% sample posted to list by Talal

\showframe

\definefontfamily
  [mainface]
  [serif]
  [ALMFixed]
  [features=arabic,
   range=arabic]

\setupbodyfont
  [mainface]

\setupdirections
  [bidi=global]

\startsetups[note:footnote]
    \setupdirections[bidi=global]
\stopsetups

\setupalign
  [r2l]

\setupnote
  [footnote]
  [setups=note:footnote,
   align=righttoleft,
   rule={on,right},
   paragraph=yes]

\setupnotation
  [footnote]
  [align=righttoleft,
   alternative=serried,
   width=broad,
   distance=.5em]

\definenote
  [afootnote]
  [setups=note:footnote,
   align=righttoleft,
   arule={on,right},
   paragraph=yes,
   frame=on,
   framecolor=yellow]

\setupnotation
  [afootnote]
  [align=righttoleft,
   alternative=serried,
   width=broad,
   distance=.5em,
   display=no]

\definenote
  [bfootnote]
  [setups=note:footnote,
   paragraph=yes,
   frame=on,
   framecolor=yellow]

\setupnotation
  [bfootnote]
  [alternative=serried,
   width=broad,
   distance=.5em,
   display=no]

\definestartstop
  [arabik]
  [before={\blank\startalignment[r2l]},
   after={\stopalignment\blank}]

\definestartstop
  [english]
  [before={\blank\startalignment[l2r]},
   after={\stopalignment\blank}]

\starttext

\startsection[title={Arabic with default footnote stream}]

هذه رسالة مني إليك. I wish you could read it. ولكنها
مكتوبة بالعربية. \footnote { هذه (تعليقة) أولى. I wish
you could read it. ولكنها مكتوبة بالعربية. } فانتهيت.
\footnote {هذه (تعليقة) ثانية..}

\stopsection

\startsection[title={Arabic with custom afootnote stream}]

هذه رسالة لطيفة ألفها العالم الكبير الفهامة
النحرير. \afootnote{وهذه هي التعليقة الأولى (وهي
طويلة) إلا أنها ليست صحيحة.} هذه رسالة جامعة
مانعة ألفها الشيخ الفاضل الرَّحلة. \afootnote{هذه
تعليقة (ثانية).}

\startenglish

\stopsection

\startsection[title={English with custom bfootnote stream}]

This is my LTR sentence with a regular, LTR footnote. \bfootnote {This is a
custom bfootnote. Notice how the serried spacing is working nicely in this
footnote but also in the R2L ones above.} This, also, is LTR sentence with a
regular footnote. \bfootnote {This is the second custom bfootnote.}

\stopsection

\stopenglish

\stoptext
