If you learn Arabic you can step inside the Arabic culture. Without the ability to speak Arabic and understand a culture on its own terms, true access to that culture – and people- is barred. Intercultural understanding – essential for the Arab world - begins with individuals who speak Arabic and who can thereby provide one's own nation or community with an insider's view into Arabic culture, who can understand Arab news sources, and give insights into other perspectives on world politics. Learning Arabic will therefore also give a new perspective and understanding of many international issues and offer deeper insights in the cultural, political, and religious values that motivate people in the Middle East. Only through language – and experience – will the importance to the Arab world of values such as honour, dignity, and hospitality become clear.

In the West there is a great shortage of workers who are versed in Arabic language and culture. Different government agencies, international finance and business, the travel industry, engineering, advertising, entertainment and research, all have needs for people with Arabic language skills. If you learn Arabic it can even be an asset for nursing, education, government or police, considering the often large Arabic-speaking communities in Western countries. The benefit of learning Arabic is perhaps most explicitly recognized in the United States, where Arabic has been designated a language of strategic importance. The National Strategic Language Initiative instituted in 2006 promotes the learning of Arabic (and other languages deemed critical) among Americans through numerous scholarships and supported learning opportunities.
Even if for a particular job vacancy Arabic does not seem an immediate bonus; speaking Arabic certainly won’t harm your chances. Most employers will probably recognize the fact that you have had the character and commitment to learn Arabic and judge you on this. As for speaking second languages in general, according to an English report, those that earn the average national salary can earn 12% extra if they speak a foreign language. For higher salaries a second language can add up to 20%. Apparently there also seem to be other added benefits from taking language courses.

Arabic is not the easiest of languages, but in this case it is added bonus. It is good for you to learn Arabic; for the command of your own native language, your cognitive skills and even your own physical health. Research shows that students that speak a foreign language not only have a better understanding of languages in general but also use their native language more effectively. Higher reading achievement in the native language as well as enhanced listening skills and memory have been shown to correlate with extended foreign language study. With each additional year of second language acquisition or instruction, a student's scores on college and graduate school entrance exams such as the SATs improve incrementally. There have also been studies where just learning a foreign language has been shown to slow aging and reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Here ‘language learning software’ has another meaning: learning a language has been compared to running a different software through the brain. Thus an Arabic lesson a day keeps the doctor away.