The Middle East has a growing internet user base, with an overall penetration rate of over 65%. In Gulf countries, this number rises to around 92%. Despite the growth, the search engine landscape in the region is dominated by Google, with no strong local competitors. However, there are still some key insights about search engines in the Middle East worth noting.
Google’s Dominance in the Middle East
Google holds the majority of the search engine market in Middle Eastern countries.
In Saudi Arabia, Google accounts for nearly 96% of searches, while Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex share the remaining 4%.
In Egypt, Google’s market share is even higher, surpassing 97%.
These numbers are similar across other countries in the MENA region, reinforcing Google’s control over the search landscape.
Google provides country-specific search domains in most Arabic-speaking nations. Some of the most notable ones include:
- Egypt – www.google.com.eg
- Saudi Arabia – www.google.com.sa
- United Arab Emirates – www.google.ae
- Morocco – www.google.co.ma
- Lebanon – www.google.com.lb
- Iraq – Google.com.iq
For users who prefer a general Arabic Google experience, they can visit Google Arabic.
Other Search Engines in the Middle East
Yahoo
Yahoo has had a presence in the region for years, particularly after acquiring Maktoob in 2009. Maktoob was popular for news, sports, and blogging. However, in late 2023, Yahoo shut down Maktoob and now only offers an Arabic extension for email services.
Bing
Microsoft has a strong reputation in the region, particularly with Hotmail, which remains a widely used email service. However, Bing has failed to gain significant traction as a search engine, with most users preferring Google.
Yandex
Yandex, a Russian technology platform, is one of the few alternatives to Google in the region. However, without an Arabic-language extension, its market share remains small. Most users in the Middle East still choose Google for Arabic-language search needs.
Arabic Transliteration Search Engines
Several Arabic transliteration search engines were launched around five or six years ago when Arabic language support on devices was limited. These search engines allowed users to type Arabic words using Latin letters, converting them into Arabic text. However, as Arabic language support improved across platforms, these services declined in popularity.
The three most well-known transliteration search engines are:
- Yamli
- Eiktub
- Yoolki
While still available, their use has significantly dropped as Arabic typing tools and keyboards have improved.
Failed Arabic Search Engine Attempts
Several attempts have been made to create Arabic-only search engines, including platforms like Araby.com, Eb7ath, and Marweb. These efforts have mostly failed, as none were able to offer anything unique compared to Google.
Google has heavily invested in Arabic search and continues to encourage Arabic content creation online. As a result, it remains unlikely that a new Arabic search engine will challenge Google’s dominance in the near future.
