Arabic is one of the most popular languages spoken in the universe: more than 420 million people use it worldwide. There are more than 300 million internet users in Arabic-speaking countries, and this upward trajectory isn't declining anytime soon. A forecast conducted by Statista predicted significant growth in the number of mobile internet users in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by 2025, when mobile internet penetration will reach around 53% of the MENA population.
Making accessible digital content for this number of people is more complicated than it seems. This is entirely because of the specification of Arabic as a language and its speakers as a broad community with a rich conservative culture and traditions. This leads to the importance of a localization strategy that both respects the nuances of the language and the culture of its speakers.
In this article, you will learn about six challenges that hinder your application from being made available in Arabic and how to overcome them.
👀 Choosing the right language 🔗
Two languages are used in the Arabic-speaking world: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and local dialects. Most businesses feel a bit confused when it comes to picking the right one.
Modern Standard Arabic is widely used in formal settings like education, literature, law, news, and official documents. It's a variety understood all over the Arabic-speaking world. Local dialects, on the other hand, are used in less formal settings like everyday communication and social media. 🗣️🤳 Local dialects are different from one another, as each country in the Arabic-speaking world speaks a different regional variety. Some countries even have more than one dialect! People from the same country can have difficulty understanding one another because of these various dialects.
But this does not mean that apps should be only available in MSA or local dialects, as it's not a one-way path. Some apps designed to target a specific country use the local dialect since there is no need to resort to Modern Standard Arabic. Brands that want to be closer to their customers also prefer this option. 🛍️ A good example is the Egyptian shopping app Kenzz, which only uses Egyptian Arabic across its interface.
Global, international, and regional brands, on the other hand, prefer MSA as it gives them more expansion and widens their customer base all over the Arabic-speaking world. An example of this is Amazon: the popular app uses MSA in all of the countries in which it's available.
🎙️ Listen to our podcast episode with Kareem Ennassag, Technical Director at the LangOps Institute for practical ways to localize for RTL language users.
📐 Redesigning the UI & Layout 🔗
One of the biggest challenges in Arabic localization is app layout. This is mainly because Arabic is read from right to left (RTL), unlike many other popular languages that read from left to right (LTR). This makes the localization process more challenging, as it requires extra effort and attention to every detail.
Text directionality is usually a challenge for app layout in Arabic. This usually means redesigning the whole UX and making designs more flexible
Arabic apps require a complete redesign of the user experience (UX) for right-to-left (RTL) reading. Don't underestimate the importance of this — even seemingly minor details can cause major problems. 👀 A crucial example is flipping the ">" and "<" symbols for comparisons. Getting this wrong can be incredibly expensive to fix later. Remember that RTL users instinctively look to the right side of the screen first, so everything from menus to buttons needs to be mirrored accordingly. Having a more flexible layout can also be beneficial.
Directionality isn't, however, the only problem you may face during the localization process. Character count is another important factor, as Arabic usually takes up to 25% more space than English. In many cases, it's almost impossible to abide by the character limit, so layouts must be smaller to absorb all Arabic characters.
👉 Are you struggling to adapt your localized designs to Arabic? Check out our Figma integration for a seamless solution loved by designers!
This is crucial when introducing a new service or product to the Arabic-speaking world. Customers in the Arab world, like any other customers in the entire universe, love to experience new stuff quickly and want a seamless, hassle-free experience. If your layout is not designed or aligned from right to left, this will impact their experience. Needless to say, you need a programmer or a localizer who is a native Arabic speaker to help you with that and to make sure the layout is ready to go.
The Nigerian brand Jumia does it well by considering the RTL specifications in their layout, even when Arabic and LTR languages such as French or English get in the mix:
🌍 Related: How localization of tech solutions would broaden Africa's tech ecosystem
📲 Correctly displaying Arabic script 🔗
Apart from the RTL flow, Arabic stands out through shape-shifting characters. This means that an Arabic character's appearance can change depending on its position within a word (beginning, middle, or end). Let's take a simple example that you'll probably face during Arabic localization: writing the word اللغة العربية (Arabic).
The challenge: unsupported applications 🔗
Trying to display Arabic script in an application or library that doesn't understand these features leads to a distorted outcome. Imagine Arabic text appearing from left to right, with all characters looking identical, regardless of position.
When this happens, two issues arise:
- ❎ Isolated characters: Each character appears in its "standalone" form, ignoring surrounding characters.
- ➡️ Incorrect direction: The text is displayed from left to right, which is incorrect for Arabic.
Fixing direction with Python's bidi library 🔗
The first issue can be addressed using the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm. Python's python-bidi library provides a pure Python implementation of this algorithm. Using python-bidi, the text direction is corrected, resulting in right-to-left flow, but the characters still appear in their isolated forms.
Reshaping characters for accuracy 🔗
The final step involves reshaping the characters based on their position within the word. Libraries like python-bidi can also assist with this process, ensuring the characters display their correct forms, leading to a visually accurate representation of the Arabic text.
📖 Adapting to bidirectional guidelines 🔗
Although Arabic is read and primarily written right to left, it cannot be considered purely an RTL language. In many instances, it is technically categorized as a bidirectional language, meaning it is written in both left-to-right (LTR) and right-to-left (RTL) directions. 🔍 This requires special attention during app development and includes formatting elements like text, images, and charts to ensure they display correctly for both reading directions. Improper handling of BiDi texts can lead to several problems.
Some exceptions are numbers and titles, especially those of foreign origin, like brand names, which typically stay in their original left-to-right format. For instance, the number "1000" remains "1000" and isn't flipped to "0001" in Arabic. Telephone numbers present another interesting case. They usually follow the international format with a plus sign (+), country code, area code, and then the phone number itself. These elements are always written from left to right, even within the context of an RTL language.
Arabic is primarily written from right to left, but there are exceptions, like numbers, titles or telephone numbers, that make it bidirectional
Punctuation marks, like question marks and exclamation points, can also be tricky in mixed-directionality texts. Their placement depends on the surrounding characters. Imagine a sentence like "!I love that" appearing in an RTL paragraph – this is what can happen if punctuation isn't handled carefully. While manually fixing it might seem easy, mobile apps can be affected by this inconsistency.
The solution lies in invisible formatting characters called control characters. These include the Left-to-right mark (LRM) and the Right-to-left mark (RLM). They can be added using text editors or their Unicode values to ensure punctuation displays correctly regardless of the surrounding text direction.
🕋 Working around cultural sensitivities 🔗
Like any culture, Arabic audiences have sensitivities that can impact their reception of localized products. Apps are no different, and several cultural aspects must be considered during their localization to Arabic. Avoiding potentially offensive content, such as references to alcohol, religious symbols, specific religious texts (Quran, Bible), depictions of homosexuality, explicit sexuality, or nudity, is crucial.
This should also be considered in the images and designs displayed while browsing the app. 📲 Translators can skillfully adapt the content to maintain the core experience without offending. In essence, while important, cultural considerations can be effectively managed through thoughtful adaptation.
📚 Related: Arabic localization for beginners: Challenges & opportunities for your global brand
📸 Making images and media fit 🔗
Localization for Arabic goes beyond simply translating text and mirroring the layout. Visual elements like images, charts, and graphics also need attention. What works in a LTR document might not translate smoothly to an RTL interface.
Visuals matter due to:
- 📏 Alignment: Images and charts might need adjustments to ensure they align with the RTL layout.
- ⬅️ Sequential images: Visual sequences depicting a specific order (like steps in a process) might need to be flipped or recreated to flow correctly from right to left.
- 😶 User confusion: Seemingly minor details —like an unflipped sequence— can confuse Arabic users accustomed to RTL reading habits.
The key takeaway is to treat visuals with the same care as text during Arabic localization. This ensures a seamless and intuitive user experience for your Arabic audience. Here is an example that might look clear and doesn't need any modification:
Imagine a laundry detergent ad with a sequence of images: a dirty shirt, a washing machine, and a clean shirt. 🫧 This order makes perfect sense for readers of left-to-right languages. However, the order would be reversed for right-to-left readers like Arabic speakers – a clean shirt, a washing machine, and then a dirty shirt. This seemingly minor detail completely flips the message, potentially confusing RTL users.
The same principle applies to charts. A chart with a Y-axis (vertical axis) pointing to the left instead of the right can cause misinterpretations. What might appear as a positive growth trend in an LTR layout could be perceived as a sharp decline in an RTL layout.
✔️Conclusion 🔗
Arabic is a unique language with different directionality, formatting rules, and traditions. Localizing your app into Arabic might seem like an impossible mission. Still, it's easier when you know how to treat the language specifications correctly, whether this means changing the layout, paying more attention to directionality, respecting the conservative culture, or adapting visual elements.
To make the process easier, you'll need local expertise in the form of professional native linguists and an efficient TMS with multiple design integration options. At Localazy, we provide you with both – take a look at our starter guide, and don't hesitate to ask for support throughout your Arabic localization journey.
