diff --git a/app/init.php b/app/init.php
index b7cbd97a3b..ce319213d6 100644
--- a/app/init.php
+++ b/app/init.php
@@ -666,15 +666,17 @@ $locales = Config::getParam('locale-codes', []);
 
 foreach ($locales as $locale) {
     $code = $locale['code'];
+    
     $path = __DIR__ . '/config/locale/translations/' . $code . '.json';
 
     if (!\file_exists($path)) {
-        $path = __DIR__ . '/config/locale/translations/' . \substr($code, 0, 2) . '.json';
+        $path = __DIR__ . '/config/locale/translations/' . \substr($code, 0, 2) . '.json'; // if `ar-ae` doesn't exist, look for `ar`
+        if(!\file_exists($path)) {
+            $path = __DIR__ . '/config/locale/translations/en.json'; // if none translation exists, use default from `en.json`
+        }
     }
 
-    if (\file_exists($path)) {
-        Locale::setLanguageFromJSON($code, $path);
-    }
+    Locale::setLanguageFromJSON($code, $path);
 }
 
 \stream_context_set_default([ // Set global user agent and http settings
diff --git a/tests/e2e/Services/Locale/LocaleBase.php b/tests/e2e/Services/Locale/LocaleBase.php
index 64b5e5f43e..dc4a2347c6 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/Services/Locale/LocaleBase.php
+++ b/tests/e2e/Services/Locale/LocaleBase.php
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ trait LocaleBase
             $response = $this->client->call(Client::METHOD_GET, '/locale/countries', [
                 'content-type' => 'application/json',
                 'x-appwrite-project' => $this->getProject()['$id'],
-                'x-appwrite-locale' => $lang,
+                'x-appwrite-locale' => $lang['code'],
             ]);
 
             if (!\is_array($response['body']['countries'])) {
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ trait LocaleBase
             }
 
             foreach ($response['body']['countries'] as $i => $code) {
-                $this->assertContains($code['code'], $defaultCountries, $code['code'] . ' country should be removed from ' . $lang);
+                $this->assertContains($code['code'], $defaultCountries, $code['code'] . ' country should be removed from ' . $lang['code']);
             }
 
             // foreach (array_keys($defaultCountries) as $i => $code) {
@@ -256,11 +256,11 @@ trait LocaleBase
             $response = $this->client->call(Client::METHOD_GET, '/locale/continents', [
                 'content-type' => 'application/json',
                 'x-appwrite-project' => $this->getProject()['$id'],
-                'x-appwrite-locale' => $lang,
+                'x-appwrite-locale' => $lang['code'],
             ]);
 
             foreach ($response['body']['continents'] as $i => $code) {
-                $this->assertContains($code['code'], $defaultContinents, $code['code'] . ' continent should be removed from ' . $lang);
+                $this->assertContains($code['code'], $defaultContinents, $code['code'] . ' continent should be removed from ' . $lang['code']);
             }
 
             // foreach (array_keys($defaultContinents) as $i => $code) {