Reliability and factor structure of a trait emotional intelligence measure in four Arab countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Arabic translation of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS‐41‐A), a popular trait‐based emotional intelligence test in Arab countries.Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 453 professionals from Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE completed the EIS‐41‐A.Findings – Findings show that the Arabic scale did have acceptable reliability and demonstrated the same factor structure as the original English language scale.Research limitations/implications – Limitations of the study include the small sample size from some of the countries included.Originality/value – This is the first paper to investigate the characteristics of an Arabic language emotional intelligence scale and opens the door to further research on emotional intelligence in the Arab world.