How to write a formal business email in Arabic
A formal Arabic business email has a subject line that sums up the request, a greeting with the right title, the purpose in the first two lines, the details as bullet points, the action needed with a date, and a polite sign-off with your name and position. Keep it short: one topic per email.
The structure of a formal email
A clear subject
It sums up the request and makes the email easy to find later: “Request to approve quotation no. 214” beats “Enquiry”.
The right greeting
The title and name, then the salutation: «الفاضل/ أحمد بن سالم المحترم» followed by «السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته» or «تحية طيبة وبعد،».
Purpose first
The request or the information in the first two lines: «نود إفادتكم بأن...» (we would like to inform you that…) or «نرجو التكرم باعتماد...» (kindly approve…).
Details
Short points with figures, dates and reference numbers. Anything that needs a long explanation goes in an attachment.
The next step
Exactly what you need from the reader and when: “Please reply before Thursday 19 November.”
Sign-off and signature
«وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير» (please accept our highest respect and appreciation), then your name, position, organisation and phone number.
Match the tone to the reader
Formality comes in degrees. Writing to a government entity or an official you do not know calls for full titles and the respectful plural: «نرجو التكرم», «نفيدكم», «شاكرين لكم تعاونكم». Writing to a colleague you know in another organisation needs only «الأخ العزيز/ ...» and direct sentences, still respectful.
In Oman the titles «الفاضل» and «الفاضلة» are common in correspondence, and office holders are addressed by their official titles such as «سعادة» and «معالي». If you are not sure of the title, ask the recipient's office or look at earlier correspondence. A wrong title is noticed before anything else.
Clarity is part of respect. A sentence like “we hope you will kindly look into the matter” does not tell the reader what to do. Say what you want politely and plainly: “Please approve the attached quotation so we can start delivery on Sunday.”
The steps
01
Settle the goal
What should the reader do after reading? If you cannot say it in one sentence, the email is not ready.
02
Write the subject line
The type of request and its reference: “Reminder: invoice no. 1032, due 1 November”.
03
Open with the right greeting and title
The name as its owner writes it, and the title that fits the position.
04
Write the purpose, then the details
Two lines for the purpose, then bullet points for details. One paragraph per idea.
05
State the ask and the date
One clear request with a specific date, and name the attachments.
06
Review before you send
The name, the figures, the attachments and who is in copy. Read it once more as the recipient would.
Ready-made openings and closings
To request
«نرجو التكرم بـ...» (kindly…), «نأمل موافاتنا بـ...» (please provide us with…).
To inform
«نود إفادتكم بأن...» (we would like to inform you that…), «إشارةً إلى خطابكم رقم ... بتاريخ ...» (with reference to your letter no. … dated …).
To follow up
«إلحاقًا برسالتنا المؤرخة في ...، نود التذكير بـ...» (further to our message dated …, we would like to remind you of…).
To apologise
«نعتذر عن التأخير في ...، ونفيدكم بأن الموعد الجديد هو ...» (we apologise for the delay in …; the new date is …).
To thank
«نشكر لكم سرعة تجاوبكم» (thank you for your prompt response), «شاكرين ومقدّرين تعاونكم الدائم» (with thanks for your continued cooperation).
To close
«وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير» (formal), «مع خالص التحية» (with best regards, less formal).
Common mistakes
- A vague subject such as “Important” or “Enquiry” that says nothing about the content.
- A long run of pleasantries before the request.
- More than one topic in one email, so one gets answered and the rest are forgotten.
- A request with no deadline, or a deadline with no date.
- Forgetting the attachment, or mentioning it without naming it.
- Mixing dialect and formal Arabic in official correspondence.
- Getting the recipient's name or title wrong.
Ready-made prompts
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a formal email in Arabic?
With the title and name, then the salutation: «الفاضل/ ... المحترم، السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته» or «تحية طيبة وبعد،». Then go straight to the purpose.
How do I close it?
The most common formula is «وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الاحترام والتقدير». In less formal correspondence: «مع خالص التحية» or «شاكرين تعاونكم». Then your name, position and organisation.
How long should a formal email be?
Short enough to read without much scrolling: usually five to ten lines. Longer detail belongs in an attachment.
Can Mibyan write in dialect?
It writes in the style you ask for: formal, friendly or your own dialect. For official correspondence, ask for formal Arabic and give the recipient's position so it picks suitable titles, then check the name and title yourself before sending.
Should I write in Arabic or English?
Write in the reader's language and the language their organisation uses for correspondence. If some recipients do not read Arabic, write the text in both languages, Arabic first and English after.