# Mada font

> An Arabic and Latin sans serif with a 200 to 900 variable weight axis, its Arabic modelled on Cairo road signs.

Mada is a low-contrast Arabic and Latin sans serif by Khaled Hosny, whose Arabic letters take their cue from road signage in Cairo. Mada is a variable font with a weight axis from ExtraLight 200 to Black 900 and no italic. It is released under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 and suits interfaces, signage and bilingual text.

## Facts

- Classification: [Sans Serif](https://trendhub.net/fonts/category/sans-serif)
- Designed by: Khaled Hosny, Paul D. Hunt
- License: SIL Open Font License 1.1 (https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/)
- Styles: 8 (ExtraLight 200, Light 300, Regular 400, Medium 500, SemiBold 600, Bold 700, ExtraBold 800, Black 900)
- Variable font: Yes (wght 200–900)
- Glyphs: 986
- Character sets: arabic, latin, latin-ext
- Last updated: 2025-09-05
- Official source: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Mada
- Page: https://trendhub.net/fonts/mada
- Tagged for: Body text, Interfaces, Branding, Signage

## About Mada

Mada is a sans serif family for Arabic-script and Latin text. Khaled Hosny drew the Arabic after road signs seen around Cairo: per the official notes it has low descenders, open contours and little stroke contrast, qualities aimed at signage, small sizes and user interfaces, though it can also serve as a display face. The Latin part is a lightly modified version of Source Sans Pro, the Adobe family led by Paul D. Hunt; in the specimen it shows plain, slightly narrow letters with a double-storey a. The family ships as one variable file with a weight axis from 200 to 900 and eight named weights, ExtraLight to Black. There are no italics. It contains 986 glyphs across the Arabic, Latin and Latin Extended character sets and is licensed under the SIL Open Font License 1.1.

## License

SIL Open Font License 1.1. Copyright 2015-2022 The Mada Project Authors (https://github.com/aliftype/mada), with Reserved Font Name "Source".

Allowed:
- Use the fonts in personal and commercial work, in print, on the web and in apps.
- Modify the fonts and build new versions from them.
- Redistribute the fonts, on their own or bundled with software, as long as the license text and copyright notice go with them.

Conditions:
- The fonts cannot be sold by themselves.
- A modified version must stay under the same license and cannot use a Reserved Font Name without the copyright holder's permission.
- The authors' names cannot be used to promote a modified version without permission.

Summary only, not legal advice. Full text: https://openfontlicense.org/open-font-license-official-text/

## Where it works

- **Bilingual interfaces**: Arabic and Latin share weights from 200 to 900, so a control can switch script without changing its visual weight.
- **Wayfinding and signs**: The Arabic was modelled on road signage, with open contours and short descenders that keep lines of text close together.
- **Small text on screens**: Low stroke contrast and open shapes were chosen, the notes say, for small point sizes.
- **Headlines in two scripts**: ExtraBold and Black give a heading the same heavy colour in Arabic script and in Latin.

## Things to know

- **A single variable file**: The package holds one file that spans the whole range from ExtraLight to Black. There is no separate italic.
- **Latin from Source Sans Pro**: The copyright notice lists "Source" as a Reserved Font Name, which reflects the origin of the Latin letters.
- **Scripts covered**: Character sets are Arabic, Latin and Latin Extended. Cyrillic and Greek are not included.

## FAQs

### Is Mada free for commercial use?

Yes, under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. The license lets you use Mada in commercial and personal work, change it and pass it on; it cannot be sold by itself, and derivatives carry the same license and may not use a Reserved Font Name without permission.

### Who designed Mada?

Mada is by Khaled Hosny, who drew the Arabic. Its Latin is adapted from Source Sans Pro, a design led by Paul D. Hunt, which is why both names are credited.

### How many weights does Mada have?

Mada has eight named weights, from ExtraLight 200 to Black 900. There are no italics.

### Is Mada a variable font?

Yes. Mada is a variable font whose only axis is weight, running from 200 to 900.

### Does Mada include Arabic letters?

Yes. Mada contains an Arabic-script character set alongside Latin and Latin Extended, and the Arabic is the original part of the design.

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Source: https://trendhub.net/fonts/mada (trendhub)