Quick answer
Arabic interface design is not a mirrored English interface. The four core rules: mirror the layout and direction but not every icon, choose an Arabic typeface designed for screens rather than print, increase line height because Arabic is visually taller, and leave numerals and technical symbols in their natural direction. Ignoring these makes an interface feel translated rather than designed — and users sense it even without knowing why.
Most Arabic digital products start in English and get "Arabised" at the last stage. The result is a technically correct but uncomfortable interface, caused by small accumulated details. These rules come from designing real Arabic products.
1. Mirror the layout, not everything
Mirror: column order, text alignment, menu position, navigation arrow direction (previous/next), and progress bars.
Do not mirror:
- Icons with a fixed physical direction: media play ▶, fast-forward and rewind stay as they are — because the timeline moves forward in every language.
- Logos: never mirror a brand logo.
- Time-series charts: the time direction is a global convention.
- Non-directional icons: search, settings, delete — mirroring them is meaningless.
2. Choosing the Arabic typeface
- Pick a screen-designed typeface: print typefaces look thin and tiring on small screens.
- Confirm multiple weights exist: you need at least regular and bold to build a clear visual hierarchy.
- Check the numerals: some Arabic typefaces lack acceptable Latin digits — a common problem that surfaces late.
- Test on a real device: a typeface that looks excellent on a desktop screen may be unreadable on a phone.
3. Sizes and spacing genuinely differ
| Element | English | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| Line height | 1.4 – 1.5 | 1.7 – 1.9 |
| Body font size | 16px | 17 – 18px |
| Letter spacing | Sometimes used | Never — it breaks letter joining |
| Text length after translation | Baseline | Usually 10–25% shorter |
Arabic needs greater line height because its letters extend further above and below the baseline than Latin. Reducing that spacing is the fastest way to make Arabic text look crowded and tiring.
4. Numerals and mixed text
- Numerals: use Latin digits (123) in technical interfaces — Saudi audiences are used to them in prices and dates.
- Phone numbers and currencies: set their direction explicitly (dir="ltr") or their order flips in some contexts.
- English terms inside Arabic sentences: set them in a suitable Latin face, and don't force-translate common technical terms — a transliterated "back-end" is clearer than an awkward literal translation.
5. Common mistakes that expose a translated interface
- Mirroring the play icon or the logo.
- Leaving line height as it was in the English version.
- Left-aligning Arabic text on some screens and forgetting others.
- Truncated text in buttons because space was sized for a shorter or longer English word.
- Leaving error messages and empty states in English — exactly what appears at moments of frustration.
- Applying letter-spacing to Arabic text, which separates connected letters.
6. Test the right way
- Show the interface to a real Arabic-speaking user and watch where they hesitate.
- Test the longest possible text in each field, not the ideal short one.
- Check every state: empty, loading, error, and far too many results.
- Switch between languages repeatedly — bugs appear on switching, not on first render.
At Horizon Tech we design for RTL from the ground up in every project — details on our UI/UX design service page.
FAQ
Is flipping page direction enough to make it Arabic?
No. Setting dir="rtl" solves basic layout only; it does not address line height, typeface choice, icons that must not be mirrored, or numeral direction. Users immediately sense that an interface which only flipped direction was not designed for them.
Should I use Arabic-Indic (١٢٣) or Latin (123) numerals?
Latin digits suit most technical and commercial interfaces in Saudi Arabia because audiences are used to them in prices, dates and phone numbers. Arabic-Indic numerals fit literary, religious and formal contexts, or when they are part of the brand identity.
What is the best Arabic typeface for interfaces?
There is no single best, but the criteria are clear: designed for screens, multiple weights available, acceptable numerals, and readable at small sizes on mobile. Test any typeface on a real device before committing.
How do I handle text length differences between languages?
Design flexible rather than fixed-width elements, and test with the longest possible text in each language rather than the ideal one. Arabic is usually 10 to 25% shorter than English, leaving unbalanced whitespace if the design was built around a fixed English length.
Does Arabic design cost more?
Slightly more if added later as a translation, because it requires reviewing every screen and fixing what broke. If designed bilingual from the start the difference is small, because the right decisions are made once instead of corrected later.
