This study examines the socio-emotional and task-oriented uses of translanguaging among multilingual engineering students in the United Arab Emirates. TranslanguagingTranslanguaging, the practice of utilizing one’s entire linguistic repertoire, is increasingly advocated in multilingual education to mitigate the dominance of English and preserve home languages. The current study distinguishes translanguaging from code-switching, presenting it as a more dynamic and integrated form of language use. Data from group meetings and interviews with engineering majors at an EMI university reveal that students strategically employ both Arabic and English based on group composition and context. Translanguaging enhances task accomplishment and supports students’ emerging engineering identities. The research highlights how students use linguistic resources to navigate academic and social interactions, reinforcing the importance of recognizing and valuing multilingual practices in higher education. Future research should explore additional dimensions of translanguaging, such as its role in humor and deeper cognitive processes in diverse group settings.