# Arabic and bilingual

North brand guidelines for AI agents · https://identity.north.ae/AGENTS/arabic · Updated 2026-10-14
Use when: Anything in Arabic or bilingual Arabic/English: copy, layouts, UI, documents, slides.
Rules that always apply: https://identity.north.ae/AGENTS

## Principles
- Arabic is first-class: written natively (transcreated), never word-for-word translated, always reviewed by a second native speaker before publishing.
- Prefer separate Arabic and English versions. Go bilingual for government documents, signage, invitations, certificates, co-branded material.
- Equal prominence for both languages; the leading language goes first (Arabic: right or top; English: left or top).

## Which language leads
| Audience | Leads |
|---|---|
| UAE government, official correspondence | Arabic |
| Public signage, events, invitations in the UAE | Arabic (follow local signage rules) |
| Regional enterprise | Ask; default Arabic for public-facing |
| Product UI, technical docs | Reader's choice; full separate versions |
| International partners, press | English |
| Social media | Separate posts per language; no bilingual images |

## Names in Arabic
- Default: keep brand/product/feature names in Latin script inside Arabic text, isolated as LTR runs: `تعمل <bdi>NorthStar</bdi> على أجهزتكم`.
- Arabic-only documents (official letters, Arabic press releases, Arabic legal text): use the approved Arabic name; first mention adds Latin in brackets: نورث ستار (NorthStar).
- Proposed (pending approval and native review): North نورث · NorthStar نورث ستار · NorthCloud نورث كلاود · NorthEdge نورث إيدج · NorthStar Admiral نورث ستار أدميرال · NorthEdge Horizon نورث إيدج هورايزن · North Academy أكاديمية نورث · North Identity هوية نورث · Shaheen شاهين (marketing only).
- Descriptors translate, names don't; descriptor comes first in Arabic (أكاديمية نورث).
- Company: official English name NORTH ADVANCED SYSTEMS LTD; its Arabic equivalent must match the UAE trade licence exactly (to be confirmed).
- Logos: the Latin logo is the master mark in Arabic layouts too. Interim bilingual lockups (`/assets/logos/<brand>-bilingual-*.svg`) only where the Arabic name must appear with the logo. A custom Arabic logotype is recommended but not yet drawn.

## Typography
- IBM Plex Sans Arabic for all Arabic. Size = Latin size × 1.08 (`--n-arabic-size-ratio`). Line height: body 1.8, headings 1.35.
- Weights: display Bold 700, headings SemiBold 600, lead Light 300, body Regular 400, labels Medium 500.
- Never: letter-spacing, italics, capitals rules, kashida/tatweel justification. Align right, ragged left.
- Punctuation: ، ؛ ؟ and « » quotes. % with Western digits, ٪ with Eastern digits.
- Mixed scripts: HTML `dir="rtl"` on the block, Latin runs in `<bdi>`; plain text: FSI U+2068 … PDI U+2069. Latin runs set in Helvetica Now.
- Fallbacks: web Plex → Noto Sans Arabic; Office Segoe UI (Win) / Geeza Pro (Mac); email Tahoma, Arial.

## Right-to-left layout
- Mirror: grid, margins, reading order, alignment, logo position (top right), navigation/tabs/steppers/progress, directional icons (arrows, chevrons, back, send, reply, undo, log-out, external-link), lists, form layout, flows in diagrams and timelines.
- Don't mirror: logos and the star, numbers/phones/IDs/URLs/emails/code, photos, media controls, non-directional icons, checkmarks, clocks, charts with numeric scales in bilingual UI.
- Code: `<html lang="ar" dir="rtl">`; CSS logical properties (margin-inline-start, padding-inline, inset-inline-start, text-align: start); `:dir(rtl) .icon--directional { transform: scaleX(-1) }`; email/URL/phone inputs `dir="ltr"`.
- Charts: Arabic-only documents run time axes right to left; bilingual dashboards keep LTR charts.
- Diagrams: flows start on the right; icons and accent bars on the right edge; names stay Latin.

## Numerals and dates
- Western digits (0–9) by default; Eastern (٠–٩) only if the client standard requires, then consistently. Never mix.
- Gregorian dates with Gulf month names: 13 أكتوبر 2026. Hijri alongside only in customary official correspondence ([day month year]هـ; Gregorian year followed by م). Week: الاثنين إلى الجمعة. 24-hour time in official/technical text; ص/م in marketing; give the time zone (بتوقيت الإمارات).

## Writing
- Modern Standard Arabic, plain and clear. Emirati dialect only for local social campaigns, by a native Emirati writer.
- Honorifics per protocol: سمو (Highness), معالي (ministers), سعادة (undersecretaries, directors general, ambassadors). Letters open "تحية طيبة وبعد،" and close "وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير،".
- Address readers in the plural (أنتم) in formal/marketing copy. UI: use verbal nouns (masdar) for buttons and labels to stay gender-neutral.
- UI strings: Save = حفظ · Send = إرسال · Cancel = إلغاء · Approve = اعتماد · Review and send = مراجعة وإرسال · Download = تنزيل · Sign in = تسجيل الدخول · Next = التالي · Back = رجوع · Search = بحث.

## Glossary
| English | Arabic | Note |
|---|---|---|
| artificial intelligence (AI) | الذكاء الاصطناعي |  |
| AI agent | وكيل ذكاء اصطناعي | Short form: وكيل ذكي |
| model | نموذج | Plural: نماذج |
| large language model | نموذج لغوي كبير |  |
| sovereign AI | ذكاء اصطناعي سيادي |  |
| on-premises | داخل المقر | Adjective: محلي where space is short |
| data residency | توطين البيانات |  |
| cloud | السحابة | Adjective: سحابي |
| inference | الاستدلال |  |
| licence | ترخيص |  |
| sign in | تسجيل الدخول |  |
| user | مستخدم |  |
| administrator | مسؤول النظام |  |
| dashboard | لوحة المعلومات |  |
| approval | اعتماد | Also موافقة in conversational UI |
| review | مراجعة |  |
| encryption | تشفير |  |
| confidential | سري |  |
| classified | مصنّف |  |
| analysis | تحليل |  |
| brief | موجز | Briefing (meeting): إحاطة |
| workflow | سير العمل |  |
| module | وحدة |  |
| audit trail | سجل التدقيق |  |
| gateway | بوابة |  |
| settings | الإعدادات |  |
| download | تنزيل |  |
| install | تثبيت |  |