# Building a bilingual English and Arabic website: the right-to-left checklist > A bilingual English and Arabic website needs more than translated text. The layout mirrors right-to-left, Arabic typography needs its own fonts and sizes, numbers and icons follow their own rules, forms and validation change, and each language needs its own URLs, titles, descriptions and hreflang tags so search engines index both. Plan it from the first wireframe and it costs little; retrofit it and it costs a redesign. This is the checklist OGB Labs in Muscat, Oman, uses on its own bilingual projects. - Canonical: https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/arabic-website-rtl-checklist - Arabic version: https://www.ogblabs.com/ar/guides/arabic-website-rtl-checklist - Author: OGB Labs (https://www.ogblabs.com) - Published: 2026-09-27 - Updated: 2026-10-02 ## Layout - Set the document direction with the HTML dir attribute and use logical CSS properties (start and end) instead of left and right so components mirror automatically. This is standard in our [website design and development](https://www.ogblabs.com/services/websites) work. - Mirror navigation, breadcrumbs, carousels and progress indicators. Do not mirror media controls, clocks or anything that represents physical direction. - Check every component with long Arabic strings. Arabic text is often shorter in characters but taller in line height. ## Typography - Choose an Arabic typeface designed to pair with your Latin one, and test the two at the same visual size. Arabic usually needs a slightly larger size and looser line height. - Avoid letter-spacing on Arabic. Letters connect, and spacing breaks the word shapes. - Check bold and light weights exist for the Arabic face. Many families ship fewer weights. ## Numbers, dates and icons - Decide between Western digits and Eastern Arabic digits per market, and keep it consistent across the site, forms and emails. - Phone numbers, prices and codes stay left-to-right inside right-to-left text. Use bidi isolation so they do not scramble. - Arrows and directional icons flip; logos and brand marks do not. ## Forms and validation - Labels, placeholders, error messages and success messages all need Arabic versions. - Input fields for phone numbers, emails and codes should stay left-to-right even on the Arabic site. - Validation rules must accept Arabic names and addresses. ## SEO for two languages - Give each language its own URL: a subdirectory such as /ar/ is simplest to manage. - Write Arabic titles and meta descriptions; do not translate them word for word. - Add hreflang links between the English and Arabic versions of every page, including a default, as described in [Google's guide to localized versions](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/specialty/international/localized-versions). - Keep the sitemap listing both versions and structured data in the page's language. - Research Arabic keywords separately and never redirect by IP or browser language. Our guide to [Arabic SEO in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/arabic-seo-oman) explains both. - Add the Arabic version to llms.txt and any Markdown twins so answer engines see both. ## Content workflow 1. Finalise English content before translation starts, or translate in parallel with a shared glossary. 2. Use a professional translator with marketing experience, then have a native speaker in the target market review tone. 3. Store both languages in the CMS as fields on the same entry, so nothing is published in one language only by accident. 4. Review every page in both directions on a phone before launch. ## Arabic websites in Oman For companies in Oman, Arabic is usually needed from launch. See how we handle it on our [web design in Muscat](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/web-design) and [website development in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/website-development) pages. A second language also changes the budget: the ranges are in our guide to [website cost in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/website-cost-oman), and the wider cost drivers are in [website cost in the Gulf](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/website-cost-gulf). When you compare agencies, ask for a live Arabic site, as our checklist for [choosing a web development company in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/choose-web-development-company-oman) explains. ## Frequently asked questions ### Should Arabic be a separate website? No. One site with a language switch and separate URLs per language is easier to maintain and better for search engines. ### Does Arabic double the cost? No. Design and build are shared. The extra work is right-to-left layout, typography and the second set of content. ### Which URL structure is best for Arabic? A subdirectory such as example.com/ar/ is the simplest to manage and keeps authority on one domain. ### Can we launch in English first? Yes. Build the layout for both languages from the start and add Arabic content when it is ready. ### Do you write Arabic content? We work with professional translators and native reviewers, and we build the workflow so both languages stay in sync. ## Related - [Websites](https://www.ogblabs.com/services/websites): Company websites and web platforms designed around your brand, built to rank and to turn visitors into customers. - [Ecommerce](https://www.ogblabs.com/services/ecommerce): Stores built to sell: storefronts that feel like your brand, a checkout people finish and inventory that stays in sync. - [Website development company in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/website-development): Website development company in Muscat, Oman. Flagship websites designed around your brand, live in 1–8 weeks at a fixed price in OMR. You own everything. - [Web design company in Muscat, Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/web-design): Web design company in Muscat, Oman. Brand-led design, right-to-left layouts included, and a clickable prototype you approve before any code is written. - [Generative engine optimization (GEO) for businesses in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/generative-engine-optimization): Generative engine optimization (GEO) in Oman by OGB Labs, Muscat: get your business cited in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Perplexity answers. - [Real estate marketing for developers and agencies in Oman](https://www.ogblabs.com/locations/oman/real-estate-marketing): Real estate marketing in Oman by OGB Labs, Muscat: launch campaigns, listing sites, 3D renders and WhatsApp lead handling for developers and agencies. - [How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI: a guide for Omani companies](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/get-cited-by-chatgpt-perplexity-google-ai): What ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Google AI Mode actually read before they recommend a company, which crawlers to allow, what to publish, and what to skip. - [How to measure AI search traffic in Google Analytics 4 and Search Console: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews and AI Mode](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/measure-ai-search-traffic-ga4-search-console): GA4's new AI Assistant channel, custom channel groups for ChatGPT and Perplexity referrals, and Search Console's Generative AI report for AI Overviews and AI Mode. - [VAT registration in Saudi Arabia for online stores and apps: thresholds, foreign sellers, marketplaces and penalties](https://www.ogblabs.com/guides/saudi-vat-registration-online-sellers): When a Saudi or foreign online store, app or SaaS must register for VAT with ZATCA: SAR 375,000 and 187,500 thresholds, marketplace rules, deadlines and fines. ## Contact - WhatsApp: +968 7111 0727 (https://wa.me/96871110727) - Contact form: https://www.ogblabs.com/contact - Email: hello@ogblabs.com - Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 – 18:00 Gulf Standard Time (GMT+4) - Locations: Muscat, Dubai, Riyadh (Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia)