Arabic QR Menus and Right-to-Left: What Restaurant Owners Need to Know
Arabic reads right-to-left, and most menu software does not. Here is what breaks, how to spot it in a demo, and how a proper RTL menu handles Arabic and English on the same screen.
Arabic is written and read from right to left. A digital menu built for English simply flips the text and calls it Arabic support, and the result 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.
- A proper Arabic typeface is loaded only for Arabic menus, 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 auto-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 rendered right-to-left, which is the simplest demonstration.
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. Most venues in the Gulf and Iraq use Western digits (0 to 9) on digital menus so prices read the same in every language.
Do I need a special font for Arabic?
A proper Arabic typeface makes a large difference in readability. doXmenu loads one automatically for Arabic menus.
Get an Arabic menu that reads correctly
Start free, or send your menu on WhatsApp and have the Arabic and English version built within 24 hours.
