Arabic & bilingual website design
Arabic website design, built right-to-left
Arabic and bilingual sites where the Arabic is designed, not translated — genuine RTL structure, Arabic typography that holds its weight, and both versions treated as primary.
Updated August 2026 · By Shaheer Malik, senior designer & developer
The problem I solve
- ✕Arabic content dropped into a layout designed left-to-right
- ✕Arabic type set in a font chosen for the English and left too light
- ✕A language switcher that changes the words but not the layout
Quick answer
A proper Arabic website mirrors its entire layout rather than only translating the text — reading order, alignment, icons, forms and navigation all flip, and Arabic typography is chosen on its own terms so it matches the English in weight. Translated-only sites read as back-to-front to an Arabic reader.
How I approach it
Most Arabic websites are English websites with the text replaced. The giveaway is everywhere once you look: navigation still reading left to right, icons and arrows pointing the wrong way, numerals and dates in the wrong order, and Arabic set in a font that was picked for the Latin characters and looks thin beside them.
Right-to-left is a structural decision, not a text-direction toggle. The whole layout mirrors — reading order, alignment, iconography, form fields, the direction progress moves in. Arabic typography is chosen on its own terms so it sits at the same visual weight as the English rather than looking like a subtitle.
On bilingual projects both versions get designed. Arabic is usually the primary language for the audience and English the secondary, which is the opposite of how these projects are normally built, and it shows in the result.
Built for
Gulf businesses whose customers read Arabic first
Built for
Startups launching bilingual across Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Built for
Teams whose current Arabic site is visibly a translation
What you get out of it
Genuine RTL structure
The layout mirrors, not just the text direction.
Arabic type done properly
Chosen on its own terms, matching the English in weight.
Both versions designed
Arabic treated as primary, not as a translation layer.
What's included
How we'll work
A process built for speed
Scope
A short call or brief; you get a fixed quote and timeline within 24 hours.
Design
Direction first, then high-fidelity screens in fast review loops.
Build
The same hands that designed it write the code. No drift.
Launch
QA, performance, SEO, and a handover your team can own.
Why this works
Why founders pick me
Senior-only, always
No juniors, no outsourcing — the expert you hire is the expert who delivers.
Days, not months
First designs within days; most projects live within 2–6 weeks.
One accountable owner
Design and development under one roof means one timeline and one name on the result.
“Shaheer was very responsive in his communication and easy to work with to bring our vision to life. He delivered the project along with a handoff meeting to ensure our team has the skills to make any future edits desired.”
Justin Sinclair · CEO, Epiphany EducationRecent work
Proof in production
Common questions
Questions, answered
I do not write Arabic copy, and I would not pretend otherwise — you or your team supply the content. What I handle is that the Arabic is designed correctly: RTL structure, typography, spacing and hierarchy, reviewed against the English so both read as intended.
Further reading
Ready to start?
Send a brief and get a fixed quote within 24 hours.
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