Autocad Font — Xarab.shx

You will rarely create a drawing using Xarab.shx if you work in an English-only environment. However, you will inevitably receive one.

The short answer is Yes. Autodesk has been moving away from SHX for linguistic text. With the introduction of DirectWrite text rendering in AutoCAD 2024, TrueType fonts now render faster and support complex scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, Devanagari) natively.

However, the legacy of Xarab.shx persists for three reasons: Xarab.shx Autocad Font

Recommendation for 2025+: Do not create new drawings with Xarab.shx. Migrate your templates to Arial (TTF) or Simplified Arabic. Keep Xarab.shx only in your font folder as a "legacy viewer."

To understand the reverence for Xarab.shx, one must understand the history of CAD in the Middle East. You will rarely create a drawing using Xarab

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Autodesk did not natively support Arabic. Engineers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt had to rely on "localized" versions of AutoCAD. These were often modified by third-party developers.

During this era, Xarab.shx became the industry standard. It was the default font for governmental architectural standards, municipality submission drawings, and construction documents. Even today, many large consultancy firms in the Gulf region have drafting standards that explicitly mandate the use of Xarab.shx to ensure that legacy drawings (dating back 20 years) remain editable and consistent. Recommendation for 2025+: Do not create new drawings

If the drawing is critical and you don't care about the Arabic text (you just want the geometry):