How to provide an audio guide in Arabic
A Arabic guide is added to a guide that already exists rather than built from nothing. The English stops are translated, reviewed by someone who reads Arabic, and narrated, and the Arabic version then sits behind the same QR code the English version already uses. Nothing on the wall changes, and no second sign is printed.
In practice a venue works through it in this order, and the review step is the one most often skipped and most often regretted.
- Settle the regional variant and register before any translation starts
- Translate the English stops, keeping the source text locked while that happens
- Have a Arabic reader review it, ideally someone who knows the collection
- Narrate the reviewed text, checking proper nouns and place names first
- Publish it behind the QR codes already on the wall, with no reprinting
What Arabic needs from your layout
Arabic is generally more compact than English in written length, though it needs more vertical space for its marks.
Arabic letters join to their neighbours and change shape by position, so the script cannot be letter-spaced and must be rendered by software that shapes it correctly. It also runs right to left, so layouts mirror, and any embedded Latin text or digits makes the line bidirectional.
Modern Standard Arabic for text, dialect for speech
Modern Standard Arabic is the written form understood across the Arabic-speaking world, and it is the right choice for signage and text. No one speaks it natively as an everyday language, which is what makes the audio decision separate.
Spoken Arabic varies substantially by region. Formal narration in Modern Standard Arabic is widely understood and is the safe default for a general visitor audience, while a specific dialect suits a venue with a concentrated regional audience.
Getting the Arabic narration right
Narration in Arabic raises questions that do not exist in English, and they are far cheaper to answer before a voice records anything than after.
- Modern Standard Arabic narration is understood everywhere; a dialect choice narrows the audience.
- Arabic has consonants with no English equivalent, and generic voices approximate them inconsistently.
- Confirm that text shaping and bidirectional ordering survived every handoff before recording.
Where Arabic fits in your language plan
Across the New Zealand museums using Journey Pal, between 50% and 60% of guide use is in English. That is our own usage data, and it is worth knowing before committing to a long list of languages: local-language listening is usually the largest share, and translations extend a guide rather than being the reason for one.
That makes Arabic an addition to a working guide rather than a prerequisite for launching. Get the source script right, publish it, then add Arabic where your visitor numbers justify the translation and, just as importantly, where you have someone who can review it.
Frequently asked questions
Can we provide an audio guide in Arabic at our museum?
Yes. The Arabic version is translated from your English stops, reviewed, narrated, and published behind the QR codes you already have on the wall, so adding it does not mean new signage, a new app, or new hardware.
Do we need a separate Arabic version of our signage as well?
Usually not. The physical sign can stay short and carry a QR code, with the full Arabic text and audio behind it, which avoids reprinting signage every time the content changes.
How much longer will the Arabic version be?
Arabic is generally more compact than English in written length, though it needs more vertical space for its marks.
Do visitors need an app to hear the Arabic guide?
No. The guide opens in the visitor's phone browser from a QR code, with the interface laid out right to left to match Arabic.
Make this easier for your visitors
Journey Pal helps museums, heritage sites, zoos, and attractions deliver audio guides and translations through QR codes, with no app download required.