With over 97% smartphone penetration in advanced economies such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Middle East is emerging as a powerhouse for innovation and user-centric digital growth. As more economies across the region embrace this digital revolution, the importance of building digital products that combine international UX standards with local nuances cannot be overstated.
Yet, many companies rely too heavily on the standard UX playbook, overlooking the linguistic and cultural expectations of Arabic-speaking users. The result? Falling adoption rates and diminishing trust.
This blog explores why following UX best practices alone is not enough in MENA, and why localisation and user testing are the real keys to product success.
Localised UX testing is the process of evaluating digital products with real users in their native language and cultural context, ensuring that design choices reflect regional behaviours, expectations, and usability needs.
Industry best practices are only the starting point
International UX principles are valuable. They have been proven across markets and provide a solid foundation for intuitive, user-friendly design. But here’s the reality: most of these practices were shaped by English-speaking, Western audiences.
From form layouts and navigation patterns to trust cues, icons and button text, common conventions do not always translate effectively for Arabic-speaking users.
For example:
- Reading direction matters: Arabic is written right-to-left (RTL), directly impacting navigation, button placement and form design.
- Naming conventions differ: while Western apps split names into “First Name” and “Last Name”, Arab users often have longer names with multiple components. A simple “Full Name” field is a far more inclusive and user-friendly approach.
Without localisation, even polished, international-standard designs can feel clumsy, confusing or exclusionary.
How culture shapes UX design in the Middle East
Did you know?
- UAE residents spend around 4 hours 54 minutes daily on smartphones.
- In Saudi Arabia, this rises to 7 hours 9 minutes per day.
With Arabic as the dominant language across MENA, users naturally gravitate towards apps and platforms that support it.
That means UX design choices must adapt, from navigation menus to microcopy, if digital products are to feel natural, trustworthy and frictionless for Arabic-speaking audiences.
Why local testing is essential
Skipping local testing is like designing in the dark. While international usability tests provide a baseline, they often ignore cultural and linguistic nuances.
Consider this:
- Scenario-building in English during user testing risks alienating Arabic-speaking participants.
- Testing tools available only in English create unnecessary friction for Arabic users.
- Ignoring RTL behaviours leads to designs that look mirrored rather than intuitive.
Local testing uncovers insights that standardised approaches miss. For example, Uber localised its app in the Middle East by introducing translated chat features to help drivers and riders communicate in their preferred language. The result? Less friction, more trust and higher adoption.
Challenges of implementing local UX research
So why do many product teams skip localisation? Common reasons include:
- International rules over local needs – many teams assume that widely accepted UX practices are sufficient, but without localisation, designs often fail to meet the expectations of Arabic-speaking users.
- Cost and complexity fears – product teams believe localisation requires too much time or money, yet modern tools make local UX testing in MENA faster and more affordable than ever.
- Blind spots – designers often miss regional nuances such as RTL layouts, culturally relevant icons and Arabic microcopy, which directly impact usability and trust.
- Recruitment challenges – finding Arabic-speaking testers can be difficult without specialised platforms, leading to skipped testing or unreliable results.
This is where UserQ comes in. With access to over 16,000 testers in the Middle East and 7+ testing tools, UserQ enables product teams to test prototypes with real users in their native language, in just a few days instead of weeks.
UX best practices + local insights = winning products
The takeaway is not to abandon industry-standard UX practices. Instead, the goal is to pair them with localised insights.
Here are some widely accepted UX principles that still matter:
- Clean, clutter-free interfaces
- Consistent design patterns
- Logical information hierarchy
- Clear, concise microcopy
- Responsive design across devices
- Minimal cognitive load
These principles serve as a foundation. However, true product success in the MENA region comes from layering in localised UX testing, making designs culturally relevant, linguistically inclusive and regionally trusted.
Final thoughts
The MENA region is one of the fastest-growing digital ecosystems worldwide. With smartphone usage and internet penetration booming, opportunities are endless for businesses that design with local users in mind.
Universal UX guidelines set the stage, but without local testing and cultural adaptation, products risk alienating the very users they are trying to reach.
The formula for success: UX best practices, localised research and cultural sensitivity.
Ready to take the guesswork out of design? Start testing with real MENA users on UserQ today.
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