Glossary

Web Font Subsetting

تجزئة خطوط الويب

Reducing a web font file to include only the glyphs (characters) actually used on a given page. Arabic fonts present a unique subsetting challenge because the Arabic script requires positional variants (initial, medial, final, isolated) for every letter, making raw font files significantly larger than Latin equivalents. A full Arabic variable font can be 300–600 KB; a properly subsetted version serving only the used characters drops to 40–80 KB, dramatically improving LCP and reducing data usage for Gulf mobile users on metered connections.

Related terms

Dark Mode & Web ThemingSupporting both light and dark colour schemes via CSS custom properties and the prefers-color-scheme media query. Gulf users increasingly expect dark mode, particularly on mobile during evening hours. For Arabic bilingual sites, dark mode must be tested against Arabic typography—some Arabic typefaces have poor legibility on dark backgrounds. Theming architecture also enables Ramadan or national-day seasonal colour variants without rebuilding the design system.
Bilingual SEOSEO strategy that maintains separate, equally-optimised Arabic and English URL trees (/ar/* and /en/*), each with its own keyword research, meta data, and internal link architecture. Requires correct hreflang implementation, Arabic keyword intent mapping (Gulf dialects differ from Levantine), and separate XML sitemaps per language. Bilingual SEO doubles organic surface area and is the baseline requirement for any Gulf business targeting both expatriate and national audiences.
Jamstack ArchitectureA web development approach that pre-builds every page as static HTML at deploy time, served via a global CDN, with dynamic functionality handled by client-side JavaScript and third-party APIs. Results in near-instant load times, zero server maintenance, and inherent security. Ideal for bilingual Gulf marketing sites where speed and SEO matter most. Next.js with Vercel or Netlify is the most common Jamstack implementation Lirevon uses for Gulf projects.
WCAG Web AccessibilityThe Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define how to make web content perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for users with disabilities—including screen reader support, sufficient colour contrast, keyboard navigation, and descriptive alt text. Gulf enterprises increasingly require WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for government tenders and enterprise procurement. Arabic-language sites require additional considerations: screen readers must handle RTL text correctly, and Arabic alt text must be written by native speakers.

Back to full glossaryExplore our services

Let's build

Need Web Font Subsetting for your business?

Our Lahore team delivers for businesses in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and across the Gulf. Fixed price, 2–4 week delivery, 30-day refinement.

Book a free audit Chat on WhatsApp