 <p>I think those are bugs in Xcode (you can try changing the font, but I don't think the direction can be changed).</p> <p>However, it is generally preferable to write your strings in English and then use internationalization (i18n) techniques to convert and display them in Arabic at runtime. A quick google revealed this <a href="http://rudifa.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/i18n-of-my-iphone-app/" rel="nofollow">blogpost</a>. This solves two issues:</p> <ol> <li>You can support any number of languages.</li> <li>You can store your Arabic text in a separate file and edit it with an external editor, making it easier to work with.</li> </ol>