---
id: 1-3
title: 1-3 Bilingual Infrastructure (Arabic/English)
status: Done
date: 2026-09-27
parent: 1
---

## Description

As a user (admin or client), I want full bilingual support with Arabic as primary and English as secondary language, So that I can use the platform in my preferred language with proper RTL/LTR layout. Context: Integrates with: Laravel localization, Tailwind CSS, user preferences; Technology: Laravel lang files, Tailwind RTL, Google Fonts; Follows pattern: Laravel localization best practices. Full implementation history: docs/stories/story-1.3-bilingual-infrastructure.md

## Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Language files for Arabic (ar) and English (en)
- [ ] Language toggle in navigation (visible on all pages)
- [ ] User language preference stored in `users.preferred_language`
- [ ] Guest language stored in session (persists across page loads)
- [ ] RTL layout for Arabic, LTR for English
- [ ] All UI elements translatable via `__()` helper
- [ ] Language switch preserves current page (redirect back to same URL)
- [ ] Form validation messages display in current locale
- [ ] Missing translations fall back to key name (not break page)
- [ ] Arabic: DD/MM/YYYY format
- [ ] English: MM/DD/YYYY format
- [ ] Both: 12-hour time format (AM/PM)
- [ ] Both: Western numerals (123) - no Arabic numerals
- [ ] Arabic fonts: Cairo or Tajawal (Google Fonts)
- [ ] English fonts: Montserrat or Lato (Google Fonts)
- [ ] Font weights: 300, 400, 600, 700
- [ ] font-display: swap for performance
- [ ] Language middleware sets locale from user preference or session
- [ ] Direction attribute (`dir="rtl"` or `dir="ltr"`) on HTML element
- [ ] Tailwind RTL utilities working
- [ ] Forms align correctly in both directions
- [ ] No hardcoded strings in views
- [ ] All translation keys organized by feature
- [ ] Tests verify language switching
- [ ] No layout breaks when switching languages