Should a UAE business website have an Arabic version?

If you sell to Arabic speakers, yes. An Arabic version lets them find you in Arabic search and shows the site was built for them. Start with the home page, the service pages and the contact page.

Does ProLab build Arabic websites?

Yes. ProLab builds websites, Shopify stores, chatbots and AI voice agents in Arabic and English.

A tag that tells search engines which language and region each version of a page is for, so an Arabic searcher in the UAE is shown the Arabic page and an English searcher the English one.

Does an Arabic version cost more?

Arabic and English are included in ProLab's published packages: AI-powered websites from AED 3,999 and Shopify stores from AED 3,999.

Practical guide

Arabic and English websites in the UAE: what does bilingual really involve?

By the ProLab teamPublished 12 October 2026Updated 12 October 20266 min read

Short answer

A bilingual website is two versions of every page, not one page with a translate button. The Arabic version needs a mirrored right-to-left layout, its own written copy, its own web address and its own search set-up, linked to the English version so Google shows each visitor the right one. ProLab builds websites, stores, chatbots and voice agents in Arabic and English.

Key facts

Layout: Mirrored right to left, not just right-aligned text
Addresses: A separate URL for each language
Linking: hreflang tags connect the two versions
Copy: Written in Arabic, not machine-translated and left unchecked
ProLab: Arabic & English

Why is a translate button not enough?

A translate widget swaps the words in the browser. It does not create a page that Google can index in Arabic, it does not mirror the layout, and it often produces Arabic that reads as careless. A customer notices in a second.

Row	Translate widget	A real Arabic version
Can be found in Arabic search	No, there is no Arabic page to index	Yes, each page has its own Arabic URL
Layout	Left-to-right design with Arabic text dropped in	Mirrored right to left
Quality of the wording	Automatic	Written and checked by a person
Titles and descriptions in search	English only	Arabic
Impression on the customer	An afterthought	Built for them

What changes in a right-to-left layout?

Arabic is read from right to left, so the whole page mirrors, not only the text. The page declares its direction in the HTML, and the design follows.

Navigation, logo position and reading order flip sides.
Arrows, progress steps and carousels run the other way.
Icons that show direction are mirrored. Icons that do not, such as a phone or a clock, stay as they are.
Numbers, prices and phone numbers still read left to right inside Arabic text, and need care so they do not jumble.
The typeface matters. A font drawn for Arabic reads properly at small sizes. A fallback font does not.
Forms, error messages, buttons and emails need Arabic too, not just the visible pages.

You know the price before we start. Published packages are fixed; systems and agents are scoped.

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How should the two languages be set up for Google?

Google's guidance is direct on three points, and each one is easy to get wrong.

Give each language its own URL. Google recommends separate URLs for each language version rather than using cookies or browser settings to switch the content on one address.
Connect the versions with hreflang. Each page lists its alternates, for example Arabic for the UAE and English for the UAE, so Google can show the right one to each searcher.
Do not redirect people automatically by guessed language. Let visitors and Google reach both versions, and offer a visible language switch.

Google works out a page's language from the visible content, not from code labels. A page that is half Arabic and half English sends a mixed signal, so keep each version in one language, with brand names and prices as the exceptions.

Is Arabic search worth the effort in the UAE?

People search in the language they think in. An Arabic speaker looking for a clinic, a contractor or a store will often type the search in Arabic, and an English-only site cannot appear for it.

Arabic keywords are not translations of English ones. The words people use differ by dialect and by habit, and many searches mix Arabic with English brand names. Research the Arabic terms separately, and write the Arabic page around them.

What else should speak both languages?

The chatbot. It should answer in the language the visitor writes in. See AI chatbots.
The phone. An AI voice agent answers in Arabic and English.
WhatsApp replies, reminders and order updates. See WhatsApp automation.
The store. Product names, descriptions, checkout and emails. See Shopify stores.
Your Google Business Profile description and replies to reviews.

ProLab is one team working in both languages. Read this site's own Arabic page: ProLab بالعربية.