After partnering with three distinct international agencies that failed to generate results, my organization finally hired a local digital marketing company Riyadh. The disparity in outcomes was dramatic.
For a premium company, we identified that image and temporary channels dramatically surpassed Facebook for connection and sales, creating a intentional redistribution of effort that enhanced total results by one hundred sixty-seven percent.
Current platform usage in Saudi Arabia:
- Visual platform: Primary for lifestyle brands
- Ephemeral platform: Remarkably successful with Gen Z demographics
- Discussion network: Strong for updates and public discourse
- Short video: Quickly expanding notably with youth audiences
- Business network: Valuable for B2B engagement
After considerable time of disappointing engagement with their prospective clients, their revamped social media strategy generated a significant growth in engagement and a 187% growth in digital footfall.
Recently, a company director complained that his platform strategy was consuming thousands of riyals with little performance. After analyzing his approach, I found several serious mistakes that are surprisingly common among Saudi businesses.
Using comprehensive research for a retail brand, we found that content published between night time dramatically outperformed those released during standard optimal periods, producing 143% greater response.
- Reorganized the data entry sequence to match right-to-left thinking processes
- Built a dual-language form system with automatic language switching
- Optimized mobile interactions for right-handed Arabic typing
As someone who has developed over 30 Arabic websites in the last half-decade, I can assure you that applying Western UX practices to Arabic interfaces falls short. The distinctive elements of Arabic language and Saudi user preferences require a totally unique approach.
Throughout my previous project for a investment company in Riyadh, we discovered that users were consistently clicking the wrong navigation elements. Our eye-tracking demonstrated that their focus naturally flowed from right to left, but the primary navigation elements were located with a left-to-right importance.
- Designed a numerical presentation system that accommodated both Arabic and English numbers
- Redesigned charts to read from right to left
- Used graphical cues that matched Saudi cultural connections
Recently, I was consulting with a prominent e-commerce company that had spent over 200,000 SAR on a stunning website that was performing terribly. The problem? They had simply translated their English site without addressing the essential design distinctions needed for Arabic Website Usability users.
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Clearly mark which language should be used in each form element
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Automatically switch keyboard layout based on field requirements
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Locate form text to the right of their connected inputs
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Verify that system feedback appear in the same language as the intended input
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Realigning action buttons to the right-hand portion of forms and pages
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Rethinking information hierarchy to move from right to left
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Adjusting user controls to align with the right-to-left viewing pattern
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Position the most critical content in the top-right section of the viewport
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Arrange content blocks to progress from right to left and top to bottom
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Apply stronger visual emphasis on the right side of equal layouts
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Ensure that directional icons (such as arrows) direct in the appropriate direction for RTL layouts
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Select fonts specially created for Arabic digital display (like Dubai) rather than traditional print fonts
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Expand line height by 150-175% for improved readability
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Set right-justified text (never center-aligned for main content)
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Avoid condensed Arabic fonts that compromise the distinctive letter forms
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Shifted product photos to the left side, with product details and call-to-action buttons on the right-hand side
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Changed the photo slider to advance from right to left
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Added a custom website design rates Arabic font that preserved legibility at various sizes