diff --git a/gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_ar.py b/gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_ar.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc2ade697
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_ar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,217 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Gramps - a GTK+/GNOME based genealogy program
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2004-2006  Donald N. Allingham
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA
+#
+
+# $Id$
+
+"""
+Arabic-specific classes for parsing and displaying dates.
+"""
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# Python modules
+#
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+import re
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# GRAMPS modules
+#
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+from ..lib.date import Date
+from ._dateparser import DateParser
+from ._datedisplay import DateDisplay
+from ._datehandler import register_datehandler
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# Arabic parser class
+#
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+class DateParserAR(DateParser):
+    """
+    Convert a text string into a Date object. If the date cannot be
+    converted, the text string is assigned.
+    """
+
+    # modifiers before the date
+    modifier_to_int = {
+        'قبل' : Date.MOD_BEFORE,
+        'قبل'    : Date.MOD_BEFORE,
+        'قبل.'   : Date.MOD_BEFORE,
+        'بعد'  : Date.MOD_AFTER,
+        'بعد'    : Date.MOD_AFTER, 
+        'بعد.'   : Date.MOD_AFTER,
+        'حوالي'  : Date.MOD_ABOUT, 
+        'حوالي.'   : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        'حوالي'    : Date.MOD_ABOUT, 
+        'حوالي'  : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        'حوالي.'     : Date.MOD_ABOUT, 
+        'حوالي' : Date.MOD_ABOUT,
+        }
+    # in some languages some of above listed modifiers are after the date,
+    # in that case the subclass should put them into this dictionary instead
+    modifier_after_to_int = {}
+
+    islamic_to_int = {
+        "محرّم"           : 1,  "محرّم الحرام"  : 1,
+        "صفر"              : 2,  "ربيع الأول"      : 3,
+        "ربيع 1"             : 3,  "ربيع الأخير"      : 4,
+        "ربيع الثاني"     : 4,  "ربيع الثاني"    : 4,
+        "ربيع الثاني"     : 4,  "ربيع الثاني"    : 4,
+        "ربيع 2"           : 4,  "جمادى الأولى"       : 5,
+        "جمادى الأول"   : 5,  "جمادى 1"          : 5,
+        "جمادى الثانية"     : 6,  "جمادى الأخير"   : 6,
+        "جمادى الثاني"  : 6,  "جمادى 2"         : 5,
+        "رجب"              : 7,  "شعبان"            : 8,
+        "شعبان"           : 8,  "رمضان"            : 9,
+        "رمضان"           : 9,  "شوال"            : 10,
+        "ذو القعدة"        : 11, "ذو القعدة"          : 11,
+        "ذو القعدة"      : 11, "ذو الحجة"        : 12,
+        "ذو الحجة"          : 12, "ذو الحجة"      : 12,
+        }
+
+    bce = ["قبل الميلاد", "قبل الميلاد", "قبل الميلاد", "قبل الميلاد", "قبل الميلاد", "قبل الميلاد" ]
+
+    calendar_to_int = {
+        'غريغوري'        : Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,
+        'غريغوري'                : Date.CAL_GREGORIAN,
+        'يوليوسي'           : Date.CAL_JULIAN,
+        'يوليوسي'                : Date.CAL_JULIAN,
+        'عبري'           : Date.CAL_HEBREW,
+        'عبري'                : Date.CAL_HEBREW,
+        'إسلامي'          : Date.CAL_ISLAMIC,
+        'إسلامي'                : Date.CAL_ISLAMIC,
+        'فرنسي'           : Date.CAL_FRENCH,
+        'فرنسي جمهوري': Date.CAL_FRENCH,
+        'فرنسي'                : Date.CAL_FRENCH,
+        'فارسي'          : Date.CAL_PERSIAN,
+        'فارسي'                : Date.CAL_PERSIAN, 
+        'سويدي'          : Date.CAL_SWEDISH,
+        'سويدي'                : Date.CAL_SWEDISH,
+        }
+    
+    quality_to_int = {
+        'متوقع'  : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        'متوقع.'       : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        'متوقع'        : Date.QUAL_ESTIMATED,
+        'محسوب.'      : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        'محسوب'       : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        'محسوب' : Date.QUAL_CALCULATED,
+        }
+    
+    def init_strings(self):
+        """
+        This method compiles regular expression strings for matching dates.
+        """
+        DateParser.init_strings(self)
+        _span_1 = ['من']
+        _span_2 = ['إلى']
+        _range_1 = ['بين']
+        _range_2 = ['و']
+        self._span =  re.compile("(%s)\s+(?P<start>.+)\s+(%s)\s+(?P<stop>.+)" %
+                                 ('|'.join(_span_1), '|'.join(_span_2)),
+                                 re.IGNORECASE)
+        self._range = re.compile("(%s)\s+(?P<start>.+)\s+(%s)\s+(?P<stop>.+)" %
+                                 ('|'.join(_range_1), '|'.join(_range_2)),
+                                 re.IGNORECASE)
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# Arabic display
+#
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+class DateDisplayAR(DateDisplay):
+    """
+    Arabic language date display class. 
+    """
+    # this is used to display the 12 gregorian months
+    long_months = ( "", "كانون الثاني", "شباط", "آذار", "نيسان", "أيار", 
+                    "حزيران", "تموز", "آب", "أيلول", "تشرين الأول", 
+                    "تشرين الثاني", "كانون الأول" )
+    
+    short_months = ( "", "كانون2", "شباط", "آذار", "نيسان", "أيار", "حزيران",
+                     "تموز", "آب", "أيلول", "تشرين1", "تشرين2", "كانون1" )
+
+    islamic = (
+        "", "محرّم", "صفر", "ربيع الأول", "ربيع الثاني", 
+        "جمادى الأولى", "جمادى الثانية", "رجب", "شعبان", 
+        "رمضان", "شوال", "ذو القعدة", "ذو الحجة"
+        )
+
+    formats = (
+        "YYYY-MM-DD (قياسي)", "عددي", "شهر يوم, سنة", 
+        "شهر يوم, سنة", "يوم شهر سنة", "يوم شهر سنة"
+        )
+        # this must agree with DateDisplayEn's "formats" definition
+        # (since no locale-specific _display_gregorian exists, here)
+    
+    calendar = (
+        "", "يوليوسي", "عبري", "فرنسي", 
+        "فارسي", "إسلامي", "سويدي" 
+        )
+    
+    _mod_str = ("", "قبل ", "بعد ", "حوالي ", "", "", "")
+
+    _qual_str = ("", "متوقع ", "محسوب ")
+    
+    _bce_str = "%s قبل الميلاد."
+    
+    def display(self, date):
+        """
+        Return a text string representing the date.
+        """
+        mod = date.get_modifier()
+        cal = date.get_calendar()
+        qual = date.get_quality()
+        start = date.get_start_date()
+        newyear = date.get_new_year()
+
+        qual_str = self._qual_str[qual]
+        
+        if mod == Date.MOD_TEXTONLY:
+            return date.get_text()
+        elif start == Date.EMPTY:
+            return ""
+        elif mod == Date.MOD_SPAN:
+            d1 = self.display_cal[cal](start)
+            d2 = self.display_cal[cal](date.get_stop_date())
+            scal = self.format_extras(cal, newyear)
+            return "%s%s %s %s %s%s" % (qual_str, 'من', d1, 'إلى', d2, scal)
+        elif mod == Date.MOD_RANGE:
+            d1 = self.display_cal[cal](start)
+            d2 = self.display_cal[cal](date.get_stop_date())
+            scal = self.format_extras(cal, newyear)
+            return "%s%s %s %s %s%s" % (qual_str, 'بين', d1, 'و', d2, scal)
+        else:
+            text = self.display_cal[date.get_calendar()](start)
+            scal = self.format_extras(cal, newyear)
+            return "%s%s%s%s" % (qual_str, self._mod_str[mod], text, scal)
+
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# Register classes
+#
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+register_datehandler(('ar_AR', 'ar', 'Arabic', 'arabic'), 
+    DateParserAR, DateDisplayAR)
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.skip b/po/POTFILES.skip
index cb47dda4b..f74f8af1b 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.skip
+++ b/po/POTFILES.skip
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ gramps/gen/ggettext.py
 #
 # gen.datehandler package
 #
+gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_ar.py
 gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_bg.py
 gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_ca.py
 gramps/gen/datehandler/_date_cs.py