Arabic Help Center Translation: Complete Guide for SaaS Teams

The Arab world represents 400 million people across 22 countries, from Morocco to Oman. For SaaS companies, this market is growing faster than ever: Gulf states are digitizing rapidly, Egyptian startups are multiplying, and Arabic-speaking customers increasingly expect support in their language.

But Arabic translation isn't straightforward. The right-to-left script, formal register expectations, and dialect vs standard decisions make Arabic one of the more complex languages to get right.

This guide covers everything you need to translate your help center for Arabic-speaking customers: dialect decisions, RTL implementation, cultural adaptation, and practical costs.

Why Arabic Translation Matters

The numbers make a strong case:

• 400+ million Arabic speakers worldwide
• #5 most spoken language globally
• 22 countries with Arabic as official language
• $2.7 trillion combined GDP of Arab League nations
• Fastest-growing SaaS markets in UAE and Saudi Arabia

For B2B SaaS, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries represent particularly high-value customers. UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing heavily in digital transformation, creating demand for business tools with proper Arabic support.

The business reality: Arabic-speaking customers who find English-only help centers often churn or require expensive support tickets. Companies with Arabic documentation report 40-60% reductions in support volume from Arabic-speaking customers.

The Critical Decision: Modern Standard Arabic vs Dialects

This decision is actually simpler than other languages: always use Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for help centers.

Modern Standard Arabic (الفصحى)

MSA (also called Fusha) is:

• The formal written standard across all Arab countries
• Used in news, education, official documents, and business
• Universally understood by educated Arabic speakers
• The only appropriate choice for professional documentation

MSA is based on Classical Arabic (the Quran) but modernized with contemporary vocabulary. Every Arab learns MSA in school, even though they speak a local dialect at home.

Regional Dialects

Dialects exist but should never be used in help centers:

Dialect Group	Where Spoken	Example Difference
Egyptian	Egypt (100M)	"How are you?" = إزيك (ezzayak)
Levantine	Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine	= كيفك (kifak)
Gulf	UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait	= شلونك (shlonak)
Maghrebi	Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia	= لاباس (labas)

MSA standardizes this to كيف حالك (kayfa haluk) which everyone understands.

Why dialects fail for documentation:

1. Limited reach: Egyptian dialect excludes Gulf readers, and vice versa
2. Unprofessional perception: Dialect in written form signals informality
3. No standard spelling: Dialects have inconsistent written forms
4. AI translation failures: Tools struggle with dialect nuances

The Exception

The only exception is marketing content specifically targeting one region. A UAE-focused ad campaign might use light Gulf dialect for relatability. But help centers should always use MSA.

RTL Implementation: The Technical Challenge

Arabic reads right-to-left (RTL). This affects more than just text direction.

What Changes with RTL

Layout mirroring:

• Navigation menus move to the right
• Back buttons point right (→ becomes ←)
• Progress indicators reverse direction
• Lists and bullet points align right
• Images with directional meaning may need mirroring

Text behavior:

• Right-aligned by default
• Numbers remain left-to-right within RTL text (bidirectional)
• URLs and code snippets stay left-to-right
• Punctuation positions shift

RTL Implementation Checklist

For your help center to work properly in Arabic:

1. CSS direction property: Set direction: rtl on Arabic pages
2. Font support: Use fonts with Arabic character coverage (e.g., Noto Sans Arabic, Cairo, Tajawal)
3. Bidirectional text handling: Ensure code snippets and URLs render correctly
4. Image review: Check screenshots for directional elements that need mirroring
5. Form inputs: Align labels and inputs for RTL reading
6. Navigation testing: Verify back/forward, breadcrumbs, and menus work correctly

TranslateDesk and RTL

TranslateDesk handles Arabic RTL automatically. When you translate articles to Arabic, the formatting preserves your original structure while applying proper RTL text direction. Code blocks, URLs, and technical terms remain readable.

Cultural Considerations for Arabic Content

Beyond translation, Arabic help centers need cultural adaptation.

Formality Expectations

Arabic business communication is more formal than English. Help center content should:

• Use formal pronouns (أنتم for "you" plural, not أنت singular)
• Avoid casual abbreviations
• Include proper greetings in introductory content
• Maintain professional tone throughout

Gender in Grammar

Arabic has grammatical gender, affecting:

• Verb conjugations (masculine vs feminine)
• Adjectives (agreement with noun gender)
• Pronouns and addressing the reader

Best practice: Use plural forms when addressing readers. Arabic plural forms are often gender-neutral or masculine (which is grammatically neutral in formal Arabic).

Date and Number Formatting

Format	Western	Arabic Convention
Date	02/20/2026	20/02/2026 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Numbers	1,234.56	Can use Arabic-Indic: ١٬٢٣٤٫٥٦
Currency	$100	١٠٠$ or 100$ (number before symbol)

Recommendation: Use Western Arabic numerals (0-9) in most SaaS contexts. Arabic-Indic numerals (٠-٩) are common in Saudi Arabia but Western numerals are universally understood.

Religious and Cultural Sensitivity

• Avoid references to alcohol, gambling, or pork in examples
• Be careful with images showing people (conservative regions may prefer none)
• Friday is the weekend day in most Arab countries (not Sunday)
• Ramadan affects business hours and communication timing

Four Ways to Translate Your Help Center to Arabic

Option 1: Professional Human Translation

Best for: High-stakes content, legal documentation, premium brands

Human translators provide:

• Native fluency and cultural knowledge
• Proper formal register
• Accurate technical terminology
• RTL formatting awareness

Costs:

• $0.12-0.20 per word for Arabic
• 50 articles (30,000 words): $3,600-6,000
• Turnaround: 2-4 weeks

Drawbacks: Expensive, slow, doesn't scale with content updates.

Option 2: AI Translation Only

Best for: Internal documentation, low-stakes content

Modern AI handles Arabic reasonably well:

• Good MSA output quality
• Handles technical terms
• Fast and cheap

Quality concerns:

• Gender agreement errors common
• Formal register inconsistent
• Cultural nuances missed
• RTL handling varies by tool

Costs:

• Near-free at scale
• But requires significant human review

Option 3: AI + Human Review Hybrid

Best for: Most SaaS help centers

The practical approach:

1. AI generates initial translation
2. Native Arabic speaker reviews and corrects
3. Ongoing updates use same workflow

Costs:

• AI translation: minimal
• Arabic reviewer: $30-50/hour
• 50 articles initial review: $500-1,000

Option 4: TranslateDesk for Intercom

Best for: Intercom users who need Arabic support

TranslateDesk offers:

• One-click Arabic translation
• Automatic RTL formatting
• DeepL quality translations
• Sync with Intercom updates
• No technical implementation needed

Costs:

• Starts at $29/month
• Includes Arabic and any other languages
• No per-word charges

For Intercom help centers, this is the fastest path to Arabic support. Connect your account, select Arabic, and publish translated articles within minutes.

Arabic Translation Quality Checklist

Before publishing Arabic help center content:

Language accuracy:

• MSA used consistently (no dialect mixing)
• Formal register maintained
• Gender agreement correct in verbs and adjectives
• Technical terms translated appropriately (or kept in English where standard)

RTL implementation:

• Text direction correct
• Navigation and buttons mirrored
• Code blocks and URLs readable
• Images reviewed for directional elements

Cultural review:

• No culturally inappropriate examples
• Date and number formats appropriate
• Tone matches professional expectations

Technical quality:

• Links work correctly
• Formatting preserved
• Search functionality includes Arabic content
• Mobile rendering tested

Country-Specific Considerations

Gulf States (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman)

Business context:

• Highest purchasing power in Arab world
• Strong digital infrastructure
• High English proficiency but Arabic preferred for support
• B2B SaaS adoption growing rapidly

Translation notes:

• Expect formal, professional tone
• Government and enterprise clients especially value Arabic support
• Consider Arabic-Indic numerals for Saudi audience

Egypt

Business context:

• Largest Arab population (100+ million)
• Growing startup ecosystem
• More price-sensitive than Gulf states
• High technical talent pool

Translation notes:

• MSA understood universally
• Slightly less formal than Gulf business culture
• Western numerals standard

North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)

Business context:

• French influence means many businesses work in French
• Arabic + French bilingual support often needed
• Growing tech sector, especially in Morocco

Translation notes:

• MSA required for Arabic content
• Consider adding French as secondary language
• French terminology sometimes preferred for technical terms

Getting Started with Arabic Translation

Week 1: Assessment

• Audit current help center size (article count, word count)
• Identify high-priority content (most-viewed articles, essential docs)
• Decide on translation approach (human, AI, hybrid, or TranslateDesk)

Week 2: Setup

• If using TranslateDesk: Connect Intercom account, configure Arabic
• If using human translators: Select vendor, provide style guide
• If DIY: Set up RTL CSS, choose Arabic fonts

Week 3: Initial Translation

• Translate top 10-20 articles first
• Native speaker review
• Test RTL implementation thoroughly

Week 4: Launch and Iterate

• Publish Arabic help center
• Monitor support ticket volume
• Gather feedback from Arabic-speaking customers
• Expand to remaining content

Measuring Success

Track these metrics after launching Arabic support:

Metric	Target	Why It Matters
Support ticket reduction	30-50% decrease from Arabic speakers	Self-service success
Help center traffic	10-20% from Arabic regions	Content discoverability
Customer satisfaction	Improved CSAT from Arabic users	Quality validation
Conversion rate	Higher trial-to-paid in Arab regions	Business impact

Conclusion

Arabic translation is more complex than many European languages, but the market opportunity justifies the investment. With 400 million speakers and rapidly growing SaaS adoption in the Gulf states, Arabic support is becoming table stakes for global B2B companies.

The keys to success:

1. Use Modern Standard Arabic for all help center content
2. Implement RTL properly at the technical level
3. Maintain formal register that matches Arabic business expectations
4. Get native review to catch cultural and grammatical issues

For Intercom users, TranslateDesk handles the technical complexity automatically. Connect your help center, select Arabic, and start serving your Arabic-speaking customers in their language today.

---

Ready to translate your Intercom help center to Arabic? Start your free trial and publish Arabic articles in minutes.