Arabic is the native language of 420 million people and the primary language of most GCC ecommerce consumers. Yet the majority of Shopify stores operating in the UAE and Saudi Arabia treat Arabic SEO as an afterthought — either translating English content mechanically or ignoring Arabic search entirely.
This is a significant competitive opportunity. Arabic search competition is lower than English in most categories, Arabic-language content ranks more reliably for .ae and .sa local searches, and Arabic-speaking consumers are more likely to trust and convert on localised content. Here is how to get it right.
Understanding Arabic Search Behaviour
Modern Standard Arabic vs. Gulf Colloquial
Arabic has significant dialect variation. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA/Fusha) is the formal written language used in news, official documents and some ecommerce content. Gulf Arabic (Khaleeji) is the colloquial dialect spoken and increasingly written by consumers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. On search engines:
- Product searches are frequently typed in Gulf dialect or a mixture of Arabic and English (code-switching)
- Informational searches (how-to, what-is) tend toward MSA
- Brand and product names are often searched in English even by Arabic-speaking users
Effective Arabic keyword research covers all three patterns: MSA, Gulf dialect and code-switching (Arabic + English mixed).
The Role of Arabic in UAE vs. Saudi Search
Arabic search share differs between markets. In the UAE, English-language search has significant volume due to the large expatriate population — Arabic is not the only language you need. In Saudi Arabia, Arabic dominates search with 80%+ of queries in Arabic. A UAE store can succeed with English-primary SEO supplemented by Arabic; a Saudi-targeted store requires Arabic-primary SEO.
Technical Arabic SEO for Shopify
1. Hreflang Implementation
If your store serves both English and Arabic audiences, implement hreflang tags to signal to Google which language version to serve to which users:
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-ae" href="https://yourstore.ae/en/product-name" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar-ae" href="https://yourstore.ae/ar/product-name" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="ar-sa" href="https://yourstore.ae/ar-sa/product-name" />In Shopify, hreflang is implemented via Shopify Markets language configuration. Each market with a distinct language gets a separate URL structure (/ar/, /en/) and Shopify generates the hreflang tags automatically in the theme if implemented correctly.
2. Right-to-Left (RTL) Theme Support
Arabic text reads right-to-left. Your Shopify theme must have full RTL support — not just text direction, but entire layout mirroring: navigation flows right to left, product image galleries flip, checkout forms reorder. Themes without proper RTL support look broken in Arabic and destroy trust immediately.
Dawn (the default Shopify theme) has RTL support via the dir="rtl" attribute and logical CSS properties. Custom themes require explicit RTL implementation. Verify every page of your store in Arabic before indexing.
3. Arabic URL Structure
Shopify Markets with Arabic language configured generates /ar/ URL prefixes automatically. Arabic keywords in URLs are indexed by Google but have mixed practical impact — focus on Arabic on-page content rather than URL optimisation for Arabic SEO.
4. Arabic Sitemap Submission
Submit your Arabic-language sitemap separately in Google Search Console for each Arabic market property (google.ae, google.sa). In Shopify Markets, Arabic sitemaps are auto-generated at /sitemap.xml with hreflang annotations. Verify all Arabic pages are included and properly indexed in the GSC URL Inspection tool.
Arabic Keyword Research for Shopify
Tools
- Google Keyword Planner: Set location to UAE or Saudi Arabia, language to Arabic. Provides volume estimates for Arabic queries.
- Ahrefs / Semrush: Filter by UAE and Saudi Arabia geographies, Arabic language.
- Google Search Console: Your existing Arabic search query data — the most accurate source for your specific category.
- Google Autocomplete / People Also Ask: Search in Arabic in a UAE/Saudi Google locale to see suggestion patterns.
Arabic E-Commerce Keyword Patterns
- Product categories often use English brand names within Arabic sentences: "افضل skincare للبشرة الدهنية" (best skincare for oily skin)
- Price queries in Arabic are very common: "سعر [product]" (price of [product])
- Location-qualified queries: "توصيل [product] دبي" (delivery of [product] Dubai)
- Comparative queries: "[product] vs [product] ايهم افضل" (which is better)
Arabic On-Page SEO
Meta Tags in Arabic
Arabic SEO titles and meta descriptions must be set separately for Arabic pages in Shopify. In Shopify Markets, each translation of a page has its own SEO fields. Do not auto-translate English meta tags — native Arabic speakers immediately identify machine-translated copy as low quality, which harms CTR.
Arabic Content Quality
Google's Arabic quality raters apply the same E-E-A-T standards as English. Common quality issues on Arabic ecommerce content:
- Machine-translated product descriptions that read unnaturally
- Mixed Arabic/English inconsistencies within the same page
- Missing Arabic customer reviews — most review apps do not localise reviews correctly
- No Arabic FAQ or supporting content beyond product descriptions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Arabic SEO require a separate domain?
No. Shopify Markets handles Arabic SEO within your existing domain using language-prefixed subfolders (/ar/). This is the recommended setup for most stores — separate domains require separate authority building and are harder to manage.
Can I use machine translation for Arabic product descriptions?
For SEO purposes, machine translation is better than no Arabic content. But for conversion and brand trust — particularly in premium and luxury categories — native Arabic copywriting is essential. We recommend native translation for all customer-facing text and machine translation (reviewed by a native speaker) for bulk product data.
How competitive is Arabic SEO compared to English for ecommerce in the UAE?
Arabic ecommerce SEO is significantly less competitive than English in most categories in the UAE. Brands that establish strong Arabic organic presence now are building a moat that will be increasingly difficult for competitors to close as Arabic search volume grows.
Ready to launch Arabic SEO for your Shopify store? View our Shopify SEO service or book a free audit.