At first glance, this Arabic keyboard appears ordinary and standard. However, upon closer inspection, the layout is adjusted to be familiar to English speakers.
Arab-easy, a play on the word Arabizi, is a keyboard platform that positions Arabic letters in the same location as their English counterparts.
Launched on Thursday by the global technology group e& (etisalat and), the platform aims to encourage Arabic speakers who are not accustomed to typing in Arabic. The keyboard is rearranged to fit the global standard QWERTY layout, similar to how English is arranged.
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Arabizi is an informal method of using the English alphabet to write in Arabic, originally developed in the 1990s with the advent of computers. It facilitated the writing of Arabic words by substituting numbers for letters not present in English, and naturally continued to thrive with the rise of social media.
The platform is essentially a keyboard that can be downloaded on a mobile phone or desktop, offering a rearrangement of the Arabic keyboard. It’s available on OS, Android, Windows, and MAC.
The Arab-easy app is an additional keyboard, not a replacement, and can be switched to either from the device’s settings or by pressing Shift + Alt on a laptop.
Fady Rofaeel, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, mentioned that a gap started forming between the younger generation and their use of typing in Arabic, causing them to become distanced from their language.
“We want people to be close and attached to their culture,” he added.
