Building Arabic Websites and Apps for the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Building for the UAE and Saudi Arabia means designing bilingual Arabic and English experiences with proper right-to-left layouts, Arabic-friendly fonts and professionally written Arabic content, supporting local payments such as mada in Saudi Arabia, and planning for data protection laws (UAE PDPL and Saudi PDPL) and, in Saudi Arabia, ZATCA e-invoicing where it applies.
Arabic-speaking customers expect websites and apps that feel built for them, not translated as an afterthought. Here's what to plan.
1. Right-to-left (RTL) design
- Mirror layouts: navigation, sliders, progress bars and icons with direction.
- Keep numbers, phone numbers and some brand names left-to-right where appropriate.
- Test forms, tables and charts in both directions.
2. Typography and content
- Choose fonts designed for Arabic, with good readability on mobile.
- Have content written or reviewed by native speakers. Literal translation reads poorly.
- Allow for text length differences between Arabic and English.
3. SEO for two languages
- Separate URLs for Arabic and English versions.
- hreflang tags linking language versions.
- Arabic keyword research. People search differently than direct translations suggest.
4. Payments and commerce
- Support popular local methods, such as mada cards in Saudi Arabia, alongside international cards and wallets.
- VAT-compliant invoicing in both countries.
- ZATCA e-invoicing (FATOORAH) requirements for many Saudi businesses.
5. Data protection
Plan consent, data minimisation, hosting location and cross-border transfer rules, and get legal advice for regulated sectors.
- UAEFederal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on personal data protection, with separate regimes in DIFC and ADGM.
- Saudi Arabiathe Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
6. WhatsApp and AI
WhatsApp is a primary channel in the Gulf. Arabic-capable AI chatbots on WhatsApp can answer enquiries, book appointments and hand over to staff.
Key takeaways
See our services for the UAE and Saudi Arabia, or get a quote.
- Design RTL from the start, not as a translation layer.
- Use native-quality Arabic content and bilingual SEO.
- Plan payments, e-invoicing and data protection early.
Frequently asked questions
Usually not. Arabic needs right-to-left layouts, mirrored navigation and icons, suitable fonts, and content written or reviewed by native speakers.
Yes. Modern language models handle Arabic well, including many dialects to varying degrees. Test with real customer questions before launch.
It depends on the type of data and your sector. Both countries have data protection laws with rules on transfers abroad. Get legal advice for sensitive or regulated data.
Let's Talk!
Have a question about Building Arabic Websites and Apps for the UAE and Saudi Arabia? Send us a message and our team will reply with next steps.
- Reply within a few hours (Mon–Fri)
- NDA available
- You own the code
Prefer to talk? Call +91-9601965456WhatsApp ushello@webtech-evolution.com
Find Us
Letʼs Get Connected
Your go‑to partner for unparalleled IT services