Industry Arabic is more than just Arabic. As part of our deep expertise in the languages and cultures of the Middle East, we also provide premier Persian/Farsi translation for NGOs, think tanks, law firms, and academics engaged with Iran and the broader Persian-speaking world.
Have a project in mind? Get a free quote now.
Our Approach
Our approach to Persian translation follows the same formula that has defined us as an Arabic translation agency. We rely on professional human translators with deep subject matter expertise, and who are native speakers of the relevant languages. Through our deep bench of talented translators, fully bilingual project managers, and proven processes, we deliver high-quality Persian translation at scale for every scenario.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
We’ll tell you what NOT to translate
Translation is rarely the goal in itself; it’s the means to another outcome. The goal is influencing policy, winning a proposal, reaching a community, making a case in court. We bring the same regional and cultural expertise to your goals that we bring to your text, which means we’ll flag it if the framing won’t land, the register is wrong for your audience, or the source document needs rewriting before translation will help. You get a partner thinking two steps ahead, not a robot who mindlessly swaps out words.
Only the top 5% of translators qualify to work with us
Before they ever touch a client project, we vet every translator through a rigorous exam, then onboard them through a 3-month training on our glossaries, style guides, and best practices. The result is a deep bench of specialists who bring domain knowledge in law, business, policy, and the humanities, alongside their linguistic credentials. Our ISO 17100-certified process adds a mandatory review stage to every translation, so quality consistently meets the highest standards, across every project and every scenario.
24/7 service, at scale
From reports and research to slide decks and RfPs, translation is often the bottleneck in a deadline-driven process. Our globally distributed team is available around the clock and can offer overnight service for urgent projects, without cutting corners or compromising on quality.
One point of contact from quote to delivery
You submit the project to us, then drink tea and relax. We handle the rest: translator selection, project management, quality review, formatting, delivery — all fully managed in a seamless process. We’ll keep you in the loop without making translation another action item on your to-do list.
Who We Work With
- NGOs and Human Rights Organizations We work with American, European, and MENA-based NGOs involved in civil society advocacy, human rights documentation, refugee services, and humanitarian support. Whether you need background research translated for internal use or a bilingual report ready for public release, we handle the full range.
- Think Tanks and Policy Institutes Our clients include DC-based and international policy institutes that need Persian-language material translated with the precision that serious analysis demands. We provide publication-ready translation of policy briefs, research reports, and primary-source documents, both to and from Persian.
- Law Firms We support international law firms with document translation, e-discovery support, and litigation materials. We understand the volume, pace, and confidentiality requirements that legal work demands, and we structure our process accordingly.
- Academic Researchers and Publishers We work with university presses, independent publishers, and academic researchers translating Persian literary, historical, and scholarly material into English, including classical texts that require both linguistic precision and cultural expertise.
A Note on Iran-Related Work
Our Persian language work is primarily on behalf of US and European organizations (law firms, NGOs, think tanks, publishers, and research institutions), and we operate in full compliance with US sanctions on Iran, including OFAC regulations. We do not engage with OFAC Specially Designated Nationals or entities whose property is blocked under US sanctions programs.
If you’re uncertain whether your project falls under US sanctions guidelines, we’re happy to discuss it before you submit a quote.
Our Persian Services
Our Persian language services include:
- Document translation (Persian, English, Arabic)
- Persian research
- Editing & proofreading
- PowerPoint translation & formatting
- Persian voiceover
- Persian subtitling
- Persian interpreting
- Audio transcription & translation (with timestamps)
- Persian video editing
- Persian layout & typesetting (using Adobe Creative Cloud products)
Persian, Farsi, or Dari—Which Do You Need?
This is a question that a lot of clients get confused about. The short answer:
Persian and Farsi are just two names for the same language
“Farsi” is how you say “Persian” in Persian, just like “Español” is how you say “Spanish” in Spanish. So a translation in Persian is also a translation in Farsi, and vice versa.
Persian is for Iran, Dari is for Afghanistan, and they need a separate approach
If you are dealing with the language spoken in Iran, you need Persian translation. If you are dealing with the language spoken in Afghanistan, you need Dari translation. They are different enough that you probably need separate translations for each country. Usually you need to use different translators as well. For our projects, we have separate teams for Persian and Dari translation.
If you have any uncertainties about the specific audience for your translation, feel free to communicate them when submitting your quote, and we’ll be happy to advise you on the right approach.
Can AI translate Persian?
Our recommendations for AI usage with Persian are similar to our recommendations for Arabic, and they may be summarized as follows:
LLMs speak English natively; in other languages they have an accent
Most LLMs have English as their “native language” so to speak, since it represents the bulk of their training data. This means that translation going into English usually works better than going from English into other languages, such as Persian or Arabic.
Persian speakers are tough to please, so “translationese” doesn’t land
As with Arabic, Persian speakers are very proud of their language and have high expectations for the style in which it is written. Because stylistic standards are very different between English and Persian, this means that a text translated too literally from English into Persian might sound flat or like translationese. To produce a translation that resonates, you need native speakers who are gifted writers in their own right. This kind of stylistic aptitude is one of the main talents we look for when testing new translators, and it’s not something you can just prompt your way to.
Conveying meaning is one thing, making an impact is another
For a quick and dirty translation, where you just need to get the gist of what something says, an AI translation is often sufficient. However, for a high-stakes translation, where details matter and you need a polished output you can stand behind, you need a professional translator.
AI breaks down when the stakes get high
The efficacy of AI translation varies widely from one domain to another. Because AI is predictive and probabilistic, it works best on texts that are more standardized, predictable, and where minor differences in wording won’t make a difference. So, for example, running a news report through an LLM to extract important info might work just fine. On the other hand, for legal documents, or materials that require cultural sensitivity, AI is likely to fudge important details that can make or break the project.
Sensitive information needs a cautious approach
Documents you share with consumer AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar platforms) are not private, and sharing client materials through them may breach NDAs or data protection regulations. Our default is human translation throughout, with client documents handled in a secure, controlled environment. On projects where AI-assisted tools might benefit the workflow, we disclose this upfront and only proceed with client approval, using enterprise-grade systems with appropriate data controls, or locally-run models that keep data off third-party servers. If you have specific requirements around AI usage in either direction, we’re happy to accommodate them.
What Now?
We don’t do automated quotes.
Every project is reviewed personally by one of our project managers, who will assess your documents, scope the requirements, and flag anything that needs your attention — all before you’ve committed to anything.
Submit your project through our quote request form or email us directly at translations@industryarabic.com, and you’ll hear back within 25 minutes.
By the time you receive our quote, a translator will already be standing by. All you need to do is say go. So go ahead, befarmayeed! We’re ready when you are.
