The start that set the course
RTLtype’s first major release was the site typeface for beIN SPORTS in the Middle East in 2009. From that project we entered the Palestinian, regional and global markets, gaining experience with every new type system.
Independent foundry since 2009
We design the type that institutions use to voice themselves.
RTLtype is a professional Arabic and Latin type foundry, established in Palestine in 2009 as a registered commercial entity. We combine meticulous design sensibility, type engineering, and technical testing to produce robust type systems that perform across identity, publishing, screens and digital products.From the first glyph to the final technical test, we treat type as a structure of meaning and a tool for institutional work. That’s why we apply the same rigor to visual character, script balance, spacing, diacritics, OpenType features and software compatibility.
Partnerships that shape the scene
We were among the early contributors to Canva at launch, supplying it with more than 60 Arabic typefaces from our team. We have also developed type work for prominent organizations including Riyad Bank, Arla, Goody Saudi, and the Saudi Ministry of Culture for the Year of Arabic Poetry event.
Cross‑sector, multilingual expertise
Our work has extended to media and corporate identity in Kurdistan, delivering projects for Al-Shamaliah Channel 8, Radio Nawa, Awj Film Production, and Kurdistan24.net under Al Jazeera supervision. This diverse experience gives us practical ability to understand different cultural and technical contexts and craft type that performs within them.
Founder and Creative Director
Zakaria Saleh, founder and Creative Director of RTLtype, is a university lecturer and specialist in typeface design. He holds a distinction in an MA in Creative Multimedia from Palestine Polytechnic University and leads a practice that blends academic research, design expertise and font engineering.