AMMAN - Yahoo! is making "great progress" in introducing Arabic versions of its services this year, according to a company official.
The Internet giant, which acquired Amman-based web portal Maktoob last year, said it is on pace to offer an array of services in Arabic in 2010, including Yahoo! messenger, search engine, front page and Yahoo! mail.
"We are committed to introducing our services in Arabic as we have great interest in this region. We are making progress in this regard and we will make our services available this year," Rich Riley, senior vice president and managing director of Yahoo! in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, said in an interview with The Jordan Times last week.
Yahoo! Middle East, which inaugurated its Amman office last week, is also making great progress merging its services with Maktoob, according to Riley.
"We are making progress combining the best of Yahoo and the best of Maktoob," he said, adding that the overall number of Yahoo and Maktoob users in the Middle East stands at around 30 million.
In the interview, Riley stressed that opening a Yahoo branch in Amman will enhance the Internet giant's presence in the Middle East, noting that the office will be in charge of creating regional content, product localisation and developing new products and services.
"Some of our products are completely designed and created through the Amman branch, which is the largest Yahoo office in the region by far," Riley said, adding that the branch employs around 150 employees, mainly Jordanians.
Yahoo services currently most used by web surfers in the Middle East, are Yahoo mail, messenger, front page, finance, women, games and business, he added.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2010
