This marks my first “full” type design project, though it builds on years of experience in branding, design, Arabic typography, and calligraphy, as well as a deep focus on Arabizing Latin brands and wordmarks.

Latin typefaces have evolved significantly, while Arabic typography still faces challenges, from a lack of professional fonts to common mistakes in Arabizing Latin type. Yet, Arabic letters hold immense aesthetic potential—arguably making them among the most beautiful letterforms in the world. Bridging this gap requires a thoughtful approach: absorbing the modernity of Latin typefaces while developing Arabic type in its own right.

One strategy is to design bilingual typefaces by moving fluidly between Arabic and Latin, allowing them to evolve together harmoniously. This approach not only enriches the Arabic type library but also opens new creative opportunities, especially for designers with a strong calligraphy background. Their deep understanding of Arabic letterforms can bring a fresh perspective to Latin type, potentially creating a unique fusion of styles.

This philosophy guided the development of the Zamalka font, where the interplay between Arabic and Latin letters was central to the design process. It’s a challenging yet rewarding journey—one that reflects my commitment to pushing the boundaries of Arabic typography.

This is my first “full” type design trial, but I have extensive experience in branding, design, Arabic typography, and calligraphy. Additionally, I have even more focus on Arabizing “Latin” brands and wordmarks.

Latin typefaces are far more evolved than their Arabic counterparts for many reasons. However, Arabic letters have more aesthetic value, which – in my opinion – makes them one of the most beautiful letterforms globally. Still, apparently, there is a clear lack of professional Arabic fonts, in addition to many mistakes in the design market that relate to Arabizing Latin type or wordmarks. There are many challenges that need to be overcome to enrich the content of the Arabic typeface library and to stay up to date.

Correctly Arabizing Latin type is one key step to absorbing the modernity of the “design-developed” Latin typefaces. It is then important to try to develop the Arabic type in its own right – and this is one means of overcoming the challenge. Another route could be to start the “bilingual” type concept from Arabic, and then build Latin letters based on that, Hence this will open wide opportunities for Arabic designers to create probably a new flavor to Latin types, especially those who have solid calligraphy experience, since their visual memory is intensively full of Arabic letters anatomy, and they might perceive the Latin letters from a new perspective.

I guess the ideal strategy for designing a bilingual type (Arabic- Latin) is to keep going back and forth between the two (Arabic-Latin), so they grow up simultaneously and match beautifully. This is a more challenging process and it is very nearly my design process in developing the Zamalka font.

Zamalka is a bilingual (Arabic-Latin) typeface, with potential extensions to Farsi. The Arabic font is rooted in Kufi style, blending elegance, strength, and modernity, while the Latin font is a crisp, condensed sans-serif. Available in three weights—Light, Regular, and Bold—Zamalka draws its name from a cherished place in Syria, close to my heart.

One of the defining features of Zamalka’s Arabic letterforms is the subtle incorporation of almond-like or leaf-like shapes, a nod to traditional Arabic calligraphy. By tilting certain edges and closing shapes, I introduced delicate angled lines throughout the letters, giving the font a distinctive yet modern touch. Despite these nuances, Zamalka maintains a clean, straight, and elegant aesthetic overall.

The Latin counterpart, while inspired by a few existing Latin fonts, was primarily built from the Arabic letterforms. It features fewer slanted lines to align with the nature of Latin type, yet the two scripts harmonize beautifully in terms of density, flow, and personality. This seamless match creates a cohesive bilingual typeface that bridges two worlds.

Since its creation, I’ve noticed several fonts emerging that seem inspired by Zamalka’s unique approach. It’s a testament to the font’s innovative design and its potential to influence the future of bilingual typography.