Arabic MSX models...

Heh, I had never heard about this either... Any idea what the product code/type was of this beast?

First time I've seen this. I searched in Arabic but didn't find any result. must be very rare. The name is also weird.

Simple to find the ROM dump! It's written on the photo
http://www.nightfallcrew.com/02/11/2014/spectravideo-svi-728...

It's only the SVI Arabic rom, you need to add the BIOS+BASIC rom and eventually a DISK rom

For blueMSX, the config.ini file is :

[General]
Id=MSX - Spectravideo SVI-728 Arabic
Manufacturer=Spectravideo
Model=SVI-728 Arabic
System=MSX
KeyLayout=arabic2
RomSetVersion=1

[Video]
version=TMS9929A
vram size=16kB

[CMOS]
Enable CMOS=0
Battery Backed=0

[Subslotted Slots]
slot 0=0
slot 1=0
slot 2=0
slot 3=0

[External Slots]
slot A=2 0
slot B=3 0


[FDC]
Count=2
[CPU]
Z80 Frequency=3579545Hz
[Board]
type=MSX
[Slots]
0 0 0 0 84 "" ""
0 0 0 4 20 "Machines/MSX - Spectravideo SVI-728 Arabic/728bios.rom" ""
0 0 4 2 20 "Machines/MSX - Spectravideo SVI-728 Arabic/728arab.rom" ""
1 0 0 8 23 "" ""
3 0 2 4 67 "Machines/MSX - Spectravideo SVI-728 Arabic/707disk.rom" ""
[AUDIO]
PSG Stereo=0

Contrary to Al Alamiah computers, SVI has limited direct use of Arabic language to BASIC (2nd option of menu), but specific Arabic cartridges will also work. One exception : The Holy Qoran rom does not work on this machine.

Other options allow to use SVI-728 as a classic English international MSX1 (1st option disables the drive, 3rd option enables the drive).

Even with a cartridge in a slot, you will see this menu. The game will start only after having chosen one of the menu options. (Remark : version 2 of Frael Bruc computer works also this way). It's better to select option 2 for the Arabic games.

It's probably a similar working on SVI-738 Arabic, contrary to the config that I had based on Al Alamiah computers, without having any info. The SVI program has been created in 1987 while the Arabic Al Alamiah program has been created in 1986. So, it has no any sense to use the Arabic Al Alamiah ROM on the SVI-738 Arabic machine ...

It's a choice of the blueMSX team to add the floppy drive in the SVI-728. You are free to remove it or to press simultaneously on SHIFT and RETURN when selecting option 1 or 2 of the menu.

The screenshots are exactly the same on blueMSX when you compare to the real machine.

Real machine :

Menu screen :

[

Arabic BASIC screen :

English BASIC screen if you press simultaneously on SHIFT and RETURN to select option 1 of the menu (or if you have removed the drive) :

With the drive present and without pressing simultaneously on SHIFT and RETURN to select option 1 of the menu , there's indeed a little difference :