Writing your menu in English and Arabic: a simple guide for restaurants and cafés

In Saudi Arabia, many of your guests read Arabic first and many read English first. A menu that works in both languages helps every guest order without asking, and it looks more professional.

But a bilingual menu is more than a translation. Prices end up in two places, dish names get three spellings, and Arabic and English lines push each other around. This guide shows you how to write a menu in both languages that stays clear and correct.

Arabic first, English beside it

Saudi Arabia's National Arabic Language Policy, approved by the Council of Ministers, asks businesses to give Arabic due place in signage, invoices, advertising and how they present their products. Other languages are fine where needed, but Arabic stays the main language and usually appears alongside them (summary by law firm CMS).

For a menu, that means a simple rule: write the Arabic version first, then the English one, and make sure the Arabic is complete. Don't leave Arabic as a short label under a long English description.

Choose one layout and keep it

There are three layouts that work well. Pick one for the whole menu.

• Two columns. Arabic on the right, English on the left, the same dish on the same line. This is the easiest for guests to compare.
• One line, two languages. The Arabic name, then the English name below it in a smaller size. Good for short menus and table cards.
• Two halves. Arabic on the first pages, English on the back. Fine for long menus, but prices are printed twice, so check them twice.

Whatever you choose, keep each language in its own line or column. A line that mixes Arabic and English words often shows them in the wrong order, because Arabic runs right to left and English runs left to right.

Dish names: keep the name, explain the dish

For local dishes, keep the Arabic name in English letters and add a short line that explains it. "Jareesh — cracked wheat slow-cooked with chicken and spices" tells a visitor what to expect and keeps the real name. These names carry weight: in 2023 the Culinary Arts Commission named jareesh the national dish and maqshush the national dessert (The National).

Then choose one spelling for each dish (mandi or mendi, kabsa or kabsah) and use it everywhere: menu, delivery apps, signs and social posts. Our guide to a multilingual menu has more on translating dish names.

Common menu words in Arabic and English

Use the same word for the same thing on every page. Here is a starting list:

• Starters — مقبلات
• Main dishes — أطباق رئيسية
• Sides — أطباق جانبية
• Desserts — حلويات
• Hot drinks — مشروبات ساخنة
• Cold drinks — مشروبات باردة
• Grilled — مشوي
• Fried — مقلي
• Spicy — حار
• Vegetarian — نباتي
• Contains nuts — يحتوي على مكسرات
• Gluten — قلوتين
• Dairy — ألبان
• Sold out — نفدت الكمية
• Prices include VAT — الأسعار شاملة ضريبة القيمة المضافة

Write descriptions for the guest, not word for word. "Crispy, served with garlic sauce" in English and «مقرمش، يقدم مع صوص الثوم» in Arabic say the same thing in each language's natural way.

Prices, digits and the riyal symbol

Numbers cause most mistakes on bilingual menus.

• Digits. Arabic text can use Arabic-Indic digits (٠ ١ ٢ ٣) or Western digits (0 1 2 3). The W3C's guide to Arabic text lists Arabic-Indic digits as used in Saudi Arabia, and notes that numbers are always written left to right, even inside Arabic text (W3C Arabic & Persian Layout Requirements). Pick one style per language and use it for every price and calorie number.
• One price, one place. If you use two columns, print the price once, in its own column. Two copies of a price will drift apart after the first change.
• The riyal symbol. The Saudi Central Bank introduced an official riyal symbol in February 2025. Its rules say the symbol goes to the left of the number with a space, at the same height as the text around it, and following the text direction (Arabian Business, Gulfbase). If your printer or font can't show it yet, write "SAR" or «ريال» the same way on every line.
• Final prices. Prices on the menu must include VAT. Our free VAT calculator helps you check.

The same facts in both languages

Calories, caffeine, the salt icon and allergens must match in Arabic and English. A dish that "contains nuts" in English must also say «يحتوي على مكسرات» in Arabic. Our guide to SFDA calorie labelling rules explains what each label needs.

Check before you print

1. Every dish has an Arabic and an English name.
2. Each dish has one spelling, used everywhere.
3. Prices appear once per dish and include VAT.
4. Digits use one style per language.
5. Calories and allergens match in both languages.
6. A native Arabic reader and a native English reader have each read the menu once.
7. You checked the PDF on a phone screen.

A bilingual menu that stays correct

On paper, every change means editing two languages and printing again. With Restu Menu, each item has an Arabic and an English name and description, and the price, calories and allergen tags are stored once, so both languages always match.

• AI menu import. Upload a photo or PDF of your menu, and AI fills the dishes in Arabic and English for you to review.
• Guests choose their language. One QR code opens the menu, and guests switch between Arabic and English, or extra languages you add.
• Sold-out switch and offers that update both languages at once.

Try everything free for 30 days, no card needed. See the QR menu page or our pricing, and make a table card with the free QR menu generator.

Common questions

Must my menu be in Arabic? Saudi policy puts Arabic first and allows other languages beside it. A menu with full Arabic and English versions covers both.

Should I translate dish names? Keep local dish names and add a short English description. Translate simple items like "grilled chicken".

Arabic-Indic or Western digits? Either works. Choose one per language and use it for every number.

Where does the riyal symbol go? To the left of the number, with a space, at the same height as the text.

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