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Arabization at Google: Enriching the Quality of Arabic Content Online
Published Mar 1, 2012
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As part of Google Media Academy, Google organized a roundtable discussion with online journalists in Egypt to share with them an overview of the Arabic localization process (Arabization) at Google and the challenges facing the Arabic language on the web. One of the main challenges is the lack of standardization in Arabic terminology. During the roundtable, Google unveiled research of the top 50 most popular terms on the internet today and see how many multiple equivalents they have in Arabic.
The objective of this discussion was to share learning on the Arabization of content online and to discuss industry standards for terminology online. Dr. Fayeq Oweis added “Google is setting the standard for the Arabic language on the web -- we are working hard to enrich and expand Arabic content online through natural language to make the internet a more relevant experience for the Arabic user.”
Other Arabization challenges were discussed such as text directionality and bidirectional text and references to culture, gender, plurals and other unique features of the Arabic language. The discussion covered three risks which are the main reasons behind the low level of Arabic content on the Internet. These risks include writing Arabic transliteration using roman characters or what is called Arabizi or Arabish; writing foreign words in Arabic, although there are alternative terms in Arabic; writing Arabic in local dialects (all dialects), and the limitations of these dialects.
This roundtable discussion is part of Google’s commitment in educating users in their own language. A number of initiatives were created for the purpose of including ahlanonline.com. Ahlan Online is a means of easy learning for the new users about the internet through the world of Google products. The site includes a series of tours to learn the basic principles for using the internet with the assistance of Google's products.
Dr. Fayeq Oweis, Arabic Localization Manager at Google, lead the discussion. Dr. Oweis manages the Arabic Localization team at Google. He is responsible for overseeing the localization of all of Google's Arabic products, performing linguistic quality assurance, and managing the Google Arabic terminology and style guide. Since joining Google, Fayeq has been promoting the use of the Arabic language on the internet and has led a number of initiatives to increase Arabic content on the web. He worked on the Arabic localization of many products including Gmail, YouTube, and recently Google+.
Fayeq holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies with Concentration on Arabic and Islamic Studies. Before joining Google, Fayeq worked for many years as an Arabic Language Specialist and consultant for major technology companies in the Silicon Valley. He was also a professor of Arabic Language and Culture at Santa Clara University and San Jose State University in California.
About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
For information about Google in the Middle East, please visit our Official Google Arabia Blog. http://google-arabia.blogspot.com
Posted by
VMD - [Virtual Marketing Department]
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