Arabic menu design that actually typesets Arabic
تصميم قوائم عربية بخطوط منسّقة واتجاه صحيح
Most design tools treat Arabic as English with different letters. The text gets replaced, the layout does not move, and the result reads as a translation rather than a menu. QaiMa rebuilds the page for right-to-left instead of mirroring it.
What usually goes wrong
- The layout is flipped, not rebuilt. Flipping a design horizontally moves the logo and the gutter to the wrong side and leaves leader dots running away from the price. Right-to-left is a different composition, not a mirror.
- The Arabic face is whatever the tool had. A geometric sans dropped beside a classical serif makes the Arabic look like a caption rather than half the menu.
- Mixed-direction rows break. A dish name in Arabic, a price in Western digits and a dietary tag in Latin letters all sit in one row. Left to default browser behaviour, the order of those pieces is unpredictable.
- Translations are overwritten. Tools that translate in place lose the original, so the next edit has to be re-translated and any wording you carefully chose is gone.
How QaiMa handles it
Every field is a pair
A dish is not a string. Its name, description, category and the restaurant's own name and footer each hold an English value and an Arabic value side by side. Switching language mode changes which one is composed onto the page; neither is ever destroyed, so you can refine the Arabic wording over time without touching the English.
Typefaces paired per template
| Arabic face | Character | Paired with |
|---|---|---|
| Amiri | Classical Naskh, calligraphic | Serif and engraved templates — fine dining, heritage, majlis |
| Tajawal | Contemporary geometric sans | Modern templates — cafés, fast casual, marina and bold styles |
Three language modes
- English only — standard left-to-right composition.
- Arabic only — the entire page is set right-to-left: headers, price alignment, ornaments, footer and page furniture.
- Both — English and Arabic together on one card, with the Arabic set in its own face beneath or beside its English counterpart depending on the template's structure.
The same rules drive the QR menu. A bilingual menu gets a language switch, and the mobile page re-renders right-to-left with the same typeface as the print card — guests see one identity, not two.
Writing the Arabic side well
- Transliterate dish names guests know. A guest looking for شكشوكة is not looking for a literal description of eggs in tomato. Keep names recognisable.
- Translate descriptions, not names. The description is where the Arabic should be genuinely idiomatic rather than word-for-word.
- Keep prices in Western digits. This is the norm on UAE menus and avoids confusion at the table.
- Have a native speaker read the proof. Print is unforgiving — read the exported PDF, not the editor.
Common questions
Does QaiMa translate the menu for me?
You can enter Arabic yourself for full control, and every dish keeps separate English and Arabic fields so nothing is overwritten. Dish names in particular are worth writing by hand — a transliteration a guest recognises usually beats a literal translation.
Which Arabic fonts are used?
Amiri, a classical Naskh face, and Tajawal, a contemporary geometric sans. Each template is paired with whichever suits its Latin typeface, so a classical template does not end up with a modern Arabic face beside a serif.
Can I print Arabic only?
Yes. Every menu has three language modes — English only, Arabic only, or both on the same card. The mode changes the layout, not just the text: an Arabic-only menu sets the whole page right-to-left, including price alignment and category headers.
How are prices and numerals handled in Arabic?
Prices stay in Western digits, which is what UAE menus overwhelmingly use, but they are aligned to the correct side of a right-to-left row and the currency label switches to درهم إماراتي. Mixed-direction rows are the usual place bilingual menus break, so this is handled in the layout rather than left to the browser.
Will the QR menu work in Arabic too?
Yes. If the menu carries both languages, the digital menu shows a language switch and re-renders right-to-left, using the same Arabic typeface as the printed card.
See the language modes on real menus in the worked examples, or browse all fifteen templates — each one previews in Arabic, English or both.
Set your menu in both languages and see the Arabic typeset properly before you print.