An Arabic ecommerce website needs more than translation: the whole layout must mirror to right-to-left (RTL), Arabic typography must stay legible on small screens, numbers, currency and dates need consistent formats, and payments and delivery must match local habits. Done well, the store feels native rather than translated.
Many of my projects have been Arabic or bilingual stores for Egypt and the Gulf. These are the points I check on every one.
What is RTL and why does it matter for a store?
RTL (right-to-left) is the reading direction of Arabic. In an RTL store, the logo usually sits on the right, menus read from right to left, text aligns right, and arrows and progress steps point the other way. If any of these stay left-to-right, the store looks broken to native readers and trust drops.
Layout: mirror properly, not partially
WordPress sets dir="rtl" on the html element for RTL languages and loads rtl.css files when themes provide them. The cleanest modern approach is CSS logical properties, which flip automatically:
/* Instead of margin-left / padding-right */
.card {
margin-inline-start: 1rem;
padding-inline-end: 1.5rem;
text-align: start;
border-inline-start: 3px solid var(--accent);
}
With logical properties, one stylesheet works in both directions, and you avoid maintaining a separate RTL file that drifts out of sync.
Things to mirror:
- Navigation order and dropdown direction.
- Breadcrumbs and “next/previous” arrows.
- Sliders and carousels (start position and swipe direction).
- Checkout step indicators.
- Icons that imply direction (back, forward, send).
Things not to mirror:
- Logos and brand marks.
- Media player controls such as play.
- Phone numbers, product codes and Latin text inside Arabic sentences.
Arabic typography
Arabic letters connect and have more vertical detail than Latin letters, so small, thin fonts become hard to read quickly.
- Pick a web font designed for Arabic screens, with good hinting at body sizes.
- Increase line height compared to your English styles; Arabic often needs more breathing room.
- Avoid letter-spacing on Arabic text; it breaks the connected letterforms.
- Load only the weights you use, and consider self-hosting the fonts for speed and privacy.
- Set a sensible fallback stack so text is readable even before the web font loads.
Numbers, currency and dates
Decide early whether to use Western digits (0-9) or Eastern Arabic digits (٠-٩), and be consistent. Many stores in the region show Western digits for prices and phone numbers because they match card statements and delivery forms.
- Currency: show the code or symbol your customers recognise (EGP / ج.م, SAR / ر.س, AED / د.إ), and keep its position consistent.
- Phone fields: accept local formats and the country code, and never force a single rigid pattern.
- Dates: use a clear format; avoid ambiguous numeric dates.
Content and product data
Machine translation of product descriptions produces text that native speakers spot immediately. At minimum:
- Have product titles and key descriptions written or edited by a native speaker.
- Translate attribute names and values (size, colour, material), not just descriptions.
- Translate transactional emails, error messages and checkout labels; these are often forgotten.
- Check that search works with Arabic text, including common spelling variants (for example with and without hamza).
Bilingual SEO
If the store serves both Arabic and English:
- Give each language its own URL (subdirectory such as
/ar/or a separate domain), not a cookie-based switch. - Add
hreflangtags linking language versions to each other. - Write separate titles and meta descriptions for each language.
- Translate slugs for Arabic pages only if your team can manage them; Latin slugs are acceptable and easier to share.
My guide on building a WordPress multilingual site covers plugins and hreflang in more detail.
Payments and delivery
Local habits matter more than any design detail:
- Cash on delivery remains common in many markets in the region.
- Local card processors and wallets are often expected alongside international cards.
- Show delivery times by city or region, and the cost before checkout.
I wrote a separate guide on payment gateways in Egypt.
Checkout forms
- Keep forms short; ask only for what delivery needs.
- Make address fields fit local reality (district, building, floor, landmark) rather than copying a Western address format.
- Allow customers to write addresses in Arabic or English.
- Validate phone numbers kindly, with clear Arabic error messages.
Testing checklist
- Every template viewed in Arabic on a real phone, both Android and iPhone.
- Long Arabic product titles do not overflow cards.
- Mixed Arabic and English text (brand names, sizes) displays in the right order.
- Cart, checkout and emails fully translated.
- Sliders and arrows work in the correct direction.
- Search returns results for Arabic queries.
- Prices and currency display consistently.
Common mistakes
- Using
leftandrighteverywhere in CSS, then patching RTL with dozens of overrides. - Choosing a beautiful Arabic display font for body text.
- Translating the front end but leaving emails and invoices in English.
- Copying checkout fields from a European template.
An Arabic store done properly feels like it was designed for its customers first. If you are planning one, start with the platform decision in WooCommerce vs Shopify, then contact me if you want help building it.
Frequently asked questions
What does RTL mean?
RTL means right-to-left. Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Urdu are written right to left, so the whole interface should mirror: navigation, alignment, icons with direction and the order of columns.
Does WooCommerce support Arabic?
Yes. WordPress and WooCommerce support RTL languages and Arabic translations. The theme and plugins must also be built to handle RTL correctly, which is where most problems appear.
Should my store be Arabic only or bilingual?
It depends on your audience. Many Gulf stores serve both Arabic and English speakers, so bilingual with proper hreflang tags is common. Egyptian local stores often lead with Arabic.
