Setting the Standard in Arabic Content
HOC did not enter the Arabic content industry to compete on price or turnaround. It set out to raise the standard of the field itself — authoring the first Modern Standard Arabic framework, opening its methods to peers and universities, training the next generation of linguists, and pushing the tools and curricula Arabic depends on to catch up. The point was never delivery. It was leadership.
Since its founding, HOC has worked to redefine Arabic-language services — the standards, the methodology, the tools — and to change how digital Arabic content is created and consumed. The ambition was never to be one more content shop competing on rate cards. It was to move the field.
Thought leadership and standard-setting
We lead rather than follow. In 2016 HOC authored the first dedicated Modern Standard Arabic framework — an attempt to give a language everyone uses, but few have ever codified, a working standard. We have continued to publish, sit on panels, and advise universities, raising the bar for Arabic translation and content across the region.
Sharing knowledge across the sector
Our work does not stop at our own clients. We openly share best practices, glossaries, and standards with peers, academic institutions, and industry bodies. A standard kept private is not a standard; it is a trade secret. We chose the harder and more useful path: lifting the whole ecosystem, not only ourselves.
Training and talent development
Traditional translation education leaves real gaps. We run continuous internship, induction, and development programs that equip Arabic linguists with practical skills and modern tooling — and many have gone on to become core members of our team.
Educational advocacy and collaboration
We actively press academic institutions to modernize Arabic content and translation curricula, and we work with international brands and universities to keep Arabic evolving in both digital and academic settings.
Improving Arabic compatibility in technology
Arabic’s script and morphology have long been an afterthought in language technology. We partner with CAT-tool developers, providing beta feedback so their platforms properly support Arabic’s script, syntax, and digital requirements — making the tools genuinely Arabic-friendly rather than merely Arabic-tolerant. In the AI era that work matters more than ever, as Arabic remains under-served by the systems now writing it.
Supporting freelance Arabic talent
We champion Arabic linguists by treating freelancing as a serious career rather than a stopgap — training them in project management and budgeting, and offering sustainable opportunities without restrictive exclusivity.
A standard you keep to yourself isn’t a standard. It’s a secret.
Why this matters
- We set the standards, rather than follow them.
- We strengthen the field through openness and education.
- We bridge academic theory and digital practice.
- We help freelancers grow with us — and thrive independently.
As AI reshapes how Arabic content is produced and consumed, the field needs standard-setters more, not less. That is the work HOC began in 2016 and continues today.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Modern Standard Arabic framework HOC created? First published in 2016, it was the first dedicated attempt to define MSA and provide working guidelines distinguishing it from Classical Arabic — a foundational reference for professional Arabic content.
Why does HOC share its standards publicly? Because raising the whole industry’s standard ultimately serves clients and the language better than hoarding methods. A standard only matters if others can adopt it.
Does HOC train Arabic linguists? Yes — through ongoing internship, induction, and development programs, with many participants going on to join the core team.
Dr. Ali Mohamad is CEO and Senior Researcher at HOC.