Google announced today the launch of the Google Impact Report, a report conducted by Public First research agency, that looks at how Google products (Search, Play, Maps, YouTube and Google Ads) help people, local businesses, content creators and developers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Around the world, Google releases Impact Reports which are based on public polling, economic modeling and third party data. Public First estimates that Google drove AED 11.3 billion in economic activity in the UAE in 2021.
Commenting on the report in the UAE, Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for Google in the Middle East & North Africa, said: “It’s great to see the positive impact Google products like Search, YouTube, Maps and Android have on the daily lives of people in the UAE, local business owners, developers and content creators. For 13 years, Google has been present in the UAE driving growth and economic contribution and we’re deeply committed to continue investing and doing more through programs and local partnerships.”
“In the last couple of years, Covid-19 has helped accelerate some pre-existing trends such as the rise of e-commerce, the shift towards remote working and the use of online tools to support lifelong learning. In our research, people and businesses across the Middle East told us how important Google’s tools and services had been in enabling them to adapt to these changes: helping small businesses start to sell online, supporting workers to collaborate better online and children to keep learning,” said Jonathan Dupont, Partner at Public First.
The Google Impact Report in the UAE explores the impact of Google products in 2021 across three areas: People, Businesses and Economy. Below are the key findings:
Helping people in the UAE
- 90% of people used Google Search to find the latest Covid-19 public health information
- 82% of parents (with children under the age of 12) used YouTube Kids to learn something new
- 85% used Google Search to learn a new skill and 67% used it to look for a job
- ِEvery month, an average of 1.8 million women use Google Search to look for a new job
Helping businesses in the UAE
- 71% of people used Google Maps to find a local business
- 39% of businesses reported an increase of customers coming from online search or search advertising in the last two years
- 63% of online businesses said that Google Workspace was essential in enabling remote working (Google Workspace is a collection of cloud computing and collaboration tools like Google Drive, Gmail and Meet)
Driving economic activity in the UAE
This section of the report combines Public First research and Google internal data and looks at Google’s contribution to creators, developers and publishers.
- Google drove an estimated AED 11.3 billion to the UAE economy in 2021
- Every year, the Android Developer ecosystem supports at least 50,000 jobs in the UAE
- YouTube channels making 6 figures or more in revenue are up by 40% year over year [Google Internal Data – 2021]
- The total number of developers making USD 10,000 per month on Google Play grew by 16% [Google Internal Data – 2021]
In October 2020, Google announced a $13 million USD fund to help one million people and businesses in the Middle East and North Africa learn advanced digital skills and grow their businesses by the end of 2021. The program aims to accelerate the MENA region’s economic recovery through digital transformation, by offering digital tools, training and financial grants to support local businesses and job seekers.
The Google Impact Reports can be found below:
- UAE: publicfirst.co/uae
- Saudi Arabia: publicfirst.co/saudiarabia
- Egypt: publicfirst.co/egypt
