Translated English copy converts 40% worse. Write Arabic-native instead.
The translation trap
90% of MENA brands write copy in English first, then translate. The result reads like a robot. Conversion drops 30–45% compared to Arabic-native copy.
What native Arabic copy does differently
- Uses verbs over nouns. Arabic loves action. "نفّذ مشروعك" beats "إنجاز المشاريع."
- Short sentences. Modern Arabic readers scan. 8–12 word sentences win.
- Hooks with rhythm. Classical Arabic poetry rules apply to ad copy. Rhymes, alliteration, parallel structure all boost recall.
- Question framing. Arabic culture favors dialogue. "محتاج تـ ـضاعف مبيعاتك؟" beats "ضاعف مبيعاتك."
- Trust signals first. Western copy puts CTA early. Arabic-native puts trust (testimonials, years, "100% آمن") before the ask.
The dialect debate
- MSA (فصحى) — Use for premium B2B, government, education
- Egyptian — Reaches widest MENA audience (films + media)
- Saudi/Gulf — Premium spend lives here
- Levantine — Highest engagement in Lebanon/Syria/Jordan
Rule: write in the dialect of your buyer's WhatsApp messages.
A/B test we run on every campaign
- Variant A: Translated from English
- Variant B: Written natively by a MENA copywriter
Variant B wins 8/10 times. Average lift: +38% click-through.