In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, customers switch between Arabic and English mid-conversation. Your automation needs to handle both — seamlessly, without awkward language mismatches.
Language Detection: How It Works
Vonmatic's language detection analyzes the first message from a customer and responds in the same language. If they write "مرحبا، أبي أحجز موعد" — the bot responds in Arabic. If they write "Hi, I'd like to book" — it responds in English.
The detection happens at character level (Arabic script vs Latin) with a confidence threshold. Mixed messages (Arabizi like "marhaba") default to English with an Arabic option offered.
Template Approval: Submit Both Languages
WhatsApp requires separate template approval for each language. Our recommendation: submit every template in both Arabic and English from day one. Approval takes the same time (24-48 hours) and you'll be ready for all customers.
Common Mistakes
- ✗ Google Translating your English templates — this produces unnatural Arabic
- ✗ Using formal Arabic (فصحى) when customers expect Gulf dialect
- ✗ Ignoring RTL formatting in template messages
- ✗ Not having Arabic-speaking team members review templates before submission
Best Practice: Offer a Language Choice
For the first interaction with a new contact, start with a bilingual greeting: "مرحبا! Hi! 👋" followed by two quick-reply buttons: "العربية" and "English". This lets the customer choose and your automation remembers their preference for all future messages.
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