diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/format.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/format.rs
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/format.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/format.rs
@@ -1373,6 +1373,7 @@ fn state(s: &mut Session, _p: &Value) -> Result<Value> {
         "superscript": r.baseline.unwrap_or(0.0) > 0.0,
         "subscript": r.baseline.unwrap_or(0.0) < 0.0,
         "align": pp.align.map(|a| a.xml()),
+        "rtl": pp.rtl.unwrap_or(false),
         "bullets": matches!(pp.bullet, Some(Bullet::Char { .. })),
         "numbering": matches!(pp.bullet, Some(Bullet::AutoNum { .. })),
         "lang": r.lang,
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/ribbon.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/ribbon.rs
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/ribbon.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/ribbon.rs
@@ -875,6 +875,12 @@ fn paragraph_group(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &mut Ui, st: &Value) {
                 toggle(app, ui, Icon::AlignCenter, "Center", "format.alignCenter", al == "ctr");
                 toggle(app, ui, Icon::AlignRight, "Align Right", "format.alignRight", al == "r");
                 toggle(app, ui, Icon::Justify, "Justify", "format.justify", al == "just");
+                if paragraph_direction_button(ui, "¶←", "Right-to-Left Paragraph", b("rtl"), en).clicked() {
+                    run(app, "format.rtl", json!({"on": true}));
+                }
+                if paragraph_direction_button(ui, "→¶", "Left-to-Right Paragraph", !b("rtl"), en).clicked() {
+                    run(app, "format.rtl", json!({"on": false}));
+                }
                 let r = icon_toggle(ui, Icon::TextDirection, "Text Direction", en, false);
                 egui::Popup::menu(&r).show(|ui| {
                     for (l, d) in [
@@ -906,6 +912,19 @@ fn paragraph_group(app: &mut SlideApp, ui: &mut Ui, st: &Value) {
     });
 }
 
+/// An explicit paragraph-direction control, shown alongside paragraph alignment.
+fn paragraph_direction_button(
+    ui: &mut Ui,
+    glyph: &str,
+    label: &'static str,
+    selected: bool,
+    enabled: bool,
+) -> egui::Response {
+    let response = ui.add_enabled(enabled, egui::Button::new(glyph).selected(selected).min_size(vec2(26.0, 22.0)));
+    response.widget_info(|| egui::WidgetInfo::labeled(egui::Role::Button, enabled, label));
+    response.on_hover_text(label)
+}
+
 /// Shapes gallery popup body: every preset by category. Returns the chosen preset.
 pub fn shapes_gallery(ui: &mut Ui) -> Option<&'static str> {
     let t = Tokens::get(ui.ctx());