Lost Languages of the Desert: UAE’s Multilingual Past
Long before Arabic became the dominant language of the United Arab Emirates, the region was a vibrant crossroads of ancient civilizations where Aramaic, Greek, and Persian echoed through bustling trade hubs and coastal settlements. These languages weren’t just foreign imports—they were actively used in commerce, governance, and religious practices, reflecting the UAE’s deep-rooted connections with empires like the Sassanids, Greeks, and even earlier Mesopotamian cultures.
Archaeological findings from the Umm Al Nar and Mleiha sites, including inscriptions and pottery, reveal a fascinating pre-Islamic world where linguistic diversity was a hallmark of daily life. The UAE’s sands may now whisper in Arabic, but they once carried the voices of empires long vanished.