Arabic and English websites built in Kerala for Gulf businesses: RTL, content and SEO
Building a site in Arabic and English is not just translation. Here is what to ask a Kerala development team for, from right-to-left layout to hreflang tags.
Many Gulf businesses serve two audiences: English-speaking residents and Arabic-speaking customers. A Kerala team can build for both, as long as Arabic is treated as a full language and not a last-minute translation. This guide covers what to ask for. If you are still choosing a team, start with our 8-point hiring checklist.
1. Build the layout for right-to-left from the start
Arabic is read from right to left, so the whole page flows the other way: menus, buttons, images next to text, form fields and progress bars. The W3C advises adding dir="rtl" to the html tag when the whole page is right-to-left, and using logical "start" and "end" in the styling instead of fixed "left" and "right", so one design can switch direction cleanly. Ask your developer how the design handles this. If the answer is "we will flip it at the end", expect extra cost and bugs.
2. Get the Arabic written, not just translated
Machine translation is a useful first draft, but headlines, ads, product pages and legal text should be written or reviewed by a native Arabic writer. Agree who that person is before the project starts, who approves the final text, and how long approvals take. Numbers, dates, phone numbers and brand names inside Arabic sentences also need checking, because mixed-direction text can display in the wrong order.
3. Give each language its own web address
Google recommends separate URLs for each language version of a page, rather than switching the language with cookies or browser settings. For example, /en/services and /ar/services. Google says it may not find and crawl every variation of pages that change language dynamically, because its crawler usually comes from the USA and does not send a language preference.
4. Add hreflang so Google connects the two versions
An hreflang tag tells Google that two pages are the same content in different languages. Google's rules: every language version must list itself and all the other versions, and the addresses must be full web addresses including https. Google also says it does not use the HTML lang attribute to detect a page's language, so set it correctly for readers and screen readers, but rely on hreflang to link the versions.
| Item | What to ask your developer for |
|---|---|
| Layout | dir="rtl" on Arabic pages, tested on phones |
| Web addresses | One address per language, such as /en/ and /ar/ |
| Hreflang | Each page lists itself and its translation |
| Language switcher | Visible on every page, with the word "العربية" written in Arabic |
| Titles and descriptions | Written in Arabic for Arabic pages, not left in English |
| Sitemap | Includes both language versions |
5. Think about what Arabic searchers actually type
Do not translate your English keywords word for word. People in Riyadh, Doha and Dubai may search with different words, dialect spellings or even English terms typed in Arabic letters. Ask the team to research Arabic search terms for each country you serve and to check them with a native speaker. Our country pages for Saudi Arabia and Qatar are a useful starting point for how we think about each market.
6. Test on real phones before launch
Open every key page in Arabic on an Android phone and an iPhone. Check the menu, the contact form, the WhatsApp button, the checkout and any pop-ups. Ask a native Arabic reader to click through and note anything that looks backwards or cut off.
Red flags
- "We will add Arabic in phase two" with no plan for the layout.
- One page that changes language with a button but keeps the same web address.
- Arabic pages with English titles and descriptions.
- No named person who approves the Arabic text.
How Futurum Works handles this
Futurum Works is a remote-first digital agency serving Kerala, Bangalore and the GCC. We build websites and custom software and run SEO and Google Ads for businesses in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. We write the scope down and keep your accounts in your name. Our plans are starting points, not fixed packages. Share your budget on WhatsApp and we will shape the scope around it. Planning online payments too? Read how to choose payment gateways for a Gulf store.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Kerala team build a proper Arabic website?
Yes, if Arabic is planned from the start: a real right-to-left layout, a native Arabic writer or reviewer, and testing on phones. Ask who approves the Arabic text before the project begins.
Should Arabic and English be on separate web addresses?
Google recommends a separate address for each language version of a page, for example /en/ and /ar/, instead of switching language with cookies or browser settings.
What is hreflang and do I need it?
Hreflang tells Google that two pages are the same content in different languages. If you run two language versions, each page should list itself and its translation using full https addresses.
Is it enough to translate my English keywords into Arabic?
No. Search terms differ by country and dialect. Ask the team to research Arabic search terms for each market and have a native speaker check them.
Sources: Google Search Central: Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites; Google Search Central: Localized versions of your pages (hreflang); W3C: Structural markup and right-to-left text in HTML.
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