How to build an Arabic and English online store

An Arabic and English online store shows every page in both languages, with a switch that lets each shopper choose. The Arabic pages read from right to left, so the layout flips like a mirror. Each language also has its own web addresses, so Google can show Arabic speakers the Arabic page.

For most UAE businesses, it is worth doing. Arabic is the official language of the UAE and the first language of Emirati, Saudi and other Arab shoppers. English reaches the many expats who live here. But a store with machine-translated Arabic and a broken layout can look worse than one in English only.

Why build an Arabic and English online store?

• You reach more customers. Arabic reaches Emirati and Arab residents, and shoppers across the GCC. If you plan to sell to Saudi Arabia, it matters even more: see our guide to selling to Saudi Arabia from the UAE.
• You earn trust. A store in good Arabic looks local, serious and here to stay.
• You stand out. If your competitors only have English pages, Arabic pages can win shoppers and searches they miss.
• The rules point that way. UAE rules generally expect labels, product information and invoices to be in Arabic, and another language can be added alongside. Check what applies to your products.

If you are testing an idea with a few products and your buyers mostly read English, you can launch your website in English first. Make sure the store is built to support Arabic from day one, so adding it later is simple.

How a two-language store works

A bilingual website has three working parts:

1. A language switcher. This is a button, usually at the top, that shows "العربية" on English pages and "English" on Arabic pages. Shoppers can switch at any time and stay on the same product.
2. Separate web addresses. For example, yourstore.ae/products/oud-gift-set in English and yourstore.ae/ar/products/oud-gift-set in Arabic. Each version can then appear in Google on its own.
3. A mirrored layout. Arabic is written right to left (RTL), so the design flips on Arabic pages.

Here is what changes on the Arabic version, and what does not.

What to translate: everything the shopper sees

A common problem is the half-translated store: Arabic descriptions with an English "Add to cart" button. Go through this list:

• Products: titles, descriptions, option names (Size, Colour) and values (Small, Black), and size guides.
• Collections and menus: names and intro text.
• Buttons and labels: buttons, search, filters, "Sold out" labels and the cart. They are part of the store's design, not your products, so they are easy to miss. Check each one.
• Checkout: labels, delivery options and payment method names.
• Emails and messages: order confirmations, delivery updates, reminders for unfinished orders and your WhatsApp templates.
• Policies: returns, privacy, terms and delivery. Our guide on how to write a return and refund policy includes a template to start from.
• Text inside images: banners, sale graphics and size charts made as pictures need an Arabic version.
• SEO text: the words that help you get found on Google (SEO). These are page titles, meta descriptions (the summary under your title in Google) and image alt text (a written description of each photo).
• The small things: the announcement bar, pop-ups, form labels, error messages and the 404 page (page not found). Also check text that comes from other services, such as product reviews or Tabby and Tamara messages.

How to get the Arabic right

Treat machine translation as a first draft

Tools like Google Translate are fast and useful for a first draft. But they can get product words, tone and local terms wrong. Have a native Arabic speaker check everything before it goes live, starting with your best sellers, the checkout and your policies.

Choose your Arabic voice

For product details, policies and checkout, clear Modern Standard Arabic is the safe choice. This is the formal written Arabic understood across the Arab world. Some stores use a lighter Gulf tone in banners and social posts. Either can work, as long as each type of text stays consistent.

Keep a glossary of your key words

Decide once how to say your most-used words, and use them everywhere. A short shared list stops three different Arabic words appearing for the same button. For example:

Decide how to handle product names

Brand-style names, like the name you gave a perfume, can stay in English letters on the Arabic page. Descriptive names should be translated, so they match what people search. "Black Linen Abaya" becomes عباية كتان سوداء. Our guide to starting an abaya business online covers size guides and product pages that sell.

Design details for right-to-left pages

• Fonts: use a font designed for Arabic that matches the feel of your English one. Without one, the browser picks a default that can look out of place. Arabic often reads better slightly larger, with more space between lines.
• Numbers and prices: choose Western digits (0–9) or Arabic-Indic digits (٠–٩), and use them everywhere, including checkout and emails. Show the currency the same way on every page, for example AED or درهم.
• Arrows and icons: back and next arrows, sliders and progress steps should point the other way. Do not flip things with a fixed direction, such as a play button, a clock or your logo.
• Mixed text: Arabic sentences often contain English brand names, phone numbers or order numbers. Check them on screen, because full stops and brackets can jump to the wrong end of the line.
• Forms: phone fields should accept the +971 format, and address fields should suit UAE addresses (area, building, landmark). Ask your courier whether it can read addresses typed in Arabic.
• Dates and sizes: write dates with the month name, so 03/10 is never misread. Explain size systems (UK, EU or S/M/L) the same way in both languages.
• Space: Arabic text can be longer or shorter than the English. Check that buttons and menus still fit on a phone.

How to build an Arabic and English store

Any online store can work in two languages, but how much work it takes depends on how the store is built. The steps are the same either way:

1. Make sure the layout works right to left. On a ready-made platform, the layout comes from a theme (a ready-made design), and not every theme handles right to left well, so test it with real Arabic text before you choose it. A custom store can be designed for right to left from the start, so the Arabic pages are part of the design, not an afterthought.
2. Give Arabic its own web addresses, such as yourstore.ae/ar/, with a language switcher on every page.
3. Add your checked translations. Every product, collection, page and button needs its Arabic text. On a ready-made platform, you add it in the language settings or with a translation add-on. On a custom store, your developer sets up both languages, so you can edit the Arabic for each product and page next to the English.
4. Set up checkout and customer emails in both languages. The checkout, order confirmations and delivery updates should follow the language the shopper chose. On a custom store, they are built in both languages as part of the store. On any store, place a test order in Arabic and read every screen and message.
5. Decide on currency separately. Language and currency are separate choices. Whether shoppers can pay in more than one currency, such as AED and SAR, depends on your payment provider and how your store is set up, so ask your provider.

If you are still choosing how to build your store, see how ready-made platforms compare with a custom store, including for Arabic. Every store we build at Samay.ae is made from scratch for that business, and can be in Arabic and English: see what every store includes.

Arabic SEO: get found in both languages

A bilingual store can rank in both languages if you get five things right.

• Separate web addresses: each language has its own pages, so Google can index both.
• Language tags (hreflang): hidden notes in your pages that tell Google which version is for which language. On a custom store, your developer adds them to every page. On a ready-made platform, check that they are added for each language you publish.
• Arabic keywords people actually type: search in Arabic yourself and note Google's suggestions. People search for both عباية (abaya) and عبايات (abayas), so use your buyers' words, not a literal translation of your English.
• Translated SEO text: translate every page title, meta description and alt text. Shoppers do not see them, so they are easy to miss.
• No forced redirects: do not send visitors to a language automatically based on their browser. Let them choose, or Google may miss some of your pages.

For keywords, product pages and Search Console, read our guide to e-commerce SEO in the UAE.

Serving customers in both languages

Shoppers who buy in Arabic will message you in Arabic. Plan for it before launch:

• Saved replies: set up quick replies in both languages in WhatsApp Business, covering delivery, sizes, returns and payment. Our guide to selling on WhatsApp in the UAE shows how.
• A fluent reply: make sure someone on your team can answer well in Arabic, or have a trusted translator ready.
• The right language on documents: send order and delivery messages in the customer's language. If you are VAT-registered, check what your tax invoices must show in our guide to VAT for online stores.
• The same offers: run every sale in both languages, at the same prices. A deal that only appears on the English pages feels unfair.

Common mistakes, and a checklist before launch

Mistakes to avoid

• Publishing machine translation unchecked. Shoppers notice, and it undoes the trust Arabic should build.
• One web address for both languages, so Google only ever sees one version.
• A hidden language switcher, tucked away at the bottom of the page.
• Forgetting Arabic after launch. New products and banners go up in English only. Make Arabic part of every update.

Checklist before your Arabic pages go live

• Every product, collection and page has Arabic text, checked by a native speaker.
• Menus, buttons, filters and pop-ups are in Arabic on the Arabic pages.
• A test order in Arabic shows Arabic at checkout and in every email.
• Banners and size charts have Arabic versions.
• Page titles, meta descriptions and alt text are translated.
• The layout mirrors correctly on a phone and a computer.
• Prices, phone numbers and dates display correctly inside Arabic text.
• The switcher is easy to find and keeps shoppers on the same page.

Then go through our full online store launch checklist before you open.

Frequently asked questions

Should my online store be in Arabic or English?

For most UAE stores, both. English reaches the many expat shoppers, and Arabic reaches Emirati and other Arab customers, including shoppers in Saudi Arabia. If you must start with one, choose the language most of your current customers use, and make sure your store can add Arabic later.

How do I add Arabic to my online store?

Add Arabic as a second language with its own web addresses, then translate everything shoppers see, from products to checkout and emails. The design must also work right to left. On a ready-made platform, that depends on your theme, so test it with real Arabic text. A custom store can be built for Arabic from the start. Either way, place a test order in Arabic before you launch.

Is Google Translate good enough for my store?

Only as a first draft. Machine translation can get product terms, tone and local words wrong, and shoppers notice. Use it to save time, then have a native Arabic speaker review every page before it goes live.

Does a bilingual store help SEO?

It can. Arabic pages can appear for Arabic searches that English pages do not match. That works best when each language has its own web address, real translations and translated page titles and descriptions. Hreflang tags, added by your developer or your platform, then tell Google which version is which.

Do product labels in the UAE need Arabic?

UAE rules generally expect labels, product information and invoices to include Arabic, and another language can be added alongside. The exact rules depend on the product, and some products, such as cosmetics and food, have extra requirements. Check what applies to your products with the relevant authority before you launch.