How to Launch Outbound AI Calls in Arabic and Spanish

Step 1. The country and its rules

First, find out whether you can call businesses with an AI voice in that country, and at what hours. Rules vary a lot:

UAE. Since August 2024, telemarketing is allowed only from registered numbers, from 9:00 to 18:00, and not to numbers on the do-not-call registry; fines start at AED 50,000 (Legal500, Gulf News). Public sources don't say directly whether this covers business-to-business calls from abroad, so it's safer to lead with a message and call after a reply.
Latin America. Many countries have no direct ban on automated calls to businesses, but regulation is tightening. In Mexico, the Senate approved fines of up to 2.3 million pesos for unsolicited calls and messages in October 2026; the law hasn't been passed yet (El Imparcial).

This isn't legal advice. Before launching in a new country, talk to a local lawyer. The big picture is in our AI calling compliance FAQ.

Step 2. The list

The agent is exactly as good as the list. You need companies that actually buy what you sell, with working numbers and no duplicates. In the UAE, 2,266 of 2,733 collected companies passed verification; in Venezuela, 816 of 1,268. How to verify is covered in our article on building a list.

Step 3. Which Arabic, which Spanish

“Arabic” and “Spanish” aren't one language each when it comes to calls.

Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is understood by everyone, but it sounds formal in conversation. For the Gulf, a voice with Gulf pronunciation works better. One important correction from our experience: most business calls in the UAE happen in English, because business there is highly international. So our UAE agent opens in English and keeps Arabic for people who answer in Arabic. For Saudi Arabia or Egypt, the balance will be different.

Spanish. Latin American Spanish and Spain's Spanish differ in vocabulary, intonation and forms of address. For Venezuela we chose a voice with local pronunciation and only the expressions clients actually used: “a la orden”, “ajá”, “dale”, “ahorita”.

And the main thing: lock the conversation language in advance. The agent shouldn't switch because of one random word, and the voice shouldn't change mid-call.

Step 4. The opening line

The first seconds decide whether there will be a conversation. In Venezuela people answer with “¿Aló?” and wait; in the UAE reception often picks up. Both cases call for the same thing:

Who's calling and from what company.
Why, in one sentence.
An easy question to answer: “Do you buy…?”

If the person asks again, the agent repeats the point in one complete sentence instead of finishing the cut-off one.

Step 5. The script: three questions, one goal

A good first-touch script fits into three questions: are you interested at all, which models or products, when are you planning to buy. The goal is to get a yes to a quote and a channel to send it to. Everything else (negotiation, price, terms) leave to a person.

Step 6. Numbers and hours

Call during business hours in the contact's local time. Mind the weekends: in Saudi Arabia it's Friday and Saturday, in the UAE Saturday and Sunday, and many people work half a day on Friday.
No more than one dial per day to a cold number. After two missed calls, send a WhatsApp message and an email.
The number you call from affects pick-up: people answer unfamiliar international numbers less often.

Step 7. Test calls

Before launch, make 10–20 calls to colleagues or friends who are native speakers. Ask them to interrupt, ask again, say “no.” Listen to the recordings in full: how the agent handles “¿Cómo?”, background noise, voicemail, phone menus. It's cheaper than burning the first hundred companies on your list.

Step 8. Launch in batches and review daily

Launch 50–100 companies a day and read the conversations every day. In the first week the rules change almost daily, and that's normal. How we turned review into a system is in our article on agent self-learning.

FAQ

How many languages do you really need for the Middle East?

For business calls in the UAE: English, plus Arabic for people who answer in it. In Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iraq, Arabic plays a bigger role. Our voice agents currently call in English, Spanish, Arabic and Russian; the platform supports 70+ languages, and we add a new language after test calls.

Does the agent have to say it's AI?

In the EU, since Aug 2, 2026, yes: a person must understand right away that they're talking to AI. Elsewhere the rules vary, but an honest answer to a direct “Are you a robot?” is needed everywhere. More in our compliance FAQ.

Can you just call on WhatsApp instead of the phone?

A WhatsApp call is only possible after the contact gives permission. So message first, then call. On the upside, that call costs many times less than mobile calls in the Gulf; see our breakdown WhatsApp or mobile.

How to Launch Outbound AI Calls in Arabic and Spanish: A Step-by-Step Guide