From Consumer to Contributor: Why We Invested in Drupal Localization
Loading...
In the open-source world, there is a fundamental difference between consuming technology and contributing to it.
For years, organizations and developers around the world have benefited from open-source software. Yet the true strength of these projects does not come from their users alone; it comes from the communities that actively improve, maintain, and shape them. This is why, nearly three years ago, Sprintive made a deliberate decision: we wanted to be contributors, not just consumers.
One of the ways we chose to contribute was through the localization of Drupal Core, helping improve the experience for Arabic-speaking users across the platform. Over the past two months, our team has contributed more than 25% of the current Arabic localization effort, raising the completion rate from 37% to 62%, with a clear goal of reaching full coverage.
However, the story is not about percentages or milestones. Numbers simply measure progress. The real value lies in the contribution itself and in creating a lasting impact that benefits the broader community.
Our commitment to localization is rooted in practical experience. Over the years, Sprintive has delivered digital platforms where Arabic is not a secondary language but the primary one. Our work includes large-scale initiatives such as the Arab Union Catalog, as well as more than 7 university portals, ministries, and government institutions across the Arab world.
Through these projects, we learned that localization is far more than translation. Effective localization requires an understanding of language, culture, context, and user expectations. A phrase that is linguistically correct may still feel unnatural to native speakers, while a direct translation can sometimes create confusion rather than clarity.
That is why we believe the people best positioned to shape the Arabic experience are Arabic speakers themselves, the individuals who use the language every day and understand its nuances in technical, academic, governmental, and professional contexts. Instead of relying solely on translations produced far from the communities they serve, we believe Arabic-speaking professionals should play an active role in defining how technology speaks to its users.
Open-source contribution is not limited to writing code. It includes improving documentation, accessibility, localization, usability, and every aspect that helps make technology more useful and inclusive.
At Sprintive, we see localization as one way of giving back to the ecosystem that has enabled us to build and deliver digital experiences for years. More importantly, it is a reminder that the future of open source is built not only by those who use it but also by those who choose to contribute to it.
