Royal Court invitations have a specific design vocabulary that signals seriousness. Get it wrong and the invitation looks like a wedding card. Get it right and it sets the tone for the event. Here are the conventions we apply when BHD prints formal invitations for events attended by Omani Royal Court figures, ministers, or ambassadors.

Paper

Royal-court-tier invitations use:

350 to 450 gsm cotton or cotton-blend paper in cream or ivory (never bright white).
Letterpress finish or blind-embossed border for the highest tier. Adds OMR 30 to 80 per 100 invitations.
Hot foil stamping in muted gold (not bright modern gold) for the host's emblem or monogram.

Layout

The strict bilingual EN+AR convention:

Arabic on the right side, English on the left side, with equal vertical centring. Never one above the other (which suggests primacy).
Identical content on both sides. Do not abbreviate one language.
The host's emblem or monogram centred top, equal margins.
Generous whitespace. 50% to 60% of the card is empty.
Single typeface family for elegance. Best EN: Garamond Premier, Caslon, or Inter Display. Best AR: Lateef, Amiri, or IBM Plex Sans Arabic.

Wording

Formal Omani invitation wording follows this pattern:

Host's full name with honorifics (His Excellency, His Highness, etc.) on both sides in matching tone.
The phrase "requests the pleasure of your company" (يتشرف بدعوتكم لحضور in Arabic).
Event title in formal capitalised typography.
Date, time, dress code, venue. Hijri date AND Gregorian date on Arabic side.
RSVP details on a separate small enclosed card.

Envelope

Premium invitations use a matching cotton or wove envelope, hand-addressed in calligraphy or printed in a digital calligraphy font. Foil-sealed with the host's monogram in wax (real or simulated).

Etiquette to avoid

Do not use bright colours. Muted gold + cream is the safe tier.
Do not include phone numbers on the main invitation. RSVP card only.
Do not use sans-serif body type. It reads as commercial.
Do not letter-space the Arabic. Ever.
Do not use the emoji 🇴🇲. Use the real Oman flag SVG inline or omit.

Typical cost

50 invitations with envelopes, 400 gsm cotton, blind-embossed border, gold foil monogram, RSVP card, custom calligraphy on envelopes: OMR 350 to 800 depending on detail. 100 invitations: OMR 500 to 1,200. 200+ invitations scale down per-unit.

Timeline: allow 7 to 14 days because of the die-cutting and foil work. Rush available in 5 days for an additional 30%.

Discuss your event with BHD

Royal Court and ministerial-tier invitations require a private consultation. Email [email protected] or visit our showroom at HM Tower, Bousher. Show your guest list size, event date, and preferred dress code and we draft three layout options within 2 business days.

How to Design a Royal Court Invitation in Oman