How to Brief an English–Arabic Website Copywriter for a UAE Business
A useful bilingual brief defines the customer, evidence and action for each page before anyone starts writing. Use this page-by-page worksheet to commission copy that is accurate in both languages.
A request to “translate our website into Arabic” leaves the writer guessing about the audience, factual claims and desired action. A better starting point is one shared business brief and a separate page plan for English and Arabic. The languages should agree on facts and promises, but the wording and search vocabulary can differ. The UAE Government publishes separate English and Arabic writing guides for its own digital content. Those public-sector guides are useful references for clarity, although they are not rules imposed on private-company websites.
1. Define what is actually being commissioned
List every page: home, about, service, product, contact, FAQs and any campaign landing pages. For each, say whether it needs new copy, a rewrite, an adaptation from an approved source or only an editorial check. Include the URL or a draft page map, the owner of factual approval and the desired format of delivery. Copywriting is different from website development: ask separately who will implement text, forms, language switching and page layout.
| Brief field | What to supply | Why the writer needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Audience and problem | Who is reading, what they need and where they are in the decision. | Prevents a generic page that speaks to everyone. |
| Offer and boundaries | Services, locations, deliverables, exclusions and approved policies. | Keeps claims and calls to action accurate. |
| Proof | Approved credentials, case studies, customer evidence and source documents. | Supports specific statements without invented results. |
| Action | Call, form, WhatsApp, consultation or purchase route for this page. | Lets the copy lead to the right next step. |
| Approval owner | Person responsible for legal, technical and Arabic-language review. | Avoids late-stage factual and language disputes. |
2. Write one page brief before writing the whole site
Fictional example: A Dubai-based consultancy is commissioning an English and Arabic service page for market-entry advice. Its primary English reader is an overseas founder comparing providers; its Arabic reader is a GCC business owner seeking a local delivery partner. Both pages must state the same approved service scope, but the examples and questions may differ. The goal is a consultation request, not an instant checkout.
Shared facts to lock first
Both versions should use the same approved service scope, locations, contact route and evidence. In the fictional consultancy brief, the owner would approve exactly what “market-entry advice” includes, which countries are served and whether a case example can be named. A translator cannot safely infer these facts from a headline.
Reader choices to brief separately
The English page might answer how an overseas founder works with a UAE partner; the Arabic page might answer how a GCC business owner coordinates delivery locally. Those are illustrative reader questions, not verified search keywords. Ask the writer to test the wording against actual customer language and have a native reviewer approve the Arabic version before launch.
The brief should include the question each reader wants answered, the service’s exact scope, two approved proof points, any claims the company cannot make and the consultation contact method. The writer then drafts headings and page flow before polishing sentences. This exposes missing evidence early. Never supply a fabricated client result or assume that every GCC reader uses the same terms.
3. Plan English and Arabic as two reader journeys
- Agree on one factual source. Confirm business names, licences, service locations, terms and numerical claims centrally.
- Research the language of each audience. Use real customer questions, search queries and sales conversations where available. A direct translation of an English keyword is only a starting hypothesis.
- Choose tone and terminology. Give examples of approved Arabic and English wording, including terms that must remain in English and terms that must be explained.
- Identify the action per page. A visitor may need a consultation, quotation or direct purchase. Match the copy and button label to the actual route.
- Plan layout handoff. Arabic content needs an appropriate right-to-left presentation and careful treatment of embedded English names, numbers and URLs. The W3C’s right-to-left authoring tutorial explains the underlying web direction issues; implementation belongs to the website team.
Do not assume the Arabic page should mirror the English page paragraph by paragraph. Keep contractual and factual meaning aligned, and let a qualified Arabic reviewer judge naturalness, register and local clarity. The brief should specify who gives that final language approval.
4. Use a launch review that tests the customer journey
- Check all factual claims against approved business evidence and current service terms.
- Read each language independently: can a new visitor understand the offer without reading the other version?
- Test headings, forms and calls to action on desktop and mobile, including Arabic direction and mixed-script text.
- Verify the right contact destination and response ownership for each page.
- Check that page titles and descriptions describe the actual page without promising a result the business cannot deliver.
- Keep the approved source text and record who signed off each language.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send only the current English site?
Yes, as reference material, but add the audience, current service scope, approved claims and desired action. The existing English text may itself need revision.
Should every English page have an Arabic twin?
Decide from audience need and site scope. Where both versions exist, align the facts and route while adapting the writing to each language’s reader.
Who should approve the Arabic copy?
Assign a fluent reviewer with authority to confirm both language quality and the company’s actual offer. A visual check alone cannot confirm those.
Scope the right bilingual copy project
If your site needs a page map, English and native Arabic copy written from the same brief, and clear conversion routes, review Labeeb’s bilingual website copywriting service. Labeeb supplies copy and RTL handoff notes; website development and CMS implementation are separate.
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