Is it a must to know Arabic Language to work in middle east?

One of the first questions I always encounter in a new ESL class is: Why don't you learn Arabic? My answer is: While in the kingdom I do learn in order to function daily life, however in the technical and professional worlds the functional language is English.
This is why I teach English.

It depends on the country and the type of work you are doing; in most gulf countries you can manage just by knowing english while in north african arab countries you would probably use french.

With time (about3 mnts) you can learn conversational Arabic to communicate with people and it will be sufficient in most cases.

Having worked across the Middle East, Asia and Africa over the last15 years, I have found that a more than adequate understanding of English will go along way to moving your professional career forward.
With the majority of countries having a large expat population, people from many walks of life tend to want to mingle and get to know each other and what better way to do that than by utilising a global language.

No way it is not a must,  I am Canadian work in Kuwait from 2012 and I don't know Arabic,  most of customers of our fashion retail are speaking English very well,  so not all jobs in middle east require Arabic language....))) 

Like many said previously, it depends on the country you live in and it is not a must. But it also depends on what type of person you are. You'll most likely need English in order to be able to interact with people daily. However, when it comes to your professional life at work almost everybody speaks English. If you'd like to have a smooth experience in countries outside the GCC, it is preferable to learn the common arabic words for when you go shopping for example, or when you need help with something.

Common phrases will do just fine :) 

it's not must,...!!! it's better because you will need a language to communicat with local people even if your job doesn't need to speak in Arabic at all. But it will make your life easier, especially for your daily activities because in the end you will have to tallk to the local people who live near of where you live. :)

No at all & there are many non Arabic speakers  employees are settled & work successfully as the middle east needs their expertise for its own development. Plus we all know that the majority  of middle eastern citizens speak English which is the first international  language in the world which helps them communicate well with any other language speakers.

Not really. I worked in Sinai, Egypt for twenty years and learnt basic (rather badly) Arabic, but was fortunate enough to work alongside some very good English speakers, and even the Bedouin I worked alongside had enough English for us to communicate well.

It is a requirement as in my role it helps me to build a great rapport with the locals.

By all means, it is a must.

arabic language is an ancient language ...not for job.. we should learn it as a part of our eman on allah and prophets...