diff --git a/lib/src/arabic/MorphoAra.gf b/lib/src/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
index a6c2267d2..a739510fd 100644
--- a/lib/src/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
+++ b/lib/src/arabic/MorphoAra.gf
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 resource MorphoAra = ResAra ** open Prelude in  {
 
-flags optimize = all ;--noexpand;  coding=utf8 ;
+flags optimize = all ;--noexpand;  
+  coding=utf8 ;
 
   oper
 
diff --git a/lib/src/arabic/NumeralAra.gf b/lib/src/arabic/NumeralAra.gf
index 12c7548f8..efeec5ddd 100644
--- a/lib/src/arabic/NumeralAra.gf
+++ b/lib/src/arabic/NumeralAra.gf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 concrete NumeralAra of Numeral = CatAra ** 
   open Predef, Prelude, ResAra, MorphoAra in {
 
-
+flags coding=utf8 ;
 
 lincat 
 
diff --git a/lib/src/arabic/SentenceAra.gf b/lib/src/arabic/SentenceAra.gf
index 72b529a29..30ae03795 100644
--- a/lib/src/arabic/SentenceAra.gf
+++ b/lib/src/arabic/SentenceAra.gf
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ concrete SentenceAra of Sentence = CatAra ** open
   CommonX in {
 
 
-  flags optimize=all_subs ;
+  flags optimize=all_subs ; coding=utf8 ;
         
   lin
 {-