A bilingual website in the UAE is also a legal document in two languages. Your terms, privacy notice, prices, product claims and consent text all carry obligations, and a gap between the Arabic and English versions can create real exposure. Understanding the main multilingual website legal considerations before launch protects your business, and it also builds the kind of trust that turns visitors into clients.
We raise these points early in every website design project with an Arabic and English audience, and build the multilingual structure so legal content is easy to keep aligned. This article is a practical overview, not legal advice. Laws and regulator guidance change, so confirm your specific obligations with a qualified UAE legal advisor.
Arabic has a special status in the UAE
Arabic is the official language of the UAE under the Constitution, and that status shows up across commercial life. Trade licenses carry an Arabic trade name, official correspondence with many authorities is in Arabic, and the onshore courts conduct proceedings in Arabic. Documents in other languages generally need a certified legal translation before a court will rely on them.
For a website, the practical consequence is simple. If a dispute ever reaches an onshore court, the Arabic wording of your terms and notices may matter as much as the English. Treat the Arabic legal pages as carefully drafted documents, not as a courtesy translation. The DIFC and ADGM courts operate in English, which is one reason businesses in those free zones often draft in English first, but they still serve customers who read Arabic.
Consumer information in both languages
UAE consumer protection legislation, including the Consumer Protection Law of 2020 and its implementing regulations, expects consumers to receive clear, accurate information about goods and services, and places weight on that information being available in Arabic. The UAE also has dedicated legislation for trading through modern technology, which covers e-commerce transactions.
For websites that sell or take bookings, the following items deserve particular care in both languages:
- Prices in AED, with any taxes, delivery charges or fees stated clearly and identically in each version.
- Product and service descriptions, including specifications, sizes, ingredients, warranties and limitations.
- Terms of sale, including cancellation, returns, refunds and delivery timelines.
- Seller identity, with your legal entity name, trade license details and contact information.
- Invoices and order confirmations generated by the site, which should follow the same language rules as your offline invoices.
A price that differs between the Arabic and English product page, or a return policy that is more generous in one language, is the kind of inconsistency that leads to complaints and disputes.
Data protection notices customers can understand
The UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) requires transparency about how personal data is collected and used, and valid consent where consent is your legal basis. A privacy notice only achieves that if visitors can read it, so publish it in both languages when you serve both audiences.
- Translate the privacy notice, cookie banner, cookie settings panel and every consent checkbox, not only the main policy page.
- Make sure consent wording has the same scope in each language. A marketing consent that sounds narrower in Arabic than in English is not the same consent.
- Keep form confirmation messages, unsubscribe pages and data request forms available in both languages.
- Record which language version a visitor accepted when you store consent, so you can show what they agreed to.
Businesses in the DIFC follow the DIFC Data Protection Law of 2020, and those in ADGM follow the ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021. Both have their own transparency and consent requirements, so check which regime applies before drafting notices.
Advertising, claims and regulated sectors
Marketing content on a UAE website is subject to national media content standards overseen by the UAE Media Council, which include respect for religion, culture and public morals. Content that reads acceptably in English can take on a different tone in Arabic, so review imagery and phrasing with cultural context in mind, not only grammar.
Several sectors need approvals for advertising, and those approvals typically cover the specific wording used:
- Healthcare: health advertising in the UAE generally requires approval from the relevant health authority, depending on the emirate.
- Real estate: property advertising in Dubai requires a permit, and listings are expected to display the permit details.
- Financial services: promotions are regulated by the Central Bank, the Securities and Commodities Authority or the free zone regulator, depending on the activity.
- Education and training: claims about accreditation and qualifications need to match what the relevant authority has approved.
If a claim was approved in one language, have the translation checked against the approved text before publishing. A well-meant improvement by a translator can turn an approved statement into an unapproved one.
Which version prevails when the two differ
Even careful translation leaves room for differences in nuance. Most bilingual websites therefore include a clause in their terms stating which language version governs if there is a conflict. Your legal advisor should decide this, bearing in mind the court or free zone where disputes would be heard and the language your customers actually read. The clause does not remove the need for accurate translation, since a clause that disadvantages consumers may not be enforced as written.
Other points worth checking
- Font licenses. Arabic web fonts are licensed separately from desktop fonts, and many require a specific web license. Check licenses for every font you load.
- Trademarks and trade names. Use the Arabic trade name that appears on your license, and check that any Arabic brand name or transliteration does not conflict with registered marks.
- Accessibility. The UAE places strong emphasis on inclusion for people of determination, and government websites follow accessibility standards. Building to recognized accessibility guidelines in both languages reduces risk and widens your audience.
- Machine translation of legal pages. Automated translation of terms, privacy notices and consent text is a false saving. Use a qualified legal translator and have the result reviewed.
A pre-launch checklist for multilingual website legal considerations
- List every page with legal effect: terms, privacy notice, cookie policy, refund policy, disclaimers and consent text.
- Have each one drafted or reviewed by a legal advisor, then translated by a qualified legal translator.
- Compare prices, fees, timelines and contact details across both languages, field by field.
- Check sector approvals for any claims, and confirm translations match the approved text.
- Test consent flows in both languages and confirm consent records store the language and version.
- Assign an owner to update both versions together whenever a policy changes.
Frequently asked questions
Is an Arabic version of a website legally required in the UAE?
There is no single rule requiring every business website to be bilingual, but consumer protection rules place weight on consumers receiving key information in Arabic, and some sectors and authorities expect Arabic content. For businesses selling to consumers, providing Arabic versions of prices, terms and policies is a sensible default. Confirm your specific position with a UAE legal advisor.
Can we use machine translation for our terms and privacy notice?
It is not advisable. Legal pages rely on precise wording, and machine translation often misses legal terminology and nuance. Differences in meaning can weaken your terms or make consent invalid. Use a qualified legal translator, and ask your legal advisor to review both versions before publishing. Machine translation can still help with low-risk marketing drafts that a reviewer checks.
What happens if the Arabic and English terms say different things?
A prevailing language clause usually decides which version governs, but it may not protect you fully, especially where consumer rights are involved. In onshore courts the Arabic version carries significant weight. The safest approach is accurate, aligned translations reviewed by a legal advisor, with a clear process to update both versions at the same time.
Protecting your business in both languages
Handled early, multilingual website legal considerations are manageable: aligned legal pages, consistent prices and terms, clear privacy notices and sector-approved claims in each language. Handled late, they become a source of complaints and avoidable risk. Building legal content into the site structure from the start makes it far easier to keep both versions accurate.
If you are planning a bilingual website or reviewing an existing one, we would be glad to talk through the structure with you and your legal advisor.
