Google to offer a lot more than $13m in grants and training to greatly help Mena region’s post-pandemic recovery
14 October, 2020
Google rolled out a fresh initiative in the Middle East and North Africa - its biggest program up to now in your community - to accelerate its economic recovery through digital transformation by offering tools, training, and financial grants worth a lot more than $13 million to empower local businesses and job-seekers.
Through its Grow Stronger with Google initiative, the business may also get 150,000 businesses in Saudi Arabia and the UAE online by listing them on Google my Business and training them in digital marketing. It has collaborated with the Saudi Post and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry to facilitate this technique.
"Online tools have been a lifeline for many through the pandemic. Making the most of the online opportunity might help people, businesses, and communities in the UAE and in the wider region bounce back stronger,” Lino Cattaruzzi, managing director at Google for Mena region, said.
Through this program, the Alphabet-owned company can help persons learn new skills, find jobs and help businesses grow online, especially those in the retail and tourism sectors that contain been badly affected, Mr. Cattaruzzi said.
The monetary assistance includes loans, ad grants, and credits for various governments, social institutions, and businesses that are influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. That is in addition to the company's ongoing contribution to local and regional businesses in Mena, Google said.
It will also disburse $1.1m worth of grants to institutions such as for example Mercy Corps, Arab Tourism Organisation, and Youth Business International, which are helping mentor entrepreneurs over the region.
Google's initiative comes as the pandemic upended the global economy, leaving millions unemployed.
One in five young Arabs said they or someone in their family have lost employment due to the coronavirus, in line with the findings out of this year’s Arab Youth Survey.
A staggering 72 % said it had been “much more difficult” or a “bit more difficult” to discover a job now compared with the pre-Covid era. In the UAE, 41 percent said finding a new job is more difficult now than prior to the pandemic.
In another survey from global staffing firm Robert Half, 70 % of the UAE employees are reassessing their careers as a result of Covid-19 and the most popular jobs require applied digital skills.
Within its region-wide program, Google focused on help nearly one million persons and businesses in the Mena region to understand digital skills and grow their businesses by the finish of next year.
“We remain fundamentally optimistic about the continuing future of this region, and confident that working with local partners, we can boost recovery and build on the rapid acceleration of tech adoption we have seen during the crisis," Mr. Cattaruzzi said.
Google will train 400,000 developers, giving attention to women, on advanced digital skills like machine learning and artificial intelligence. Out of these, nearly 140,000 will be in Saudi Arabia.
The internet search engine giant in addition has launched an accelerator program, through which Google's expert employees will mentor and train regional start-ups in digital marketing.
“The first cohort of 15 start-ups will be selected in November and will last for 90 days,” said Mr. Cattaruzzi.
The company in addition has rolled out its Market Finder tool in your community, which can only help local businesses expand into new markets and find global customers. In the beginning, it will be obtainable in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Mena retailers may also list their products free of charge on the Google Shopping tab to greatly help them connect with more customers whether or not they advertise with Google or not.
In partnership with Kiva, a California-based online lending platform, Google will offer you $3m in loans to support thousands of underserved smaller businesses in your community, the company said.
“As we work at our new target of helping over 50,000 local companies grow … we are raising the bar even higher … and leveraging our strategic partnership with Google to aid businesses with digital marketing and training,” said Hamad Buamim, president and leader of Dubai Chamber.
Source: www.thenational.ae