People phrase searches differently
A word that is common in English may be rare in Arabic, and the reverse is also true. Arabic users may type a spelling variant, a local dialect word, or an English brand name written in Arabic letters. A translated keyword list misses all of that.
Each store handles languages in its own way
On the App Store, localizations are separate: each one has its own title, subtitle and keyword field, and the UAE storefront can use both English and Arabic metadata. On Google Play, you write a separate listing per language, and the text of your listing is what the store reads. In both cases, the Arabic version needs its own work.
What a proper Arabic pass includes
- Keyword research directly in Arabic, not translated.
- A title, subtitle and description written naturally in Arabic, not machine-translated.
- Arabic screenshots with right-to-left layouts and correct text direction.
- A review of how your Arabic keywords rank against local competitors.
- Separate reporting for each language, so you see what works.
A simple way to start
Search your own category in Arabic on a UAE device, write down the apps that appear and the words they use, and compare them with your own listing. That alone usually shows the gaps.