Common English Mistakes in Contracts by Arabic Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Arabic speakers from Saudi Arabia when writing a Contract in English.

Mistake Example #1

Confusion between masculine and feminine pronouns

This Agreement is made between Mr. Ahmed Al-Farsi, who is referred to as "the Buyer," and Ms. Sarah Johnson, who is referred to as "the Seller." HShe agrees to sell her property located at 123 Main Street, Riyadh, and she agrees to purchase it for the agreed price. The Buyer shall pay the Seller the full amount by the date specified in the contract, and she will ensure that all necessary documents are provided to herim for the transfer of ownership.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Very good! Just a couple of changes to make the pronouns match the parties involved. "

This Agreement is made between Mr. Ahmed Al-Farsi, who is referred to as "the Buyer," and Ms. Sarah Johnson, who is referred to as "the Seller." She agrees to sell her property located at 123 Main Street, Riyadh, and he agrees to purchase it for the agreed price. The Buyer shall pay the Seller the full amount by the date specified in the contract, and she will ensure that all necessary documents are provided to him for the transfer of ownership.

This Agreement is made between Mr. Ahmed Al-Farsi, who is referred to as "the Buyer," and Ms. Sarah Johnson, who is referred to as "the Seller." He agrees to sell her property located at 123 Main Street, Riyadh, and she agrees to purchase it for the agreed price. The Buyer shall pay the Seller the full amount by the date specified in the contract, and he will ensure that all necessary documents are provided to her for the transfer of ownership.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of formal expressions ('I am honored to inform you...')

I am honored to inform you that tThis contract ishereby presented to you for your esteemedconsideration. It is with great pleasure that I convey tThe terms and conditionswhich have been meticulously outlined for your perusal. KindPlyease accept this document as a testament to our mutual agreement and Iam privileged to assure you of our utmost commitment to fulfilling the obligations herein.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice work! I tightened the language by removing most of the overly formal expressions while maintaining the contract's professional tone."

This contract is presented to you for your consideration. The terms and conditions have been meticulously outlined for your perusal. Please accept this document as a testament to our mutual agreement and I assure you of our utmost commitment to fulfilling the obligations herein.

I am honored to inform you that this contract is hereby presented to you for your esteemed consideration. It is with great pleasure that I convey the terms and conditions which have been meticulously outlined for your perusal. Kindly accept this document as a testament to our mutual agreement and I am privileged to assure you of our utmost commitment to fulfilling the obligations herein.

Mistake Example #3

Misuse of verb tense (e.g., 'He go to school' instead of 'He goes to school')

This Agreement is made on this day between Al-Rahman Trading Company and Mr. Ahmed. The parties agree that Mr. Ahmed willdeliver the goods bythe end of the month. If Mr. Ahmed fails to deliver on time, hewill pay a penalty of 5% of the total contract value. The parties also agree that any dispute arising from this contract will beresolved through arbitration in Riyadh.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"I've corrected errors in the content, some of which include: "Mr. Ahmed deliver the goods by end of the month" which should be "Mr. Ahmed will deliver the goods by the end of the month" and "If Mr. Ahmed fail to" which should be "If Mr. Ahmed fails to"."

This Agreement is made on this day between Al-Rahman Trading Company and Mr. Ahmed. The parties agree that Mr. Ahmed will deliver the goods by the end of the month. If Mr. Ahmed fails to deliver on time, he will pay a penalty of 5% of the total contract value. The parties also agree that any dispute arising from this contract will be resolved through arbitration in Riyadh.

This Agreement is made on this day between Al-Rahman Trading Company and Mr. Ahmed. The parties agree that Mr. Ahmed deliver the goods by end of the month. If Mr. Ahmed fail to deliver on time, he pay a penalty of 5% of the total contract value. The parties also agree that any dispute arising from this contract resolve through arbitration in Riyadh.