A good bilingual product label in Saudi Arabia does two jobs at once: the front sells in a glance, and the back carries the product information clearly in Arabic and English without looking crowded. The hard part of bilingual product label design is not translation — it is building a layout where two scripts that read in opposite directions sit together comfortably, and where every mandatory element still has room.
This checklist covers the decisions to make before a label goes to print. Our packaging design team uses the same steps on every bilingual product label design project, from food and cosmetics to household products.
Front panel vs back panel: different jobs
The front panel has a few seconds on a shelf or in a product photo online. Its job is recognition and choice: brand, product name, variant, one key benefit, and net quantity where required. Everything else should be cut or moved.
The back panel (and side panels) is where the product information lives: ingredients, directions, warnings, nutrition where applicable, storage, origin, manufacturer details, barcode, batch and expiry. Its job is clarity and compliance, not persuasion.
A common mistake is giving both languages equal weight on the front. Usually one leads — often Arabic for local brands — with the other secondary. Full parity belongs on the back.
Arabic is mandatory — and regulators set the content
Products sold in Saudi Arabia must carry their product information in Arabic. English is common and often expected alongside it, but Arabic is not optional.
For regulated categories — food, cosmetics, supplements and other products under its scope — the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) sets labelling requirements. Those requirements decide what must appear on the label. Our advice is simple: your regulatory consultant or the manufacturer's regulatory team confirms the content; the designer makes it fit, legibly and attractively. Do not let a designer guess at mandatory wording. For food specifically, read our guide to food packaging design and SFDA rules in Saudi Arabia.
Building a bilingual grid
Arabic reads right to left; English reads left to right. The grid has to respect both without forcing the eye to zig-zag. There are three practical approaches:
- Side by side. Arabic on the right column, English on the left, aligned line for line. This works well on wide back panels and makes it easy for regulators and customers to compare the two. It needs enough width for two readable columns.
- Stacked. Arabic block above, English block below (or the reverse), each with its own alignment — Arabic right-aligned, English left-aligned. This suits tall, narrow labels such as bottles and tubes.
- Two faces. Arabic on one panel and English on another, for example the two sides of a box or the front and back of a bottle. Clean and generous, but only works when the packaging genuinely has two equal faces.
Whichever you choose:
- Keep Arabic text right-aligned and English left-aligned; never centre long paragraphs to "solve" the direction problem.
- Use consistent headings in both languages (ingredients / المكونات, directions / طريقة الاستخدام) so readers can find the same section in either script.
- Choose an Arabic typeface that pairs with your Latin one at similar visual weight. Mismatched pairs make one language look like an afterthought. Our article on building a bilingual brand for Saudi Arabia covers type pairing in more depth.
Minimum sizes and line spacing for Arabic
Arabic letterforms, with their dots and connected strokes, break down faster than Latin text at very small sizes. In practice:
- Do not set Arabic at the same point size as English and assume it matches. Many Arabic typefaces appear smaller at the same size; adjust so both look equally readable.
- Give Arabic more line spacing. Diacritics and descenders collide when lines are tight, especially on small labels.
- Avoid ultra-light weights and condensed styles for body text; the dots and joins disappear on textured or coloured stock.
- Test at actual size. Print at 100% and read at arm's length.
If regulations set a minimum size for certain information, your regulatory consultant will tell you. Treat that as the floor, not the target.
Fitting the information areas
Plan the regulated and functional zones first, then design around them:
- Ingredients. Usually the longest text in both languages. Reserve the biggest block for it and agree the final text before layout starts.
- Nutrition or composition panel. Where required, build it in both languages with a consistent structure. On small packs, a larger label or a fold-out label is sometimes the only answer.
- Claims. Any health, natural or "free from" claim needs your regulatory consultant's confirmation first.
- Barcode. Keep the barcode at a scannable size with its required quiet zone (clear space), on a flat or gently curved surface, printed dark on a light background.
- Batch and expiry. These are usually printed on the production line, not in the artwork. Leave a clear, unvarnished, light-coloured area where the line printer or inkjet can print them legibly, and confirm its size and position with the factory.
- Manufacturer, importer and origin details. Often forgotten until the last proof.
Colour and contrast
- Put small text on plain, high-contrast backgrounds. Dark text on a light, flat area is the safest choice for the back panel.
- Avoid placing text over photography, gradients or patterns.
- Be careful with reversed (light on dark) small text, especially Arabic; ink spread can fill in counters and dots.
- Check brand colours on the actual material; they can shift on kraft, clear film or metallic stock.
Materials and finishes affect legibility
- Clear and metallic films look premium but need a white ink layer behind text to stay readable.
- Kraft and textured papers absorb ink and soften fine detail — use slightly heavier weights.
- Gloss lamination and varnish can create glare under shop lighting; consider matte on the information panel.
- Spot UV, foil and embossing belong on the front brand elements, not on small text.
- Shrink sleeves distort artwork around curves; place text in the stable areas of the printer's distortion guide.
- Curved surfaces such as bottles and jars reduce the readable width; keep critical text away from the edges.
Dielines and bleed
Always start from the printer's dieline, not a guess. Confirm the cut line, folds, glue areas, safe zone and bleed. Keep text inside the safe zone, extend backgrounds into the bleed, and keep the dieline on its own non-printing layer. For roll labels, confirm the unwind direction with the printer.
Proofing and press checks
A good packaging design partner runs these checks before printing:
- Text proof. Both languages checked by a native reader of each, plus sign-off on mandatory content from your regulatory consultant.
- Digital proof. Checked against the dieline for positions, sizes and safe zones.
- Physical proof or mock-up. Printed on the actual material, applied to the actual container.
- Barcode test. Scan the printed proof with a standard scanner or phone.
- Press check. For larger runs, approve colour and fine-text sharpness on press before the full run.
The bilingual product label design checklist
- Front panel has one clear lead language and a clear hierarchy.
- All required product information is present in Arabic, with English where needed.
- Mandatory content confirmed by your regulatory consultant, not assumed by the designer.
- Grid chosen: side by side, stacked or two faces.
- Arabic right-aligned, English left-aligned; headings matched in both.
- Arabic sized and spaced for equal readability, tested at 100%.
- Barcode scannable with clear space; batch and expiry area left clear.
- High-contrast backgrounds for small text; no text on images.
- Material, finish and white ink planned for legibility.
- Built on the printer's dieline with bleed and safe zone.
- Physical proof approved and barcode scanned before print.
Work with us: LtsThink's packaging design team designs bilingual labels and packaging for Saudi products, working alongside your regulatory consultant so the artwork is both compliant and on-brand. To understand why the front panel matters so much, read why packaging wins the first impression.
FAQ
Does my product label have to be in Arabic in Saudi Arabia? Yes. Product information for goods sold in Saudi Arabia must be in Arabic; English is commonly added alongside.
Who decides what text goes on a regulated product label? For food, cosmetics and other regulated products, the SFDA sets the requirements. Your regulatory consultant confirms the content; the designer makes it fit legibly.
Should Arabic and English be the same font size? Not necessarily. Many Arabic typefaces look smaller at the same point size, so adjust until both languages read equally well, and give Arabic extra line spacing.
Where should the batch number and expiry date go? They are usually printed on the production line. Leave a clear, light, unvarnished area in the artwork and confirm its size and position with your factory.