English-Arabic Translation Case Studies

Since launching in 2011, we’ve translated many millions of words between English and Arabic. To demonstrate our team’s scope, we’ve written up some English-Arabic translation case studies below:

Legal

200 Page Arbitration Ruling into Arabic. Translated an energy-sector arbitration result into Modern Standard Arabic. The text combined energy jargon, econometric analysis, and complex legal claims and counter-claims. Completed the document in two weeks, along with several other rush requests from the client.
International Litigation Support. An international legal case relies on Industry Arabic for translations related to their work. IA team members passed clients’ security investigations and follow custom document handling procedures.
Egyptian Supreme Court Ruling into English. On a next-day basis, we translated a landmark Egyptian Supreme Court ruling. The decision allowed former NDP member Ahmed Shafik to stand in the 2012 presidential elections.
Arabic Handwritten Evidence Documents. Translated dozens of pages of handwritten evidence materials in a North African dialect. Our team deciphered nearly all the text despite poor handwriting and scan quality.
Constitutions into Arabic. Translated into Arabic the constitutions of Benin, Chile, Costa Rica, Ghana, Honduras, Australia, and Russia for a comparative legal study.

Consulting

1,000 Page Slide Deck into English in One Week. The client needed a strategic plan translated from Arabic to English on a super-rush basis. With a team of 20 linguists, we delivered the priority sections overnight and finished the full PowerPoint document in one week.
GCC Regulatory Support. Translated regulations impacting clients’ products in GCC states. Translate PowerPoint briefings and correspondence for cabinet-level officials and above.
Gulf Governmental Affairs. Translated graphics-heavy PowerPoint slides for consulting firm supporting a GCC organization. Our team ensured all slides were formatted to match Arabic’s right-to-left orientation and conformed to the project glossary and style guide.

Technical & Engineering

Telecom Technical Documents. A global telecom firm needed a rush translation of technical documentation for a MENA-based client. The text contained technical terms from the telecommunications, IT, and software fields. We produced hundreds of pages of polished translation within days, using a custom glossary to stay aligned with the client team. Client feedback: “You guys did what everyone else said was impossible.”
326,000 Word Training Manual into Arabic. An international organization required a technical training guide translated into Arabic. This document included schematics and detailed technical instructions for hazardous materials disposal. With 9 translators and 3 editors, we completed the document in under 6 weeks and received glowing client feedback.
Software Arabization. Using Transifex, we Arabized the software powering the world’s first SMS voter registration system.
Technical Security Assessment. Translated a 100-page security assessment of an Arab state into Arabic. The document included technical weapons systems data and analysis of armed groups and security threats. IA provided graphics support to ensure all documents were fully Arabized for client acceptance.

Finance & Economics

Arabic Economic Surveys. Performed translation and formatting of economic surveys fielded in several Arab states. Advised on adapting surveys to language and audience in various Arab states.
Islamic Finance. Translated website, prospectus, and other investor relations materials for Sharia-compliant investment firm, including Sukuk offering. Used knowledge of Islamic law to ensure terms were appropriate for the intended audience.
Project Finance Files. Support international banks in English to Arabic translation of investment project files, press releases, and reports. Translate stakeholder materials from handwritten Arabic to English for analysis.
Financial Statements. Translated financial statements and annual reports to support a client’s entry into a MENA market.
Trade Regulation Guidance. Translation and Arabic layout of a series of technical manuals on technical import/export procedures in several Arab states.
Microfinance Monitoring & Evaluation. English to Arabic translation of reports on microfinance in the Arab world. Included econometric data and comparative analysis of programs across the region.

Political & Media

The New York Times. Translated a series of feature articles into Modern Standard Arabic. Example articles are here, here, and here.
Daily Translations of Arab Political Analysis. Several think tanks rely on Industry Arabic for next-day translation of political and economic analyses. They appreciate our skill in turning complex Arabic prose into succinct English journalese and vice versa. We regularly translate and layout (using Adobe InDesign) longer reports as well.
Military Strategy Workshop. English to Arabic translation of hundreds of pages of academic articles, class handouts, evaluation forms, and class presentations on geopolitics in the Gulf.
The Arabist. Publish periodic Arabic to English translations of articles from the Arabic media. Full series is here.
Egyptian, Tunisian, and Syrian Interview Transcription. Transcribed, with timestamps, a series of interviews for a documentary film on the Arab Spring revolts.
Gulf Arabic Translation & Subtitling. English subtitles for dozens of hours of interviews on the life of a high-ranking GCC official. The source material was a mix of the Gulf dialect and fusha (Modern Standard Arabic).

Development & Culture

Research Papers on Gender Identity and Sexuality. English to Arabic translation of several academic papers on the biological and cultural bases for gender identity and sexual orientation.
Arab-Israeli Youth Program. Translation and layout of annual reports for USAID-funded programs for Israeli and Palestinian youth.
Gulf Poetry Project. Translated Arabic vernacular poems and popular songs into rhyming English verse, aiming to convey the spirit of the original Arabic style.
Gulf Historical Preservation. English translation of Arabic text on the preservation of a local heritage site in Yemen. The text discussed the area’s unique dialect and the physical preservation of buildings at the site.

Marketing

Arabic Brand Identity Development. Supported Arabic-English brand development for a tourist attraction under development in a GCC state. Assisted with the naming process, logo design, and taglines.
Press Releases & Website Localization. Arabic translation of web content (text and video) for global philanthropy.
Investor Material Design. English to Arabic translation and layout of brochures, prospectus, and other investor materials for real estate development.

Religious

Islamic Legal Opinions. Arabic to English translation of over 400 pages of fatwas (rulings on points of Islamic law) issued by a variety of Islamic scholars, and touching on nearly all aspects of daily life.
Islamic Law Analysis. Arabic to English translation of analysis of the thought and impact of Medieval Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah.
Religious Texts into Arabic. Translated a series of introductory texts on world religions for an Arab audience. Worked to present views of different faith traditions in a way that was clear and relevant to the intended audience.

Book Editing & Translation

Book on Egyptian Legal System. Full Arabic translation of The Struggle for Constitutional Power, a scholarly study by Tamir Moustafa on the evolving role of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court. Translation published and available here.
Book on Origins of the Islamic State. Full English translation of a book on the historical and political roots of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
Salafism Book. Re-translation of a book chronicling the personal account of a member of a Salafi group in the Levant.
GCC Royal Biography. English editing and translation verification of a biography of a member of a Gulf royal family.

Don’t see what you need here? Please explore the links below or get in touch if you have any questions.