Not Sure Which Languages to Choose?
Translating content into Arabic and making it feel local, respectful, and truly engaging for a MENA audience іs where creators mess up.
The Middle East is a nuanced region. The audience here knows when something feels "off." If the cultural adaptation isn't right, the damage is fast and measurable. Retention drops. Shares disappear. Trust fades. And you don’t get a second chance.
So, let’s talk about video do’s and don’ts in the MENA region. We’ll walk through real situations and patterns we've seen while helping creators reach Arabic-speaking audiences across 20+ countries.
Why the Middle East Market
Let’s get the financials out of the way of localizing your content for MENA. Here’s what the average YouTube CPM looks like across key MENA countries (based on AIR Media-Tech’s 2025 data):
- UAE: $3.87
- Qatar: $2.27
- Saudi Arabia: $2.00
- Bahrain: $1.68
- Oman: $1.50
- Jordan: $0.92
- Egypt: $0.69
- Lebanon: $0.80
- Morocco: $0.78
- Iraq: $0.64
- Algeria: $0.58
- Tunisia: $0.60
- Libya: $0.61
- Yemen: $0.48
Those CPMs aren’t the highest in the world. But here’s where it gets interesting.
The Middle East has a massive diaspora audience watching from high-CPM countries like the US, Germany, Canada, and the UK. We’ve seen creators triple revenue by targeting Arabic speakers in those regions, without even hitting the top of the charts locally.
Plus, YouTube in the Gulf is exploding on Connected TVs. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in particular, have some of the highest YouTube penetration rates globally. It’s not just phone viewing anymore, it’s family-room scale.
But this audience won’t forgive lazy localization. Let’s talk about what you need to get right.
Big Creators Are Going Arabic
In our +125M views case, we launched 5 videos with 11 audio tracks and let the data pick winners: Arabic shot into the top four alongside Spanish, Indonesian, and Portuguese.
Then we dubbed the back catalog before the next premiere. Result: +125.5M views in 5 months, >30% of total views coming from dubbed tracks, and Arabic AVD at 6:46 vs. 6:26 in English. The right voice in the right language can beat the original on retention and send Suggested/Browse into overdrive.
And it’s not the only one. More top channels are turning on Arabic because it taps Gulf CTV binge habits + a high-value diaspora (US/DE/UK/CA), which means real watch time, real RPM, real growth.
The Middle East Content Localization Problem
There’s a recurring trap: assuming Arabic is just one language. Technically, yes. But practically, it’s a universe of dialects.
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
This is formal Arabic. It’s understood across all Arabic-speaking countries, but rarely used in casual content. It works best for educational or serious topics.
Egyptian Arabic
By far the most widely recognized dialect, largely thanks to Egypt’s dominance in film and TV. Great for informal or entertainment content.
Gulf Arabic
Spoken across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other countries. It's distinct and immediately signals content made for the Gulf.
Levantine Arabic
Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria. It’s often seen as a neutral middle-ground. Good for lifestyle, comedy, or daily vlog-style content.
Maghrebi Arabic
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia. This dialect can be difficult for Levant and Gulf viewers to follow without subtitles.
Use the wrong dialect, and your video might be technically correct, but it might feel emotionally distant. In YouTube terms, that means lower subs, lower retention, and lower replay value.
Creators often fall into the trap of translating into Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) by default. It seems safe. And it is for subtitles. But for voiceover or dubbed dialogue, it sounds cold. Too formal. Like a news anchor.
A creator who translated a comedy series into MSA. But the jokes landed flat. MSA lacks the everyday rhythm and slang that give humor its bite in Arabic. The audience just didn’t care. The average view duration was 62% lower compared to the English version. Comments were polite but distant.
What worked instead was redoing the voiceover in Egyptian Arabic, widely understood, casual, and TV-friendly. View duration jumped 3.5x.
So, if you’re using voice, pick a dialect that matches your content’s vibe. Egyptian or Levantine for informal content. MSA for tutorials or formal topics. Gulf Arabic if you're going hyperlocal in the GCC.
And always test. Run A/B dubs in different dialects. Watch what drives retention.
You Have to Adapt Humor
Adapting humor in MENA is one of the hardest parts of localization. Slang rarely translates cleanly. Sarcasm, especially, falls flat fast.
You can’t just translate jokes word for word. Humor is the first thing to die in literal translation.
One creator had a gaming channel with a sarcastic edge. English punchlines hit hard. But the Arabic dub used direct translations that missed the tone completely. The humor turned from edgy to awkward.
So, we brought in a bilingual Arabic-speaking gamer as a voice actor. He rewrote the jokes to fit the Arabic gamer humor style, a mix of exaggeration, self-roasting, and pop culture digs.
Engagement soared. Commenters quoted the dub itself. That’s when you know you got it right.
Adapt the humor. And use native voices from your niche. Not "someone who speaks Arabic." Someone who lives in the culture of your audience to avoid localization mistakes.
Respect the Weight of Words
Religion plays a big role in how language is used across MENA. Phrases like "Inshallah" (God willing) or "Alhamdulillah" (praise be to God) are common, but you can’t just sprinkle them in without understanding the tone.
We once saw a creator use "Inshallah" sarcastically. In their culture, it was light humor. In the MENA version, it came off as mocking a core part of the local worldview. Viewers noticed. Comments lit up. Subscribers dropped.
This is about cultural awareness and religious considerations in video. These are words that matter deeply. If you’re going to use them, they need to feel real.
This is where localization gets serious. You cannot treat religion as a background topic in MENA. It’s part of the daily rhythm. And missteps here are not forgiven.
We saw a lifestyle creator unknowingly use background music that included lyrics referencing alcohol. An innocent mistake in most regions. In parts of the Gulf, it triggered outrage. YouTube comments exploded. The channel lost hundreds of subs overnight.
Another gaming creator had a VO track joking about dying and going to hell. It was dark humor, not meant to offend. But in conservative countries, these lines hit a nerve. Especially if they air during Ramadan, when sensitivities spike.
It’s your awareness of cultural norms in translation. What would be edgy in the US can cross a line in Saudi Arabia or Kuwait.
Your 15-Minute YouTube Checklist for Arabic Dubbing
We now have a checklist we use with all MENA clients for cultural sensitivity in videos.
Basic rules:
- Define the target dialect per video (MSA for formal/educational; Egyptian/Levantine for casual; Gulf for GCC-focused).
- Remove throwaway lines about religion, death, or the afterlife unless they’re sincere and context-appropriate.
Voice & casting:
- Cast native VAs for the selected dialect and topic. No “generic Arabic” accents. We can help with that.
- Record name/place pronunciations (cities, people, brands) correctly; keep a pronunciation sheet.
Match pacing to Arabic delivery (allow natural pauses; don’t rush dense lines).
Subtitles & on-screen text
- Verify RTL layout everywhere (captions, lower-thirds, end screens).
- Keep subs readable: ≤42 chars/line, max 2 lines, ~13-17 cps; avoid mid-word breaks.
- Choose numeral style consistently (Arabic “0-9” vs. Eastern Arabic “٠–٩”) based on your target market.
- Avoid overly formal MSA in casual on-screen text; keep tone aligned with VO.
Music & SFX
- Pre-screen tracks for alcohol/drug/explicit references (lyrics and titles).
- Avoid using religious recitations/sacred sounds as an aesthetic background.
Legal & platform basics
- Ensure ad disclosures are clear in Arabic; avoid implying medical/financial claims.
- Confirm music and font licenses allow Arabic distribution; some licenses are regional.
How to run the Arabic dubbing check:
- Two-pass native review: one target-market native (e.g., KSA/UAE) + one pan-Arab reviewer.
- Dialect A/B on a short clip (60-120s) if unsure (e.g., Egyptian vs. Levantine); pick the one with higher AVD.
- Publish Private → QA → Unlisted to test end screens, captions, and thumbnails in RTL before going public.
Run your content through that lens before you dub or subtitle it. If in doubt, ask someone from that region. Or have AIR handle it.
Don’t Stop at Arabic: Test, Double Down, Scal
Nothing ends with Arabic. We’ve got dozens of cases where Arabic was the unlock, and just as many where Spanish, Indonesian, or Portuguese beat it. AIR Translation Labs tests first (subs → data) and doubles down where retention pops (dubs/audio tracks), skipping markets that don’t convert. We run that test for you as well. Now, let’s see what this can unlock for you.
- Test First with Subtitles
For channels like Brave Wilderness, we started with adding subtitles to gauge demand. It worked for 27.2M reasons. Subtitles showed where to invest in full localization next.
- Go Big with Dubbing
Amelka scaled from one market to global success with professional dubbing, reaching 436M views.
Even smaller language dubbing brought in 6.8B+ views for others.
- Localize Entire Channels
Vania Mania rebuilt its channel for different markets, banners, metadata, and schedules, and now hits 47M monthly views worldwide.
- Add Audio Tracks to Existing Videos
One kids’ channel added dubbed audio tracks without re-uploading. Result is 125M extra views, no extra production.
- Fix Discovery with Metadata
Krasolka wasn’t growing until localized titles and descriptions brought in 148M more views.
Want your videos to speak the right language and culture?
Let us guide your next market.
The Right Way to Test Before Going All In
You don’t need to dub your entire channel overnight.
Here’s how we advise testing MENA localization:
Step 1: Subtitles + Metadata
Translate your titles, descriptions, and tags into Arabic. Add high-quality Arabic subtitles to 3-5 of your top videos. See if traffic starts coming from the UAE, KSA, or Egypt.
We've seen click-through rates double when creators switch from generic metadata to localized, audience-aware phrasing. For example:
- English: “The Ultimate Tech Review”
- Auto-Translated Arabic: “المراجعة التقنية النهائية” (formal, cold)
- Localized Arabic: “أقوى مراجعة تقنية لهذا الأسبوع” (more native, energetic)
Even before they watch your video, viewers are judging the fit by how your title sounds.
Step 2: Turn on YouTube’s Auto-Dub
Yes, it’s got a lot of hate from creators. But it’s a free test. If Arabic view time starts climbing, that’s your green light to invest. Tone can be everything.
You can also try AI tools at this stage, but be careful. We’ve seen the impact in the numbers. Channels using AI-only dubs see up to 4-5x lower retention. Comment sections are full of "this sounds weird." Engagement tanks.
Step 3: Go Pro
Pick one dialect (based on your top traffic source). Get a native voice actor. Localize the pacing, the tone, the script. And launch a dedicated Arabic channel or use multi-audio.
So, What’s the Right Approach?
You’ve got two options that can make your Arabic dubs grow on YouTube.
Option №1
Build it yourself with native voice actors, localization writers, and someone reviewing your scripts before you record. That includes dialect choices, pacing, and metadata.
Option №2
Let AIR Media-Tech do it for you. With AIR Translation Lab, we localize your voice, your tone, and your content to make it feel like it was made by a creator in the MENA region.
We’ll help you build all of it. We’ve done it for hundreds of creators. And yes, we can even clone your voice if you want it to sound just like you.
Want help?
Contact us today. We’ll guide you through every step: dialect, tone, subtitles, dubbing, and launch. Let’s make your content work for MENA viewers.
