Arabic Copywriting (MSA + Gulf Dialect)
About This Service
Arabic Copywriting in MSA and Gulf Dialect for UAE Brands
I write native Arabic copy for UAE brands, choosing the register your audience actually responds to: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) for formal pages, corporate communications, and audiences across the wider Arab world, or Gulf dialect (Khaleeji) when you want social ads and campaign copy that feel like they were written in the Emirates, not translated into it. The MSA-versus-dialect call is made deliberately at the brief stage, based on platform, audience, and brand positioning.
This is transcreation, not literal translation. Campaign lines, slogans, and ad hooks are rebuilt in Arabic so the persuasion survives — wordplay, rhythm, and cultural references are recreated rather than carried over word for word. I write Arabic ad copy for Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat formats, with hooks and CTAs sized to each platform's character limits and reading patterns, which matters for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah advertisers whose Snapchat and TikTok audiences skew heavily Arabic-first.
Every deliverable goes through a cultural nuance review — checking idioms, religious and social sensitivities, and gendered phrasing before anything ships — and is delivered with correct right-to-left (RTL) formatting, including how Arabic text behaves around numerals, brand names, and mixed-direction lines. That keeps free-zone startups and mainland SMEs from publishing Arabic that looks broken in the design.
What's included
- MSA or Gulf dialect — chosen for your audience — A deliberate register recommendation at brief stage, with rationale, before any copy is written.
- Transcreation of campaign lines — Slogans and hooks rebuilt in Arabic so the persuasion lands — never word-for-word translation.
- Platform-ready ad copy — Arabic ad sets for Meta, TikTok, and Snapchat, written to each platform's limits and formats.
- Cultural nuance review — Idioms, sensitivities, and gendered phrasing checked on every piece before delivery.
- RTL-clean delivery — Files formatted right-to-left with mixed Arabic/Latin text and numerals handled correctly.
- 4-day first delivery — First Arabic copy set delivered within 4 days of an approved brief.
How it works
- 1Register and audience brief
We define who the copy speaks to and I recommend MSA or Gulf dialect per asset — many campaigns mix both across formal and social touchpoints.
- 2Transcreation draft
I rebuild your messages in Arabic, flagging anywhere a literal rendering would weaken or risk the line, with back-translations so you can judge meaning.
- 3Nuance review and revisions
Cultural and sensitivity check, then your feedback round — adjusting register, tone, or specific word choices.
- 4RTL-formatted handover
Final Arabic copy delivered in RTL-clean docs, organized per platform and ad placement.
Why work with me
| With me | Typical agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf dialect written natively | Levantine/Egyptian writers approximating it | |
| Transcreation with back-translations | Literal translation passes | |
| Cultural sensitivity check on every asset | Only if you ask | |
| Arabic ad copy per platform format | Meta, TikTok, Snapchat | One generic version reused |