Arabic QR Menus and Right-to-Left: What Restaurant Owners Need to Know
Arabic reads right to left, and much menu software does not. Here is what breaks, how to spot it in a demo, and how a proper right-to-left menu shows Arabic and English on the same screen.
Arabic is written and read from right to left. A digital menu built for English that simply flips the text and calls it Arabic support is obvious to any Arabic reader within a second: text hugging the wrong margin, punctuation in the wrong place, prices split from their currency. This guide explains what right-to-left (RTL) actually means for a menu and how to check it.
What does right-to-left mean for a menu?
It is more than text direction. A properly mirrored menu moves everything that has a side: the language switch, category tabs, the price column, icons with arrows, the "back" link, and the reading order of cards. Numbers stay left to right inside the right-to-left line, which is how Arabic readers expect them.
What goes wrong when Arabic is added to an LTR menu?
| Symptom | Cause | What the guest sees |
|---|---|---|
| Text aligned to the left margin | No direction set on the page | Ragged Arabic that looks unfinished |
| Full stop or question mark at the start of the line | Punctuation treated as LTR | Sentences that look broken |
| Brackets facing the wrong way | Mirrored characters not handled | "(" and ")" swapped |
| Price and currency split | Mixed-direction line not isolated | The number on one line and the currency symbol on another |
| Language switch on the wrong side | Layout not mirrored | Controls where the thumb is not |
| Fallback font | No Arabic typeface loaded | Thin, hard-to-read letters |
How does doXmenu handle it?
- The whole menu switches to RTL when Arabic is selected: layout, tabs, price column and controls mirror.
- An Arabic typeface is downloaded only when Arabic is on the page, so other menus do not pay for it.
- Mixed lines (an Arabic name with a Latin brand or an English word) are isolated so each part keeps its direction.
- Digits and prices stay readable; the currency symbol stays attached to the number.
- English on the same menu stays LTR. The guest switches language in one tap and the direction follows.
Arabic and English on one menu: how to write it
- Write in Arabic first if most guests read Arabic, then let it translate to English and edit the result.
- Keep local dish names. "Masgouf", "Kabsa", "Mansaf" and "Knafeh" stay as names with a one-line description in each language.
- Use Western digits for prices unless your guests expect Eastern Arabic numerals; be consistent across the menu.
- Check on a phone. Open the menu, switch to Arabic, and read one line with a price, a bracket and a brand name.
How to test any vendor in one minute
Open the demo on your phone, switch to Arabic, and look for the six symptoms in the table above. If two or more appear, the menu was not built for Arabic. doXmenu's Arabic site at doxmenu.com/ar/ is itself laid out right to left, which is the simplest demonstration.
Where Arabic menus matter most
Country guides with prices and the languages that matter in each: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. To compare vendors, read the Middle East comparison; for every country, see QR menus by country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Arabic menu need to be right-to-left?
Yes. Arabic is read right to left, and a menu that only flips the text without mirroring the layout looks broken to Arabic readers: wrong alignment, punctuation and brackets.
Can Arabic and English be on the same QR menu?
Yes. In doXmenu the guest switches language with one tap; Arabic is shown right to left and English left to right, with prices and photos shared.
Should prices use Arabic or Western numerals?
Either works, but be consistent. Western digits (0 to 9) read the same in every language on the menu, which keeps prices identical when the guest switches language.
Do I need a special font for Arabic?
A proper Arabic typeface makes a large difference in readability. doXmenu downloads one automatically when an Arabic menu is opened.
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