diff --git a/src/i18n/ar-display.test.mjs b/src/i18n/ar-display.test.mjs
index 6a8a152f7..f650a9a1d 100644
--- a/src/i18n/ar-display.test.mjs
+++ b/src/i18n/ar-display.test.mjs
@@ -71,13 +71,16 @@ test('Arabic formats with Western digits whatever ICU defaults to', () => {
   }
 });
 
+/** The text without the bidi isolates t() puts around values in RTL. */
+const plain = (text) => text.replace(/[\u2068\u2069]/g, '');
+
 test('Arabic uses all six plural forms and spaced HUD units', () => {
   const previous = getLocale();
   try {
     setLocale('ar');
     assert.deepEqual(
       [0, 1, 2, 3, 11, 100].map((n) =>
-        tn(n, '{count} SOURCE', '{count} SOURCES'),
+        plain(tn(n, '{count} SOURCE', '{count} SOURCES')),
       ),
       [
         '0 مصدر',
@@ -96,11 +99,16 @@ test('Arabic uses all six plural forms and spaced HUD units', () => {
       'Sentinel-2 · \u206830\u00a0م\u2069',
     );
     assert.equal(
-      LOCALIZED_LOCALITY.sector({ latDeg: 21.33, lonDeg: -77.5 }),
+      plain(LOCALIZED_LOCALITY.sector({ latDeg: 21.33, lonDeg: -77.5 })),
       'القطاع 21.33ش 77.50غ',
     );
     assert.equal(READOUT_WORDS.daysAgo(9), 'قبل 9 أيام');
     assert.equal(t('SAVE KEYS'), 'حفظ المفاتيح');
+    // Each value is isolated, so a time keeps its order inside Arabic text.
+    assert.equal(
+      t('Issued: {time}', { time: '10/28 00:00 UTC' }),
+      'صدر: \u206810/28 00:00 UTC\u2069',
+    );
     setLocale('ru');
     assert.equal(formatCockpitDistance(14000), '14 КМ');
   } finally {
diff --git a/src/i18n/index.js b/src/i18n/index.js
index babaa72b0..bd28fa346 100644
--- a/src/i18n/index.js
+++ b/src/i18n/index.js
@@ -81,9 +81,13 @@ const PLACEHOLDER_PATTERN = /\{([A-Za-z0-9_]+)\}/g;
  * stays visible instead of silently vanishing. */
 function interpolate(pattern, values) {
   if (!values) return pattern;
-  return pattern.replace(PLACEHOLDER_PATTERN, (literal, name) =>
-    Object.hasOwn(values, name) ? String(values[name]) : literal,
-  );
+  // In a right-to-left page each value is isolated: a time, a code or an
+  // English name keeps its own order instead of mixing with the sentence.
+  return pattern.replace(PLACEHOLDER_PATTERN, (literal, name) => {
+    if (!Object.hasOwn(values, name)) return literal;
+    const value = String(values[name]);
+    return value === '' ? value : isolate(value);
+  });
 }
 
 /** A catalog string with something to show; an empty one counts as missing. */
diff --git a/src/layers/firms/model.js b/src/layers/firms/model.js
index 14b875bf8..d260f55ab 100644
--- a/src/layers/firms/model.js
+++ b/src/layers/firms/model.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
-import { formatNumber, t } from '../../i18n/index.js';
+import { formatNumber, isolate, t } from '../../i18n/index.js';
 import {
   satelliteShortName,
   fireDetectionKey,
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ export function createModel({
       lon >= 0
         ? t('{value}°E', { value: amount(lon) })
         : t('{value}°W', { value: amount(lon) });
-    return `${latPart} ${lonPart}`;
+    return `${isolate(latPart)} ${isolate(lonPart)}`;
   }
 
   /** Millisecond delta → "<1h" / "Xh" / "Xd", or '' for invalid input. */
diff --git a/src/ui/cockpitPresentation.js b/src/ui/cockpitPresentation.js
index 4f3faac9d..265783154 100644
--- a/src/ui/cockpitPresentation.js
+++ b/src/ui/cockpitPresentation.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /** Pure formatting and fixed presentation constants used by Cockpit components. */
-import { formatNumber, getLocale, t, msg } from '../i18n/index.js';
+import { formatNumber, getLocale, isolate, t, msg } from '../i18n/index.js';
 import { formatQuantity } from './unitLabels.js';
 
 export const COCKPIT_HEADING_SLEW_DPS = 28;
@@ -124,18 +124,19 @@ export function formatCockpitCoordinate(value, positive, negative) {
     maximumFractionDigits: 3,
   });
   const code = value >= 0 ? positive : negative;
-  // Not «30,203°С»: after a degree sign «С» reads as Celsius.
+  // Not «30,203°С»: after a degree sign «С» reads as Celsius. Isolated, so
+  // an Arabic hemisphere letter does not pull the next number into its run.
   switch (code) {
     case 'N':
-      return t('{value}°N', { value: amount });
+      return isolate(t('{value}°N', { value: amount }));
     case 'S':
-      return t('{value}°S', { value: amount });
+      return isolate(t('{value}°S', { value: amount }));
     case 'E':
-      return t('{value}°E', { value: amount });
+      return isolate(t('{value}°E', { value: amount }));
     case 'W':
-      return t('{value}°W', { value: amount });
+      return isolate(t('{value}°W', { value: amount }));
     default:
-      return `${amount}°${compassPointLabel(code)}`;
+      return isolate(`${amount}°${compassPointLabel(code)}`);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ui/styles/rtl.css b/src/ui/styles/rtl.css
index b669dc3d5..a611f34a5 100644
--- a/src/ui/styles/rtl.css
+++ b/src/ui/styles/rtl.css
@@ -68,16 +68,22 @@ html:lang(ar) :is(#intel-hud, #cockpit-hud) {
 }
 
 /* The right rail sits on the left: its expand/collapse arrows point the
-   other way. */
-html[dir='rtl'] #right-context-rail .panel-collapse-btn {
+   other way, and the start window's "go" arrows point along the reading
+   direction. */
+html[dir='rtl'] #right-context-rail .panel-collapse-btn,
+html[dir='rtl'] .first-run-arrow {
   transform: scaleX(-1);
 }
+html[dir='rtl'] .first-run-choices button:hover .first-run-arrow,
+html[dir='rtl'] .first-run-choices button:focus-visible .first-run-arrow {
+  transform: translateX(-2px) scaleX(-1);
+}
 
 /* The cockpit is an aircraft panel, not page chrome: its windows keep their
    physical sides, so the data-layer stack goes back to the left edge instead
-   of landing on the utility controls. Gauges, tapes, the roll counters and the
-   position readout stay left to right (speed left, altitude right, -10 not
-   10-); the cards keep reading right to left. */
+   of landing on the utility controls. Gauges, tapes and the roll counters stay
+   left to right (speed left, altitude right, -10 not 10-); the cards keep
+   reading right to left. */
 html[dir='rtl'] body.cockpit-mode #left-panel-stack {
   left: var(--left-stack-x);
   right: auto;
@@ -90,7 +96,6 @@ html[dir='rtl']
     .cockpit-pitch-rail,
     .cockpit-altitude-rim,
     .cockpit-roll-arc,
-    .cockpit-position-readout,
     .cockpit-vision-controls
   ) {
   direction: ltr;
@@ -110,9 +115,17 @@ html[dir='rtl']
   unicode-bidi: plaintext;
 }
 
-/* Physical controls keep their left-to-right sense: media transport
-   (previous / play / next) and the radio dial. */
+/* Clock readouts (~0:05 / 5:19) are numbers, not prose. */
+html[dir='rtl'] #bhote-koshi-event-panel [data-role='time'] {
+  direction: ltr;
+  unicode-bidi: isolate;
+}
+
+/* Physical controls keep their left-to-right sense: the glyph-only media
+   transport (◀◀ ▶ ▶▶), FM seek down/up and the radio dial. The worded
+   PREV / PLAY / NEXT row follows the reading direction like any other
+   button row. */
 html[dir='rtl']
-  :is(.radio-transport, .context-radio-mini-transport, .radio-tuner) {
+  :is(.context-radio-mini-transport, .sdr-seek-row, .radio-tuner) {
   direction: ltr;
 }