Scheherazade New
serif
Scheherazade New is a serif typeface designed primarily for Arabic script, with a classical calligraphic structure that reflects traditional Naskh letterforms. It has a flowing, refined quality built on balanced stroke contrast and carefully proportioned glyphs. The design is formal without being rigid, carrying a sense of cultural heritage and scholarly precision. Its Latin companion characters are clean and understated, making the font functional across multilingual documents rather than purely decorative. Overall, the personality is dignified and literary, suited to contexts where legibility and cultural authenticity matter more than visual novelty.
Given its Arabic-first design and formal character, Scheherazade New works well in academic or religious publishing where Arabic text needs to be rendered accurately and legibly at various sizes. It is also a strong choice for organizations operating across Arab-speaking regions that need consistent bilingual branding in both Arabic and Latin scripts. Additionally, it fits editorial and long-form content contexts such as digital magazines, cultural journalism, or archival projects focused on Middle Eastern or Islamic subject matter, where the typeface reinforces the content's tone and geographic identity.
Best suited for: Academic publishing, bilingual branding, cultural journalism, and archival projects where Arabic legibility and formal presentation are priorities across multilingual contexts.
Design considerations: The typeface offers four weight options that support hierarchical text systems while maintaining its classical Naskh structure across both Arabic and Latin scripts. Its formal, scholarly personality suits extended reading and institutional applications where cultural authenticity and precision enhance credibility.
Pairing guidance: Pair with Cormorant Garamond for elegant display or heading roles in high-end editorial layouts, Source Serif 4 for flexible body or secondary text requiring extensive weight range, or Cinzel for classical heading emphasis in heritage-focused publications. Each pairing respects Scheherazade New's formal character while offering complementary typographic roles.