Google drove about $3.25bln into Saudi economy in 2021

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Google drove about SR12.2 billion ($3.25 billion) in economic activity in Saudi Arabia in 2021, with the Android Developer ecosystem supporting at least 29,000 jobs in the kingdom every year.

Besides, YouTube channels are making 6 figures or more in revenue are up by 20% year over year (Google Internal Data – 2021) and the total number of developers making over SR37,500 ($10,000) per month or more on Play grew by 15%, says 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 Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.

Positive impact

Commenting on the report, 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 Saudi people, local business owners, developers and content creators. Saudi Arabia is young, smart and digital, and we're proud to be an engine of growth in the country and an enabler in its digital transformation journey. We're excited to see what great things people can do there given the right tools and skills and we are committed to doing more through programmes 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.

Helping people in Saudi Arabia

●72% of people used Google Search to find the latest Covid-19 public health information;

●64% of parents (with children under the age of 12) used YouTube Kids to support their children's learning;

●75% used Google Search to learn a new skill last year; and

●61% of people in Saudi Arabia used Google Search to find a new job opportunity and an average of 5 million women use Google Search every month to look for a new job.

Helping businesses in Saudi Arabia

●66% of people used Google Maps to find a local business;

●52% of businesses reported an increase of customers coming from online search or search advertising in the last two years; and

●67% 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).

In October 2020, Google announced a $13 million 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 programme 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.

-- TradeArabia News Service