A bilingual WordPress website in Arabic and English is not a translated copy of the English site. Arabic reads right to left, so the whole layout mirrors: navigation, icons, sliders, forms, and even arrows. Getting that right is what separates a professional Arabic website from one that feels broken to native readers.
I have built bilingual Arabic and English WordPress and WooCommerce sites for businesses in Libya, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Egypt. This is how I approach them.
Choosing a Translation Plugin
- WPML: the most complete option. It translates pages, posts, custom post types, ACF fields, menus, WooCommerce products, and theme strings, and it works well with Elementor.
- TranslatePress: translate visually on the front end. Friendly for simple sites.
- Polylang: lighter, with a free version, suitable for smaller projects.
I have built bilingual sites with both WPML and TranslatePress. For business sites and stores with many custom fields, WPML is usually the stronger choice.
Language URL Structure
For SEO, each language should have its own URL. The common setup is a language folder, like example.com/ar/ for Arabic. WPML adds hreflang tags automatically, so Google shows the right language to the right searcher.
Making the RTL Layout Work
WordPress switches to right-to-left when the language is Arabic, and good themes include RTL styles. Real sites still need careful work:
- Mirrored layouts: text-image sections, sidebars, and cards should flip naturally.
- Icons with direction: arrows, chevrons, and “next” buttons must point the other way.
- Sliders and carousels: direction and swipe gestures must be reversed.
- Forms: labels, placeholders, and phone number fields aligned correctly.
- Numbers and mixed text: phone numbers, prices, and English brand names inside Arabic sentences need testing so they display in the right order.
In Elementor, I check every template in both languages and add RTL-specific CSS where needed.
Arabic Typography
Latin fonts do not include Arabic characters, so the browser falls back to a default font that often looks out of place. I pair the English font with an Arabic font of similar weight and style, such as Cairo, Tajawal, or IBM Plex Sans Arabic, and adjust size and line height, since Arabic usually needs a bit more.
Translating WooCommerce Stores
A bilingual store needs translated products, categories, attributes, cart, checkout, and order emails. WPML’s WooCommerce Multilingual handles this and can also manage multiple currencies. Checkout must be tested in both languages with real payments.
A Language Switcher People Can Find
The switcher should be visible in the header on desktop and inside the mobile menu. Use language names, “English” and “العربية”, rather than flags, because a flag represents a country, not a language.
Multilingual SEO
- Write Arabic content for Arabic searchers instead of translating word for word. Search phrases differ.
- Translate page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
- Keep hreflang correct and submit sitemaps for both languages.
Beyond Arabic
The same process applies to German and English sites for the German market, and English and French sites for Canada. Every language gets its own URLs, translated SEO, and tested layouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is automatic translation good enough?
Machine translation is a useful first draft. For customer-facing pages, have a native speaker review it, especially headings and calls to action.
Does a bilingual site hurt SEO?
No. With correct hreflang and separate URLs, a bilingual site can rank in both languages and reach more customers.
Can an existing English site become bilingual?
Yes. I add WPML, translate content, build the RTL styles, and test every template without rebuilding the site.
Need an Arabic and English Website?
I build bilingual and RTL WordPress websites and WooCommerce stores. Tell me about your project. If you are hiring for the first time, start with 9 things to check before you hire a WordPress developer.
