Aldhabi is a cursive Arabic OpenType font designed by Fiona Ross, Tim Holloway, Titus Nemeth, John Hudson, and Mamoun Sakkal for Microsoft in 2014. It is intended for larger display sizes, with an elegant, flowing style creating historical influences and contemporary needs. Inspired by the Ottoman Turkish zülf-ü Cruz style, “the way of curls,” this flowing and rolling style serves as a pioneer to the Ottoman Diwani calligraphic style, sharing common features with the Persian Nastaliq style. It is undoubtedly influenced by early Diwani calligraphy, which is known for its ornate details and flowing cursive connections. It includes harmonized Latin characters to support occasional English or European language words within Arabic text, as well as transliterations of Arabic and Persian.
One of its notable features is the ability to generate numerous cursive extensions by typing kashidas directly from the keyboard. It includes 1148 glyphs and 478 letters and symbols to fulfill various design needs easily. Moreover, it supports Arabic, Latin, Urdu, and various other languages and is compatible with a wide range of the latest Unicode blocks. Aldhabi can be used in calligraphy, Quran writing, invitations, logos, and other Arabic text applications. As a trademark of the Microsoft group, its innovative design sets it apart from traditional Arabic typefaces, providing a new, versatile option for contemporary typography needs.
