fd751246cad78210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRDapproved/thenational/Articles/Migration/2009-Q2Google sees opportunity to expand Arabic contented751246cad78210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____<p>Google plans to put more effort into supporting products in Arabic rather than trying to make money right away through online advertising. Jessica Powell, head of product public relations for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the company saw an opportunity in expanding Arabic content on the web. Less than one per cent of all online information is in Arabic, while five per cent of the world's population speaks the language.</p> <p>"MENA (Middle East and North Africa) is not seen as a revenue market right now," Ms Powell said. "Google's model has always been in every part of the world to focus on the user and the rest will follow." A spokeswoman said the company released six products for the Arabic market in the past year and a half, including Knol, an online encyclopaedia with content from experts, and its Docs office production suite. An official Google Arabic blog where new product releases will be announced for the region was also launched last month.</p> <p>Google would not reveal how many Arabic articles have been published on Knol since it was launched last July nor would it disclose forthcoming product launches for the region. "There are all kinds of challenges that Arabic presents that you don't see in other languages. That means sometimes products take a bit longer to come into Arabic (to solve) fundamentally different approaches to user interface.</p> <p>"There's something where for example web search is available in Arabic but additional elements such as a partner program aren't available just yet, so you have programs that sit right in the middle that haven't launched yet." Examples of partner programs would be through its Google Maps and Google Finance websites, where it would need to co-ordinate with other organisations before it could provide information on local businesses or stock markets.</p> <p>Google generates about 99 per cent of its revenue through online advertising, most of it in English, but it also maintains dozens of application programs such as e-mail, mapping and book search that helps drive traffic to its main search website. dgeorgecosh@thenational.ae</p> YYNATIONAL2009041600000020090416000000100ARhttp://adedit.ad.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090416/NATIONAL/60312932960312932920090416100000000a4743de6bc188210VgnVCM100000e56411ac____ed751246cad78210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____3f57e91672448210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRD7c4098ede8688210VgnVCM100000e56411ac____ed751246cad78210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____f456cf4b7e088210VgnVCM100000e56411acRCRD