How to Type Arabic in Google Docs: The Complete Guide

Google Docs is one of the most popular word processors in the world, and it has solid Arabic writing support — including RTL text direction, Arabic font options via Google Fonts, and Arabic voice typing. However, Arabic in Google Docs requires some specific setup steps to work correctly. This guide walks you through every step.

Step 1: Enable Arabic Keyboard on Your System

Before typing in Google Docs, you need an input method for Arabic. Options:

• Windows: Add Arabic keyboard via Settings → Time & Language (see our Windows 11 guide)
• macOS: Add Arabic via System Settings → Keyboard (see our macOS guide)
• Online: Type in our Arabic Keyboard and paste into Google Docs

Step 2: Enable Right-to-Left (RTL) in Google Docs

By default, Google Docs paragraphs are Left-to-Right. To write Arabic correctly:

1. Open your document in Google Docs
2. Click in the paragraph where you want to write Arabic
3. Go to Format → Paragraph styles
4. Select Right-to-left

Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to toggle the paragraph between RTL and LTR direction.

You can also add the RTL button to the Google Docs toolbar: View → Show right-to-left controls must be enabled (this is sometimes already available based on your Google account language setting).

Step 3: Choose Arabic Fonts in Google Docs

Google Docs supports hundreds of Arabic fonts through Google Fonts. Here is how to add them:

1. Click the font dropdown in the toolbar (currently shows your active font)
2. Click More fonts...
3. In the search box, type an Arabic font name
4. Select and click OK to add to your font list

Best Arabic fonts available in Google Docs:

Font Name	Style	Best For
Noto Naskh Arabic	Naskh (traditional)	Body text, formal documents
Lateef	Naskh	Reading-intensive documents
Amiri	Naskh (scholarly)	Academic, Quranic-style text
Cairo	Modern sans-serif	Contemporary, clean documents
Tajawal	Modern sans-serif	Websites, modern documents
El Messiri	Modern	Display text, titles

Step 4: Arabic Voice Typing in Google Docs

Google Docs has a built-in voice typing feature that supports Arabic:

1. Go to Tools → Voice typing...
2. A microphone icon appears on the left margin
3. Click the language dropdown (shows the current language)
4. Select Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Arabic (Egypt), or your preferred variant
5. Click the microphone to start recording
6. Speak in Arabic — text appears in real-time

Arabic voice typing in Google Docs is powered by Google's speech recognition and works excellently for MSA. It is very useful for drafting long Arabic documents quickly.

Formatting Tips for Arabic in Google Docs

Mixed Arabic-English Documents

When you have both Arabic and English text in the same document:

• Set each paragraph to its correct text direction independently
• Arabic paragraphs: Ctrl+Shift+R (RTL)
• English paragraphs: Ctrl+Shift+L (LTR)
• You can also right-click and toggle text direction from the context menu

Arabic Tables

Google Docs tables support RTL. When you insert a table in an RTL document, columns naturally go right-to-left. You may need to set each cell's text direction individually.

Arabic Headings and Styles

Apply Heading styles (Heading 1, 2, 3) to Arabic headings just as you would for English. The font can be customized by modifying the Heading style in Format → Paragraph Styles → Heading 1 → Update 'Heading 1' to match.

Exporting Arabic Google Docs

• PDF Export: File → Download → PDF Document. Arabic text and RTL formatting are preserved in the PDF.
• Word (.docx): File → Download → Microsoft Word. RTL is preserved and the file opens correctly in Word.
• Sharing: Share Arabic documents via Google Docs sharing just like any other document.