Building a bilingual Arabic–English website: RTL, SEO and content

For businesses in the UAE and the wider Gulf, an Arabic version of the website is often expected, and it can open search traffic that an English-only site never reaches. But Arabic is written right to left, has its own typographic needs and is searched differently, so a bilingual site needs more than a translated copy of each page.

1. Give each language its own URLs

Search engines index URLs, not language toggles. If both languages share one URL and switch with a cookie or script, only one version is likely to be indexed. Use a separate path for each language, for example /ae/en/ and /ae/ar/, and keep the page structure the same in both so every page has an equivalent.

2. Connect the languages with hreflang

Hreflang tags tell search engines which pages are translations of each other and which audience each one is for (for example en-AE and ar-AE). Each page should list itself and its alternates, and the tags must be reciprocal. Pair them with a self-referencing canonical on every page, and include both languages in your XML sitemap.

3. Build the layout for right to left

• Set lang="ar" and dir="rtl" on Arabic pages, so browsers, screen readers and search engines know the language and direction.
• Use logical CSS properties (start and end rather than left and right) so layouts mirror automatically.
• Mirror directional icons such as arrows and chevrons, but not logos, play buttons or charts with a time axis.
• Keep emails, phone numbers, URLs and code left to right inside Arabic text.
• Check menus, breadcrumbs, carousels, tables and forms in both directions, on mobile as well as desktop.

4. Choose Arabic typography deliberately

Latin fonts rarely include good Arabic glyphs, and the browser fallback can look inconsistent. Pair your Latin typeface with a high-quality Arabic one, give Arabic text slightly more line height, and avoid letter-spacing and all-caps styles, which don't apply to Arabic script. Load only the weights you use to keep pages fast.

5. Make forms work in both languages

• Translate labels, hints, error messages and success messages, not just the field names.
• Accept Arabic input in name and message fields, and keep email and phone fields left to right.
• Check that confirmation emails and notifications are sent in the visitor's language.

6. Translate for people, then optimise for search

Arabic search terms are not always direct translations of English ones, and Gulf audiences may search in Arabic, English or a mix of both. Start with professional translation that reads naturally, then research the Arabic terms people actually use and adjust titles, headings and descriptions. Write unique Arabic meta titles and descriptions; don't leave English ones on Arabic pages.

Launch checklist

1. Every page exists in both languages with matching structure.
2. Language switcher links to the equivalent page, not the home page.
3. Hreflang, canonical tags and sitemap entries are correct for both languages.
4. lang and dir are set; layouts, icons and forms are checked in RTL.
5. Arabic copy is reviewed by a native speaker before it is indexed.
6. Search Console is set up and both language versions are monitored after launch.

Need help with the search side? Our SEO services cover bilingual keyword research, technical setup and content for Arabic and English pages.