A bilingual website needs two usable customer journeys, not an English layout with translated words dropped into it. Plan Arabic and English together so visitors can understand the same offering, reach the equivalent page and complete an enquiry in their preferred language.

This guide covers Arabic and English content scope, right-to-left layouts, translation ownership and bilingual enquiry journeys. Discuss the relevant requirements through ITZ’s Website Design service.

Audience and content requirements

Identify which customer tasks require Arabic and English content. Define who prepares translations and checks specialist terminology. Both versions should communicate the same approved business facts, service scope and contact information.

Create a translation inventory by page and content type: services, menus, forms, validation messages, downloads and confirmation emails. Give each item an owner and reviewer. Brand terms, addresses and specialist vocabulary should follow an agreed glossary. Otherwise small inconsistencies accumulate as different staff update each language independently.

Right-to-left interface design

Arabic layouts require attention to text direction, alignment, navigation and mixed-language content. Test phone numbers, email addresses and form inputs separately because their reading direction may differ from surrounding text.

Set language and direction deliberately. W3C explains using HTML direction settings for right-to-left content; visual alignment alone does not establish reading order. Test mixed content such as an Arabic sentence containing an email address, an English product code or a UAE mobile number. A neat paragraph can still hide a confusing input or reversed symbol.

Plan Your Bilingual Website to discuss Arabic and English content scope, right-to-left layouts, translation ownership and bilingual enquiry journeys.

Language navigation

Use clear language labels and link to the equivalent page where available. Visitors should retain their context when switching languages. Avoid automatically redirecting users solely from an assumed language preference.

Provide an obvious language switch that leads to the corresponding content where that translation exists. If a translation is unavailable, communicate the destination clearly rather than silently sending a customer to an unrelated homepage. Keep the selected language through the enquiry journey, including form labels, errors and confirmation wording.

Search and quality checks

Provide distinct, accessible URLs for translated pages and implement appropriate reciprocal hreflang annotations. Check metadata, internal links, page direction and mobile layouts in both languages before launch.

Give each language version a stable URL and review reciprocal language annotations against Google's multilingual-site guidance. Do not assume browser language proves what the visitor wants. Check translated titles and descriptions independently, then repeat functional checks with real Arabic text. Launch approval should include a capable language reviewer, not just a designer inspecting shapes.

A practical example

Illustrative example: a property-services customer switches to Arabic on a maintenance page. If the switch opens a generic English contact screen, the journey breaks even though the navigation looked bilingual. Keeping the service context, Arabic field instructions and destination details makes the translation operationally useful.

Your review checklist

  • Approve a shared terminology and translation inventory.
  • Test mixed-direction numbers, email addresses and form fields.
  • Check language switches between equivalent pages.
  • Review both languages on narrow screens before approval.

Frequently asked questions

Is automatic translation sufficient for a business website?

Automatic translation can support drafting, but qualified review is needed for accuracy, tone and specialist terminology before publication.

References and further reading

Related services and guides

Discuss the next step

Plan Your Bilingual Website. Use the form below to discuss Arabic and English content scope, right-to-left layouts, translation ownership and bilingual enquiry journeys. Share the relevant goals and existing arrangements; do not include passwords, private records or access tokens.

Plan Your Bilingual Website ↗

Reviewed and expanded on 15 October 2026. Examples are illustrative; the appropriate approach depends on your business requirements and existing systems.