Arabic search is not English search with a different alphabet
Normalisation, diacritics, and the ways citizens actually type their names. Lessons from indexing millions of Arabic records.
· 5 min read · Cozyplus Technologies
The same name can be written five ways: with or without hamza, with taa marbuta or haa, with diacritics or none. A registry that returns "no results" for a citizen who exists is a failed registry.
What we do
Normalise on index and on query, keep the original spelling for display and legal purposes, and rank exact matches above normalised ones. Accept Arabic and Latin digits everywhere and store one canonical form.
Why it matters in procurement
Evaluation committees rarely ask about search. Clerks ask about it on day one. Getting it right is the difference between a system that is used and one that is worked around.