PDFUAEPDF guides
Arabic OCR guide

Arabic OCR for searchable scanned PDFs

Run local Arabic, English or mixed OCR and export searchable PDF, RTL text, TSV coordinates and table-candidate CSV files.

Updated: 2026-08-12Original PDFUAE guide

A scanned PDF may look like a text document while actually containing only page images. OCR attempts to recognise the characters and add a text layer that can be searched or copied.

PDFUAE processes Arabic, English and mixed documents locally. It exports UTF-8 RTL text, word coordinates in TSV and a table-candidate CSV. These results still need review, especially for phone photos, numbers and complex tables.

Arabic, English or mixedSearchable PDFRTL text and TSVLocal processing
Step by step

How to improve Arabic OCR output

1

Start with a clear scan

Use suitable resolution, straight pages and good contrast. Shadows, cropping and motion reduce accuracy before recognition begins.

2

Choose the right language

Use Arabic for an Arabic-only document, or Arabic + English for forms containing Latin terms and mixed numerals.

3

Create a searchable PDF

Keep the full package when you need search, extracted text and word coordinates for review or archiving.

4

Verify names, numbers and tables

Compare output with the source image. Do not rely on OCR alone for sensitive identities, amounts or reference numbers.

Before sharing

OCR quality checks

Arabic line direction is correct

Names and numbers match the source

Search finds real words

Page order is preserved

Candidate tables were manually reviewed

Avoid these

Limits that should stay visible

Weak phone images

Do not mix their accuracy with clean scans. A better capture may be necessary.

Complex tables

The CSV is a review aid, not a guaranteed reconstruction of every cell and heading.

Relying on one percentage

Accuracy changes with script, scan and layout. Evaluate the actual text in your document instead of a marketing figure.