Gandour Arabic Wordmark

Gandour, one of the most iconic brands in the Middle East, turned to us at Tarek Atrissi Design to revamp their famed Arabic wordmark. Gandour’s products have been part of people’s lives for generations across the Arab world — a heritage brand with deep emotional resonance and cultural familiarity. Working on this brand meant engaging with a legacy that spans over 160 years.

The task was to revive Gandour’s very first Arabic calligraphic wordmark — dating back to 1857 — and retain the historic and recognizable value in it, while making it visually work in harmony with the existing Latin wordmark. This was both a delicate Arabic typographic challenge and a bilingual logo adaptation task. The goal was to craft a modern, legible, and authentic Arabic logo that respects the original calligraphic character, while achieving visual balance and cohesion within the broader brand system.

Over the years, Gandour’s Arabic logo had undergone numerous redesign attempts: some leaned too heavily on matching the Latin version, while others modernized the calligraphy to the point of losing its traditional charm. Our task was to strike a careful balance — reviving the authenticity of the original Arabic calligraphic wordmark, improving legibility, and preserving its emotional and cultural resonance.

We approached the project by researching the brand’s extensive visual archive and drawing direct inspiration from its original logo forms. The final design restores the personality and elegance of the historic wordmark while subtly refining its proportions and rhythm. Instead of forcing visual harmony through formal similarity, we embraced the power of contrast: the Latin and Arabic logos are distinct in character, yet designed to complement each other within a cohesive brand system.

The project was developed as part of a broader visual identity framework for Gandour, ensuring the Arabic wordmark could be used across packaging, signage, and brand communications — consistently and confidently, while honoring the legacy of one of the region’s most beloved heritage brands.

While originally founded in Lebanon in 1857, Gandour established major operations in Saudi Arabia in the mid-20th century, becoming one of the first confectionery companies to set up manufacturing in the Kingdom. Today, the Arabic wordmark is used extensively across the Gandour brand — appearing on all types of packaging for their wide range of products, including chocolate bars and spreads, chewing gums and candies, cakes and snack bars, biscuits and cookies, as well as jams. It also features prominently in brand communications, retail environments, and signage at food fairs and market stands throughout the region.

Core Gandour Arabic wordmark concept and design by Tarek Atrissi Design / Final detailing and refinements by TwoThirds.