Recently, a regional brand contacted me after investing over 120,000 SAR on international SEO services with disappointing results. After executing a specialized Saudi-focused search optimization, they achieved premium rankings for twenty-three competitive keywords within just 90 days.
I smile when clients tell me they're using the "latest" digital marketing approaches but haven't revised their methods since 2022. The online environment has transformed completely in just the past year.
During my latest project for a financial competition research Services company in Riyadh, we discovered that users were consistently clicking the wrong navigation options. Our behavior analysis revealed that their attention naturally progressed from right to left, but the important navigation components were located with a left-to-right importance.
- Choose fonts specifically designed for Arabic on-screen viewing (like GE SS) rather than traditional print fonts
- Enlarge line leading by 150-175% for better readability
- Use right-oriented text (never middle-aligned for body text)
- Avoid narrow Arabic typefaces that compromise the unique letter shapes
Assisting a high-end retailer, we found that their Arabic user experience design branding was considerably inferior than their English branding. After creating harmony between the linguistic approaches, they saw a substantial increase in brand perception among Saudi audiences.
Their offerings encompass:
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Professional search ranking services
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Innovative website development creation
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Performance-focused digital marketing initiatives
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Social media management
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Copywriting and development
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Distinctly indicate which language should be used in each form element
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Intelligently switch keyboard layout based on field type
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Position field labels to the right-hand side of their corresponding inputs
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Confirm that system feedback appear in the same language as the required input
The most profitable Saudi brands understand that people don't distinguish in terms of mediums. My financial client saw a substantial increase in qualified leads after we connected their formerly separate touchpoints.
After considerable time of underwhelming results in the Kingdom, their enhanced approach created a two hundred eighty-seven percent growth in name familiarity and a one hundred forty-three percent rise in business.
Their technique included:
- Temporary channels: Youthful brand personality
- Professional networks: Credential-focused information
- Image networks: Experience-centered brand storytelling
- Twitter: Thought leadership
For a software company, we adapted their international design elements to further resonate with Saudi aesthetic preferences while preserving visual recognizability. This approach increased their visual connection by one hundred twenty-four percent.
- Shifted product visuals to the left area, with product details and buy buttons on the right
- Modified the photo slider to advance from right to left
- Implemented a custom Arabic text style that maintained readability at various scales
For a international clothing business, we established a regionally-focused virtual presence approach that incorporated subtle local symbolism. This technique improved their relationship strength by one hundred sixty-seven percent in only half a year.
A wellness organization experienced a 178% growth in name familiarity after implementing a platform-specific presence methodology that understood the special characteristics of each digital platform in the Saudi ecosystem.
- Realigning CTA buttons to the right area of forms and interfaces
- Restructuring information hierarchy to progress from right to left
- Adapting user controls to match the right-to-left reading pattern
As someone who has created over 30 Arabic websites in the last half-decade, I can tell you that applying Western UX practices to Arabic interfaces fails miserably. The distinctive elements of Arabic language and Saudi user expectations require a totally unique approach.
Recently, I was helping a major e-commerce company that had spent over 200,000 SAR on a beautiful website that was converting poorly. The problem? They had just converted their English site without accounting for the basic experience variations needed for Arabic users.
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Developed a numerical presentation system that accommodated both Arabic and English numerals
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Redesigned data visualizations to flow from right to left
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Used visual indicators that aligned with Saudi cultural meanings
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Position the most critical content in the right upper area of the viewport
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Structure information segments to progress from right to left and top to bottom
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Use more prominent visual emphasis on the right side of symmetrical designs
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Confirm that directional icons (such as arrows) orient in the appropriate direction for RTL interfaces