Google eases job search in Arab world

Google has announced the launch of a new feature on its Search homepage and app that allows people to look for jobs available right on the main Search results page.

Starting Monday, users will find a series of results from across the web on the main Google Search results page, after entering a job-related query in Arabic (example: “marketing jobs in Riyadh”). The results will include details under each job position like salary information, reviews and ratings of the employer as well as different options to apply for a job, or use a location filter to see jobs in the areas that are convenient for the user.

“Connecting people with the right job opportunities that match their skills and interests is an extension of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it accessible to everyone.

This new feature on Google Search builds on the great work being done by regional job portals in connecting people with the right career opportunities through aggregating all the opportunities available across several portals, allowing job seekers to better connect with the breadth of opportunities available on the web,” said Tarek Abdalla, Google’s regional head of marketing in the Middle East and North Africa.

He added: “We are proud of the progress and evolution of Search in the Arab world, with this new feature being the latest in a string of updates we’ve launched to adapt to our users’ needs in the region.”

Google partnered with 11 local and regional job portals from across the Middle East and North Africa, which include Bayt, WUZZUF, Forasna, Emploitic, Novojob, Rekrute, Jobzella, Wzayef, Akhtaboot, Laimoon, and GulfTalent.

Omar Tahboub, general manager, Bayt.com: “We are delighted to partner with Google to empower more job seekers to find opportunities from the thousands of jobs available on Bayt.com. Every month, over 4 million people land on our site from Google, in their search for a better career, and searching for a job can highly benefit from a streamlined and distinct experience that begins right on the search results page.”

Ameer Sherif, CEO of BasharSoft, said: “As owner of Egypt’s leading job sites, both WUZZUF and Forasna have always been able to attract users through Google’s organic search. Now, with Google indexing structured job details, we expect that the job search experience would be significantly improved and richer for job seekers.”

The new feature builds on Maharat min Google, Google’s digital skills building program launched earlier this year to equip Arabic-speakers with the essential skills designed to help their careers and businesses through online courses and certification.

Google Trends data indicates that there has been a consistent growth in the number of job-related queries conducted in Arabic. The data also indicates that search interest in jobs often spikes in the summer months, as shown by data from 2017.

In the UAE, jobs in education, nutrition, and travel trended the most in 2017. In Saudi Arabia, civil service, journalism, and the public sector were the highest on the list.