News

Google Contributed Billions To The Middle East Economy In 2021

Google contributed over $3 billion to the economy in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2021 alone.

Published

3 years ago

May 27, 2022

google contributed billions of dollars to the middle east economy in 2021

For better or worse, Google is at the heart of the modern internet. Services like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, and Google Drive are used by billions of people around the world, helping them find useful information, establish an online presence, and accomplish their goals, among many other things.

Interested to see how much value it contributes to the Middle East economy, the tech giant commissioned independent consultancy Public First to explore how Google’s products helped people, businesses, and workers, and the findings are astonishing: Google contributed over $3 billion to the economy in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2021 alone.

To be more precise, Google helped support an estimated 12.2 billion SAR (or $3.25 billion) in economic activity in Saudi Arabia and AED 11.3 billion (or $3.08 billion) in the UAE.

In both countries, e-commerce played a vital role in Google’s contributions. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, people across the Middle East were fairly reluctant to shop online. Since the first wave of pandemic lockdowns restricted access to physical stores, e-commerce penetration more than doubled both in Saudi Arabia (from 5% to 10%) and the UAE (from 5.6% to 12.1%).

Other drivers of Google’s contributions include the company’s huge developer ecosystem or the various content creators it helped propel to stardom, such as the Iraqi creator known as Chef Shaheen, whose YouTube channel has around 2.4 million subscribers.

Also Read: How To Find Remote-Only Tech Jobs In 2023

“We see from the numbers that the content creator economy is growing massively…same thing for developers,” says Anthony Nakache, Google’s Managing Director in the Middle East and North Africa. “All signs are showing that there is a growth in the [digital] economy — all components are actually growing.”

On the flip side, any economy that becomes largely dependent on a single company can find itself in an unpleasant situation if the company stops being able to deliver its services, just like when the massive Facebook outage shook the internet in 2021.

News

Jordan’s $45M Push To Boost E-Government & Digital Economy

Authorities hope to digitize public sector services and improve infrastructure by 2025, but societal and technical challenges remain.

Published

1 day ago

December 2, 2024

Nour Nasir

jordan's $45 million push to boost e-government and digital economy

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Jordan is stepping up its digital transformation efforts with a $45 million investment aimed at modernizing public services and driving forward its digital economy. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship recently shared plans for how funding will be allocated, with a strong emphasis on using technology to enhance the public sector. The eventual ambitious goal is the digitization of all government services by the end of 2025.

A significant chunk — 43% of the budget — will be directed toward building digital infrastructure under the E-Government Program. According to the ministry, “to date, some 60% of the estimated 2,400 government services have been digitized,” and this number is expected to grow sharply by 2025 as the government ramps up its efforts.

Despite the promising plans, Jordan faces some tough challenges: Budget constraints have previously slowed progress, and the country continues to grapple with a shortage of skilled professionals in key emerging technologies. On top of that, many citizens have been slow to adopt e-services and digital payment systems, which has further hindered the push for a modern, tech-enabled public sector.

Also Read: The Most AI-Proof Career Opportunities In The Middle East

To overcome these hurdles, the ministry emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond just implementing new technologies. Social and cultural factors also play a significant role in determining how well people embrace digital tools. Bridging these divides will be essential to ensure that digital government systems are not only implemented but widely used.

For Jordan to achieve its lofty goals, collaboration across government departments will be required, along with a strong focus on addressing societal barriers. However, with the right strategy in place, the massive investment could pave the way for a more efficient and inclusive digital future.