Image: e&
Global technology group e& has launched a free smart keyboard aimed at encouraging greater use of the Arabic language in everyday digital communication.
The keyboard mirrors the layout used by “Arabizi”, an informal system that uses English letters and numbers to represent Arabic sounds, placing Arabic letters in positions familiar to users accustomed to typing in English. e& said the design lowers barriers to writing in Arabic by retraining muscle memory without requiring users to change how they type.
Arabizi emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s alongside the rise of mobile phones and online chat platforms, when many devices did not fully support non-Latin scripts. It remains widely used across digital platforms.
The launch comes ahead of World Arabic Language Day on December 18, which marks the anniversary of the United Nations’ adoption of Arabic as an official language and language of work in 1973.
“Today’s digital habits move faster than language can adapt,” said Fares Hamad Fares, vice president for digital marketing at e&. “If we want Arabic to remain present in everyday communication, we must create tools that meet people where they are, not ask them to abandon the way they type.”
He added that the keyboard helps younger generations reconnect with Arabic in a way that aligns with their digital lives, and said protecting the language is not only an educational responsibility but also a technological and social one.
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e& rolls out cultural and media projects as part of the initiative
As part of the initiative, e& will roll out a series of cultural and media projects, including a film produced in partnership with Diwan Publishing.
The film presents Arabic literary classics rewritten entirely in Arabizi to illustrate how meaning and identity are diminished when Arabic script is removed, before showing how the keyboard enables users to return to Arabic through familiar layouts.
The company said it will also work with libraries, schools and cultural figures to deliver interactive content and in-person experiences designed to strengthen engagement with the Arabic language.
e& said the initiative addresses growing challenges facing Arabic in the digital space, particularly as fast-typing habits on smartphones become more widespread.
The company said it aims to enable young people to express themselves in Arabic without sacrificing convenience, while also supporting the use of correct Arabic in professional and workplace settings.
Partnerships in place
In parallel, e& is establishing partnerships with schools, universities and cultural institutions, including writing and reading competitions and youth-focused educational content, to expand the initiative’s reach.
The company is also working to increase the presence of Arabic in artificial intelligence training datasets.
While Arabic is spoken by more than 400 million people globally, it accounts for less than 1 per cent of digital content online, according to multiple international estimates, which affects AI systems’ ability to accurately process both Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects.
e& continues to support Arabic culture through initiatives such as the International Prize for Arabic Children’s Literature, which it sponsors to encourage authors, illustrators and publishers and promote knowledge-driven futures.
The keyboard is expected to be available for download from e&’s website, while the accompanying film, titled “Lughatuna Muftah Huwiyatina” (Our Language Is the Key to Our Identity), will be available online.
