WhatsApp Order Update Template: Arabic and English Examples

A WhatsApp order update template is a pre-approved message your store sends when an order changes status. Most UAE and Saudi stores need four of them, each in Arabic and English: order confirmed, shipped, out for delivery and delivered. Below are copy-ready versions, the rules Meta applies to them, and the mistakes that get templates rejected.

Which WhatsApp order update template does a UAE or KSA store need?

You need one template per order stage, per language. That means eight templates for a bilingual store.

When you create a template on WhatsApp, you choose its name and supported language. So an Arabic version and an English version are two separate templates. Name them clearly, for example order_shipped_en and order_shipped_ar.

Send the language the customer picked at checkout. If you don't ask, default to the language of the website they ordered on.

One note on Meta's order status template. Meta documents it as a Utility template with a body and footer, and it lets a business update an order status outside the customer session window. That page is about payment flows. We could not confirm it is live for the UAE or KSA, so the templates below use standard text templates.

What rules decide whether the template gets approved?

Meta approves order updates as Utility when they follow something the customer did. Utility templates are typically triggered by a user action or request. A placed order is exactly that.

Keep these rules in mind before you write anything:

• Opted-in contacts only. The customer should expect WhatsApp updates. Add a clear tick box at checkout.
• Tied to something happening now. Each message fires on a real event, like a courier scan. Don't batch or repeat messages.
• One clear next step. One link at most, a full link, no shorteners.
• Under 1024 characters.
• No promo inside the update. Meta says a generic survey or feedback request won't be approved as utility. A review request must tie to a specific order.
• End with the opt-out line. "Reply STOP and we will not message you again."

In Saudi Arabia, the PDPL Implementing Regulation (Article 29) defines direct marketing as any direct electronic communication aimed at marketing material, including advertisements or promotions. Our reading is that a plain order update is not direct marketing, but a promo added to it is. The same article says the sender's identity must be clear and that marketing must stop without undue delay once consent is withdrawn. So name your store in every message and honour STOP at once.

We found no official UAE page we can cite for the UAE PDPL here. Treat UAE customers the same way: opt-in first, and check with your legal adviser.

The four templates, in Arabic and English

The variables in double curly brackets are placeholders. Meta asks for sample values when you submit.

1. Order confirmed

Trigger: the customer completes checkout.

English:

Hi {{1}}, thanks for your order {{2}} from {{3}}. We have received it and will message you when it ships. Order details: {{4}}
Reply STOP and we will not message you again.

Arabic:

مرحباً {{1}}، شكراً لطلبك رقم {{2}} من {{3}}. استلمنا طلبك وسنراسلك عند شحنه. تفاصيل الطلب: {{4}}
أرسل STOP ولن نراسلك مرة أخرى.

2. Order shipped

Trigger: the courier collects the parcel and you have a tracking number.

English:

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been handed to {{3}}. Tracking number: {{4}}. Follow it here: {{5}}
Reply STOP and we will not message you again.

Arabic:

مرحباً {{1}}، تم تسليم طلبك رقم {{2}} إلى شركة الشحن {{3}}. رقم التتبع: {{4}}. تابع شحنتك من هنا: {{5}}
أرسل STOP ولن نراسلك مرة أخرى.

3. Out for delivery

Trigger: the courier marks the parcel out for delivery.

This is the message that matters most in COD-heavy markets. Say the amount due, so the customer has cash or a card ready. Create a second version without the amount for prepaid orders.

English (COD):

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} is out for delivery today. The courier may call this number. Amount to pay on delivery: {{3}}. Track it here: {{4}}
Reply STOP and we will not message you again.

Arabic (COD):

مرحباً {{1}}، طلبك رقم {{2}} خرج للتوصيل اليوم. قد يتصل بك المندوب على هذا الرقم. المبلغ المطلوب عند الاستلام: {{3}}. تابع الطلب من هنا: {{4}}
أرسل STOP ولن نراسلك مرة أخرى.

A practical tip: if your couriers use a Dubai Makani number or a Saudi National Address short address to find the door, confirm it at checkout. Then you won't need an extra message when the driver is already outside.

4. Delivered

Trigger: the courier marks the order delivered.

English:

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} was delivered. If something is wrong, reply to this message and our team will help. Order details: {{3}}
Reply STOP and we will not message you again.

Arabic:

مرحباً {{1}}، تم تسليم طلبك رقم {{2}}. إذا كانت هناك أي مشكلة، رد على هذه الرسالة وسيساعدك فريقنا. تفاصيل الطلب: {{3}}
أرسل STOP ولن نراسلك مرة أخرى.

Don't add a discount code here. If you want a review, write a separate template that names the specific order and asks about it.

Quick reference: when each message fires

How do you submit and test these templates?

Follow these steps.

1. Confirm you collect opt-in at checkout, with a separate tick box for WhatsApp updates.
2. Create each template in your WhatsApp Business account under the Utility category.
3. Select the language for each one, Arabic or English.
4. Add realistic sample values for every variable. Use a real-looking order number, not "test".
5. Submit and wait for approval. Fix any rejection reason before resubmitting.
6. Send a test to your own number in both languages. Check that the Arabic reads right to left and the link opens.
7. Connect each template to its trigger, such as a courier status change, so it sends once per event.

If you use the Quickship Meta Messaging Module, replies to these updates land in a shared inbox with your WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger chats. Your team sees "where is my order" in one place. If several couriers deliver your orders, the Last Mile Aggregator keeps courier statuses and COD reconciliation on one dashboard, which makes the trigger data easier to trust.

What does an order update message cost?

Meta charges per delivered message, and the price depends on the category and the recipient's country. Rates change. Meta's changelog shows it raised marketing message rates for the UAE and changed Saudi Arabia per-message rate cards on 1 April 2026. It also lists further rate card changes from 1 July and 1 October 2026.

Because third-party sites quote different figures, we won't print a price. Check Meta's official pricing page for the current UAE and KSA rate for Utility and Marketing messages.

The category matters for your budget. Meta penalises misuse in steps. Utility volume on the account is capped in a 24-hour rolling window. After that, all approved utility templates can be recategorised as marketing, and new utility templates are disabled. Putting a promo in a delivery message can cost you far more than one rejection.

What are the common mistakes?

• Adding a promo to the delivered message. It breaks the Utility category and, in KSA, can make the message direct marketing.
• Sending the English version to an Arabic-speaking customer. Store the language at checkout.
• Skipping the COD amount. Failed deliveries often start with a customer who was not ready to pay. The courier then logs a failed attempt.
• Sending messages in a burst. Fire each template on its own event, not all at once when an order is bulk-updated.
• Using a shortened link. Use your full store or tracking link.
• Forgetting the sender name. Name your store in the message, as the Saudi regulation expects the sender to be clearly identified.
• Ignoring STOP. Remove the contact from messaging straight away.

Say a Dubai online store sends 40 orders a day through two couriers. It would use the confirmed template at checkout, the shipped template once each courier returns a tracking number, and the out-for-delivery template only on the day of the scan. That is a few messages per order, spread over days, each tied to an event the customer can recognise.