic or English rendering.
Where We Interpret
Consecutive interpreting for meetings and visits, simultaneous for larger audiences, and escort interpreting when your guests move between sites.
Introductions, presentations and follow-up meetings with Chinese buyers, sellers and investors. Polite, indirect phrasing is common in Chinese business talk, and the interpreter carries it across faithfully rather than turning a soft "we will study this" into a yes.
Walk-throughs of production lines, quality checks and warehouse audits, where the vocabulary is technical: tolerances, materials, packaging, lead times. Send specifications and product names in advance so the terms are ready.
Price, payment terms, Incoterms and penalties discussed line by line. Bilingual contracts often state which language prevails; the interpreter can read key clauses aloud in both languages so nobody signs blind.
Meetings with UAE lawyers, notary appointments and police or prosecution matters involving Mandarin speakers. For a hearing, the court or authority arranges or approves the interpreter; SWLT holds exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution, so check with your court first. Our court interpreter page sets out how hearings work.
Simultaneous Mandarin interpreting from a booth, with receivers for the audience. Equipment and technicians are quoted together with the interpreters.
China is four hours ahead of the UAE, so morning calls in Dubai fall in the Chinese afternoon. We schedule the interpreter for the call and keep the same person on follow-ups where we can.
How It Works
Date, emirate, duration, who is attending and whether it is a meeting, a site visit, a signing or an event.
Agenda, name list with Chinese characters if you have them, product specs, draft contract. Everything is kept confidential.
We confirm the interpreter, the mode (consecutive, simultaneous or escort) and the price before you commit.
The interpreter arrives briefed. Minutes, quotations or contracts that follow can be translated by our office.
Where Our Interpreters Work
Transparent Pricing
Interpreting is quoted per booking; rates are not published. Translation is charged per 200-word page, excluding 5% VAT.
FAQ
Yes. China is four hours ahead of the UAE, so a morning call in Dubai falls in the Chinese afternoon. Send the call time, the platform and the agenda; we book the interpreter for that slot and keep the same person on follow-up calls where we can.
Our Chinese interpreting is in Mandarin, the standard spoken form used in business across mainland China and Taiwan. If your guests prefer Cantonese or another variety, ask us: we will check whether we can cover it and tell you before you book. Most mainland Chinese business visitors use Mandarin.
Often, yes. We arrange Mandarin–Arabic interpreting on request and confirm a named interpreter before you book; Mandarin–English is also possible. Tell us which languages each side speaks: if a meeting mixes Arabic and English speakers on the UAE side, we plan the language set-up with you in advance.
It depends on who reads them. Mainland China and Singapore use Simplified characters; Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau use Traditional. Tell us where your counterpart is based and we translate accordingly, at AED 250 per page + VAT for Chinese ⇄ Arabic or English.
Interpreting is quoted per booking and our rates are confidential. For Chinese work the quote mostly turns on the format: a seated meeting, a site visit with travel time, or a launch that needs simultaneous booths and receivers. Supporting documents in Simplified or Traditional Chinese are translated at AED 250 per page + VAT.
Yes. For visits we usually provide escort or consecutive interpreting, moving with your group. Send product names, specifications and any safety briefing in advance, and tell us if the site needs protective equipment or access passes for the interpreter.
Follow the passport: Chinese passports show the name in pinyin, surname first. Any English nickname is not the legal name. For Arabic, we render the pinyin consistently across all documents so the name matches visas, contracts and bank records.
Yes. Our office translates Chinese contracts, business licences, quotations and certificates into Arabic or English at AED 250 per page + VAT, with legal translation for UAE authorities. For the legal side of Chinese documents, see our guide to Chinese and Russian legal translation.
You May Also Need
How Chinese documents are prepared for UAE courts and authorities.
All our interpreting modes and equipment in one place.
Certified translation of trade licences for banks and partners.
MOAs, resolutions and corporate records translated for UAE use.
Tell us where your Chinese counterparts are based and what the visit involves. We confirm a Mandarin interpreter and a quote on WhatsApp, and prepare the agenda or contract in Simplified or Traditional characters.