Because Expo Arabic avoids decorative flourishes, it is one of the best fonts for airport signage, metro maps, and highway directional signs. The letters do not merge or confuse from a distance. For example, the dots (i'jam) that differentiate letters like Ba (ب), Ta (ت), and Tha (ث) are arranged in clear, horizontal lines that are easy to count at a glance.
The defining feature of Expo Arabic is its stylistic rooting in script, specifically a style reminiscent of the "New Kufi" movements of the mid-20th century. Unlike the flowing, cursive Naskh style (which dominates much of Arabic body text), Kufi is angular, geometric, and structured. Expo Arabic leverages this geometry to create a cohesive family with several distinct traits:
The Expo Arabic font family is technically robust, containing 353 characters in total. The character distribution covers key Unicode blocks essential for modern bilingual design, including:
In the rapidly evolving world of digital typography, finding a font that balances cultural authenticity with contemporary design needs is a challenge. Enter the . More than just a typeface, Expo Arabic represents a paradigm shift in how Arabic script is adapted for screens, wayfinding, and corporate branding. Expo Arabic Font Family
At first glance, Expo Arabic commands attention with its . Unlike traditional Naskh or Thuluth scripts that rely on curved, flowing baselines, Expo Arabic introduces a sense of architectural stability. The letters are constructed with precise horizontal terminals, open counters, and a nearly monolinear stroke weight.
He created the typeface through his foundry, , a design studio specializing in contemporary Arabic typography. Founded in 2013, 29Letters has built an outstanding collection of contemporary multiscript typefaces, working with large companies and non-profits to create typographic corporate identities. Based in Madrid, the foundry focuses on bridging Arabic and Latin scripts, a challenge they overcame masterfully with the Expo Arabic font family.
Check your font library for the full Expo Super Family, or visit your type foundry to license the variable version for web and app use. Because Expo Arabic avoids decorative flourishes, it is
However, if you are designing for clarity, speed, and modernity —whether it is a stock trading app, a museum wayfinding system, or a tech startup's brand identity—Expo Arabic is arguably the best choice on the market today. Its disciplined geometry, consistent stroke weights, and impeccable screen performance make it a future-proof investment for any serious designer working with the Arabic language.
The is a distinctive and elegantly designed Arabic typeface , commissioned for one of the world's most prestigious international events. As the exclusive corporate typeface for Expo 2020 Dubai , this font family was created to unify the visual identity of the global exposition, combining modern aesthetics with the rich heritage of Arabic calligraphy. This article provides an in-depth exploration of the Expo Arabic typeface, covering its creation, designer, weights, technical specifications, usage, and significance in the world of modern typography.
: A contemporary bilingual set combining a modern-day sans serif Latin with a simplified neo-naskh Arabic. The defining feature of Expo Arabic is its
4.5/5
Historically, adapting Arabic script to digital screens has been complex. Arabic is inherently cursive, fluid, and deeply tied to the rules of traditional handwritten calligraphy (such as Naskh or Kufic styles). Expo Arabic approaches this by utilizing a modern, geometric construction while respecting the core optical proportions of traditional Arabic letterforms. The design philosophy focuses on:
Designed by prominent type foundries (such as Linotype or Boutros, depending on the specific distribution), Expo Arabic was engineered to solve a specific problem: the degradation of Arabic text on low-resolution screens. Traditional fonts often "close up" at small sizes, making characters difficult to distinguish. Expo Arabic maintains open counters and consistent stroke widths, ensuring clarity from billboard size to smartwatch displays.
Pascal Zoghbi is a highly influential figure in the world of Arabic and Latin type design. Based in Beirut and Madrid, he holds a Master of Design in Type & Media from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK). His work is characterized by a deep understanding of both traditional calligraphy and modern design principles, allowing him to create typefaces that are both culturally resonant and functionally excellent for contemporary use.
In the world of bilingual typography, few families manage to strike a balance as deliberate and beautiful as the . Originally conceived as the typographic voice for world expositions and global conferences, this typeface has transcended its event-driven origins to become a staple for modern Arabic design.