Internet key for Arabs to join dialogue about region

DUBAI // The Arab world needs to embrace the internet and help shatter misconceptions about the region in the rest of the world, according to the head of Google operations in the UAE. Only around one per cent of all content on the internet is in Arabic, although interest in getting online is increasing on a daily basis among Arabs and others living in the Middle East.

Husni al Khuffash, the UAE country manager for Google, said the time was right for the development of a stronger Arabic presence on the web, and that the Emirates could play an important part in redefining how the region was seen online. "The development of the internet in the Arab world is enormous," said Mr Khuffash. "Every day now, there are new users, and between 2000 and 2007 the amount of internet users in the Arab world went up by 940 per cent.

"It is fantastic, and the biggest growth in the world." While predicting a promising future, and identifying signs of growth, Mr Khuffash said the challenge facing Google was to improve the poor representation of Arabic on the net. "Arab users on the internet make up only about five per cent of the users worldwide," he said. "Accessibility of the internet is an issue in the Arab world. People need the access to be able to communicate. But if they have access and it is costly, they won't be able to use it. And if it is in English and they can't speak English, they won't be able to use it.

"We need to give access in the right ways. I wish all countries were like the UAE, and had access like here, but they are not. But even in a country like this, the internet is not as penetrative in places like Ras al Khaimah as much as they are in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. "Access to the internet in developing countries is an issue, and we are trying our best with that." The key to generating Arabic web content, Mr Khuffash said, was the development of technology including Google Translate, which allows Arabic speakers to directly translate material into their native tongue. More blogs in Arabic could also help, and he feels an increase in such websites is most likely in the UAE, which can already boast a thriving online culture.

"There is huge potential in the Arab world," he said. "We see this and are committed to developing it. The UAE is a trendsetter in the region even though the number of people here is not that big. "Geographically, it is close to a lot of areas and Dubai in particular is a good place to reach out to everybody. "All the indicators show there is a lot of interest in the Arab world and how it thinks. Look at Queen Rania of Jordan, who has a YouTube channel.

"We now have the means to give someone like Queen Rania the chance to communicate to non-Arabs. She is trying to fix perceptions about the Arab world, like women's rights: do they work here? Or are we all terrorists? Do we all wear dishdashas? "We see, for example, 16-year-old English girls with so much information about this region that is not correct. We want Google to empower Arab people to communicate, to express themselves freely and to say what they think."

Restrictions on the freedom of expression for bloggers in some Arab countries was an issue, Mr Khuffash acknowledged, though he said that was likely to be resolved in time. "There are restrictions - not only here, but elsewhere in the world. We as a company are trying to change that. But if you look at the restrictions here compared to 10 years ago, there are differences. "You can't block everything in the world; you can give people the chance to express themselves. I think, in 10 years, we will see it being much better than today. I hope so.

"But blogs do not have to be about just politics. For example, I like cooking - I might want to know about the best recipes." @Email:rhughes@thenational.ae