Custom eLearning for UAE Organizations, in Arabic and English
For L&D, HR and compliance teams in the UAE that need training their whole workforce can follow.
We design and build custom courses, convert classroom and PowerPoint training, and localize existing eLearning. Every course is tested in your LMS before launch.
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- 2010Delivering eLearning since
- 500+Projects
- 40+Countries with clients
- 120+Specialists
When you compare eLearning companies in the UAE, check four things first: real Arabic and English builds (right-to-left layouts, not just translated text), courses that track in your LMS, experience in your industry, and a clear review process. IKHYA is a custom eLearning development company that has delivered eLearning since 2010 for clients in 40+ countries, in 40+ languages.
Why UAE Teams Work With IKHYA
One team from storyboard to LMS
We handle instructional design, media, build, translation and LMS testing, so you manage one supplier and one schedule instead of four.
Arabic and English planned from the start
We storyboard bilingual courses in both languages side by side and build the Arabic version as a true right-to-left course, with mirrored layouts, Arabic fonts and Arabic voiceover, checked by a native reviewer before you see it.
Courses that report in your LMS
We publish to SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI or HTML5 and test each package in your LMS, so completions and scores reach your records.
Files you own
You receive the editable source files (for example Storyline or Captivate files), so your team can update a policy screen next year without coming back to us.
What Do UAE Organizations Need From an eLearning Company?
UAE training has a few local needs that a generic course will miss. Language comes first: Arabic is the official language of the UAE, and public signs are in Arabic and English, so many teams expect both. The workforce is mixed: the UAE government notes that expatriates outnumber UAE nationals. Hiring targets for Emiratis and a federal data protection law also shape what a course must do.
| UAE factor | What it means | What it means for your course |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Arabic is the official language; signs and many workplaces use Arabic and English | Plan both versions at the storyboard stage; decide which language each audience gets by default |
| A mixed workforce | Expatriates outnumber UAE nationals | Plain English, short screens, voiceover and captions, and scenarios people from many countries recognize |
| Emiratisation | Private companies with 50+ employees must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2% a year; companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 named sectors had to employ at least one Emirati by the end of 2024 and a second by the end of 2025 | Onboarding and role skills for new national hires, ready when they start (see below) |
| Working week | Federal government offices work Monday to Thursday plus Friday morning, with Saturday and Sunday off; private companies vary | Schedule reviews, live sessions and launch dates around your own working days |
| Time zone | The UAE is 4 hours ahead of GMT | Agree call times and review deadlines in Gulf time |
| Personal data | Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data has applied since January 2, 2022; the DIFC financial free zone in Dubai has its own Data Protection Law (DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020) | Collect only the learner data you need in the LMS, and check reporting and data transfer with your legal team |
The data protection law applies to personal data processed through electronic systems, which includes learner names and scores in an LMS. This page describes the law in general terms only; your legal or compliance team decides how it applies to you.
What Should an Arabic and English Course Include?
A bilingual course is not an English course with Arabic text pasted in. Arabic runs right to left, which changes the whole page: menus, buttons, progress bars, drag-and-drop targets and the reading order of each screen. If you are buying from an eLearning company, ask for this checklist to be part of the quality check.
Right-to-left (RTL) quality checklist
- 1Text direction set to right-to-left on every text box, button, quiz option and feedback message
- 2Layout mirrored: navigation, images with direction (arrows, timelines) and drag-and-drop zones
- 3Arabic fonts that render joined letters and diacritics correctly on phones and tablets
- 4Mixed text checked: English product names, numbers and codes inside Arabic sentences
- 5Player labels (menu, next, submit, results) translated, or hidden if the tool can't translate them
- 6Voiceover synced to the Arabic screens, with Arabic captions
- 7Language marked correctly in the course so screen readers switch voices (WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.1.1 Language of Page, Level A, and 3.1.2 Language of Parts, Level AA)
- 8A native Arabic reviewer from your side signs off terminology before launch
What the authoring tools say about right-to-left
| Authoring tool | What the vendor's own docs say | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Articulate Storyline 360 | "Storyline supports right-to-left languages such as Hebrew and Arabic" | Player direction setting, fonts on phones, built-in prompts |
| Articulate Rise 360 | The manual translation method (XLIFF export) covers left-to-right languages only; Articulate Localization supports 80+ languages, including right-to-left | Which translation route the vendor uses for Arabic |
| Adobe Captivate | RTL authoring is switched on in Preferences; text, buttons and quizzes support RTL and mixed RTL and LTR text, but some table of contents labels stay in English or the system language | Table of contents labels, the limited set of Arabic fonts |
Modern Standard Arabic or Gulf Arabic? Modern Standard Arabic is the formal Arabic understood across the Arab world, so it suits policies, compliance and courses shared across a region. A Gulf Arabic voice can sound closer to everyday speech for frontline teams in the UAE. We write and voice in whichever your learners need. Decide this before recording, because it changes the script, not just the voice. We offer human or AI voiceover; human voices usually work better for scenarios and customer-facing role-plays.
Already have English courses? Our eLearning translation services cover translation and localization into 40+ languages, with human or AI voiceover.
Training for Emiratisation Onboarding and Upskilling
Under the UAE's Emiratisation targets, private companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of UAE nationals in skilled jobs by 2% a year, and companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 named sectors had to employ at least one Emirati by the end of 2024 and a second by the end of 2025. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) measures progress on these targets, and the Nafis program runs national initiatives that support Emiratis in private-sector jobs.
The targets are about hiring, not about a course format. But every new hire in a skilled role needs to learn your systems, policies and safety rules quickly, often in Arabic and English. Courses that help:
- 01
Onboarding paths
Company, policies, systems and role basics, assigned in the LMS on day one
- 02
Software simulations
Practice in your ERP, CRM or HRIS in show-me, try-me and test-me modes
- 03
Scenario-based training
Customer, safety or compliance decisions in situations your staff will meet
- 04
Blended programs
Self-paced eLearning plus in-person or virtual sessions with your trainers
- 05
Microlearning
Short refreshers after the first weeks, on phones
Rules change often. Check the current targets on the Ministry's own channels before you plan.
Industries We Build eLearning For in the UAE
Aviation and ground operations
We have built aviation courses for training programs under FAA Part 121, Part 135 and Part 145, EASA, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), TSA security programs and ICAO standards. The regulator approves your training program; we build the courses inside it. We have also built courses for UAE regulators' rules, including GCAA aviation, the Central Bank of the UAE and DHA and DoH healthcare.
See aviation eLearning →Banking and financial services
For banks, insurers and other financial firms: scenario questions that test judgment, and completion records your LMS can report.
See financial services eLearning →Oil, gas and energy
For safety-critical teams: scenario practice before people go on site, including 360-degree photo and video scenarios built in Adobe Captivate.
See oil and gas eLearning →Compliance across sectors
Policy and code of conduct training built around your own rules, with completion records in your LMS.
See compliance eLearning →We also build for healthcare and life sciences, manufacturing, retail, and IT and software teams.
What We Build for UAE Teams
Custom courses
Built around your processes, from short modules to full programs.
PowerPoint and classroom (ILT) conversion
Into interactive, trackable eLearning.
Course redesign
Of legacy Flash or old SCORM courses into HTML5 or Rise.
Translation and localization
Into 40+ languages, with human or AI voiceover.
Simulations and 360-degree scenarios
For software and hands-on tasks.
LMS selection, setup, implementation and migration
We also build microlearning, mobile learning, gamified learning, interactive video, accessible courses built to WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508, and learning analytics with xAPI. See all our eLearning services, or start with custom eLearning development.
Tools and outputs: Articulate Storyline 360, Articulate Rise 360, Adobe Captivate, Lectora, iSpring Suite, dominKnow ONE and Elucidat. Outputs: SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, xAPI and HTML5. SCORM is the standard that lets a course report completion and scores to most LMSs.
LMS platforms: we set up, configure and support Moodle, TalentLMS, Docebo and Cornerstone, and we build courses that track in any SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 or xAPI LMS. Other LMS platforms we have delivered courses to include Absorb, SAP SuccessFactors, Workday Learning, Canvas and Litmos.
How to Compare eLearning Companies in the UAE
Search results for "eLearning companies UAE" mix four very different kinds of business. Knowing which one you need saves weeks of calls.
| Provider type | What they sell | Choose them when | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom eLearning developer | Courses built for your content, people and LMS | Your processes, systems or policies are specific to you | Whether they build Arabic in-house and test in your LMS |
| LMS vendor | A platform to host, assign and track training | You need a system, not new content | Content still has to come from somewhere |
| Training academy | Instructor-led or ready-made courses and certificates | You need a recognized external qualification | Courses are not built around your processes |
| Off-the-shelf library | Generic courses on common topics | The topic is general (for example office software basics) | Limited Arabic and little tailoring |
Many organizations use more than one: an LMS vendor for the platform, a library for generic topics, and a custom developer for training that is specific to them.
| Question to ask | What a good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| 1Who builds and reviews the Arabic version? | Named roles (translator, Arabic reviewer, developer) and an RTL checklist like the one above |
| 2Can we see a bilingual course? | A demo you can click through in both languages, on a phone |
| 3Which authoring tool, and why? | A reason tied to your needs (interactivity, updates, translation), not habit |
| 4Will it track in our LMS? | They test the package in your LMS, or a test copy, before launch |
| 5How many review rounds, and who reviews? | A fixed number, with clear steps from storyboard to final build |
| 6Do we get the source files? | Yes, editable files you can update later |
| 7How do you handle our learner data and documents? | A clear answer that fits your data protection and NDA needs |
| 8What is in the quote? | Scope, route, timeline and what you need to provide |
How We Work With UAE Teams
- 01
Kick-off call
IKHYA and youAt a time that suits Gulf working hours (GMT+4): goals, audience, languages, LMS.
- 02
Content analysis
IKHYA drafts, you reviewWe review your source material and agree the learning objectives.
- 03
Bilingual storyboard
IKHYA drafts, you reviewEnglish and Arabic text side by side, with screen layouts and voiceover script.
- 04
Prototype
IKHYA builds, you approveOne finished screen set in both languages, checked on desktop and phone.
- 05
Full build and voiceover
IKHYAHuman or AI voices, captions and RTL checks.
- 06
Review rounds
You review, IKHYA updates2 rounds on the full course, with comments collected in one place.
- 07
LMS testing and launch
IKHYA and your LMS teamSCORM or xAPI package tested in your LMS, then handover of source files.
What you send us and what we prepare
You send us You
- Source content: policies, slides, manuals, videos
- One subject matter expert per topic, and one Arabic reviewer
- Your brand guide and any Arabic terminology list
- LMS name and version, or a test account
- Languages needed and the audience for each
We prepare IKHYA
- Learning objectives and course outline
- Bilingual storyboard and voiceover scripts
- Prototype in both languages
- The finished course, SCORM or xAPI packages and source files
- A short LMS test report
Your free quote includes a recommended route and a timeline for the project.
A UAE Project: Ramp Safety Training for Ground Staff
Ground handling, UAE and Gulf
Ramp Safety Scenarios: First-Attempt Practical Fails Down From 18% to 7% for 1,200 Ground Staff
Ground handling · 6 airports in the UAE and the wider Gulf · 1,200 ground staff · 5 modules, 24 interactive 360-degree photo scenes · Adobe Captivate · SCORM 2004 · English and Arabic, human voiceover · 11 weeks, 2 review rounds
- Challenge
- A ground-handling services company working at 6 airports in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Gulf ran recurrent ramp safety training as a full classroom day at each station, so content varied by airport, and 18% of staff failed the practical check at their first attempt.
- What we built
- 5 scenario-based modules in Adobe Captivate (marshalling signals, safe ground support equipment approach, FOD prevention, ramp vehicle safety, hazard spotting), with 24 interactive 360-degree photo scenes shot on the client's own stands. The course runs in English and Arabic with human voiceover, as SCORM 2004 packages tested in the client's LMS, and the 1-hour practical sign-off stays with station trainers. It took 11 weeks from kick-off to launch, with 2 review rounds.
- Results and how they were measured
- 94% of the 1,200 staff completed within 8 weeks of launch (LMS reports)
- First-attempt practical fails down from 18% to 7% (station trainer checklists, 6 months before vs after)
- Recurrent training time down from about 7 hours to about 3 hours per person (training records)
"Our staff now practice on photos of our own stands before they step onto the ramp, so trainers spend the practical session checking skills instead of repeating slides."
What Drives the Cost of an eLearning Project?
We quote every project on its scope; there is no standard price list. These are the things that move the cost up or down:
Course length and the number of modules
Interactivity: click-and-read, scenarios, simulations or 360-degree scenes
Media: custom graphics, animation, video
Voiceover: human or AI, and how many voices
Languages: each extra language, and whether Arabic needs a full right-to-left build
Authoring tool and output format
Review rounds and how many reviewers
LMS testing on one platform or several
For an accurate quote, send: your source content (or a sample), the audience and languages, the LMS you use, and your target launch date.
FAQs About Working With an eLearning Company in the UAE
Not necessarily. What matters is the quality of the Arabic build, enough overlap with Gulf working hours for calls and reviews, a clear review process, and secure handling of your documents and learner data. IKHYA works with clients in 40+ countries.
Usually not. Arabic runs right to left, so layout, navigation, fonts, voiceover and quiz feedback all need checking, not just the text.
It depends on course length, interactivity, media, voiceover, languages, the authoring tool, review rounds and LMS testing. We quote each project on its scope; ask for a free quote with your content and target date.
Yes. We convert instructor-led and PowerPoint training into interactive eLearning, and we can design a blended program that keeps some live sessions with your trainers.
It depends on length, interactivity, the number of languages and how quickly reviews come back. Your free quote includes a timeline for your project.
Yes, if your LMS supports SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 or xAPI. We test each package in your LMS before launch.
Your source content, a subject matter expert, an Arabic reviewer if the course is bilingual, your brand guide, and your LMS details.
Planning Arabic and English Training for Your UAE Teams?
Tell us what you need to train, who it is for and which LMS you use. We will send a recommended route and a timeline.
