Arabic text looks broken in Excel CSV? Import it as UTF-8
Use Excel’s text import preview to fix Arabic CSV decoding, choose the delimiter and preserve IDs with leading zeros without overwriting the original.
In brief
If Arabic in a CSV becomes strings of unusual Latin characters, close it without saving and import a copy through Data > Get Data > From File > From Text/CSV. Choose UTF-8 when the source file uses it, then check the preview before loading.
The same file can be decoded incorrectly on opening even though its original bytes still contain the right text. Saving the damaged view over it can make recovery harder.
Protect the original before trying fixes
A CSV is text plus separators, not an Excel workbook with formatting rules. When Arabic appears as unfamiliar sequences, first determine whether the original export is UTF-8. Do not repeatedly open, edit and save the same damaged-looking copy. Keep an untouched source so you can try a different import without compounding the problem.
If the source text already consists of question marks or replacement symbols, changing the import encoding may not restore the lost characters. Request a fresh UTF-8 export from the system that created it.
Use the preview rather than guessing
In Excel desktop, look under Data > Get Data > From File > From Text/CSV. Microsoft also documents a Get Data From Text option. Select the file and inspect the available file-origin/encoding and delimiter controls. Choose UTF-8, commonly listed as 65001, for a UTF-8 export. Confirm an Arabic heading you recognise before loading.
A UTF-8 CSV saved with a byte order mark can open normally in Excel, according to Microsoft. That does not mean adding random characters to the first row is a repair; use a proper UTF-8 export or the import route.
Documentation for these steps: Microsoft Support — Opening CSV UTF-8 files correctly ↗
Check columns and identifiers separately
If every row appears in one column, inspect the delimiter: your file may use semicolons rather than commas. If your import offers Transform Data, review column types before loading. Set student numbers, postal codes or product identifiers to Text when leading zeros are meaningful.
An example ID of 00125 is different from the numeric value 125. Converting the number back to text later does not tell Excel which original digits were lost. Also check that dates such as 03/04 have the intended day/month order.
Verify the result before sending it on
Compare several Arabic names or headings with the source, count rows and inspect a row containing punctuation. Save the working file as XLSX to retain types and multiple sheets. If a service requires CSV, export a separate UTF-8 CSV, then import that exported copy once to check it. CSV may contain sensitive records, so use local software and avoid posting the file into a public support thread.
Once the imported rows are correct, test any generated formula on a copy before using it across the sheet. Check an AI-written Excel formula before using it
Tools for this task
Before you act
Choosing UTF-8 cannot repair a file already exported with replacement characters instead of the original text. Ask for a new export when needed. Excel menus and import features differ across platforms and versions.
What to do next
- Keep the original CSV unchanged and work with a copy.
- Use Excel’s Data import for text or CSV instead of double-clicking.
- Select UTF-8 when appropriate and confirm the Arabic preview.
- Check the delimiter and set identifier columns to Text before loading.
- Save the working sheet as XLSX; export a separate CSV only when the recipient needs it.
