- Google’s AI-powered tools are making daily life easier and helping businesses connect with their audiences locally and globally.
- Google’s Search and Ads alone helped provide SAR 27 billion in economic activity for businesses in Saudi Arabia.
Google announced today the launch of the Google’s Economic Impact Report, a report conducted by Public First research agency, that looks at how Google products (Search, Play, Maps, YouTube and Google Ads) have helped people, local businesses, content creators and developers in Saudi Arabia throughout 2024. Around the world, Google releases Impact Reports which are based on consumer and business polling, economic modeling, case studies and third party data.
The report demonstrates how Google’s AI-powered tools and products are driving macroeconomic growth, improving daily life and productivity for the Saudi society and economy. In fact, Public First estimates that Google provided 31.2 SAR billion of economic activity in Saudi Arabia.
“We’re incredibly proud to be a partner in Saudi Arabia’s bold digital transformation vision,” says Anthony Nakache, Managing Director for Google in the Middle East & North Africa. “The report reflects our investment in accelerating the Kingdom’s ambitious journey towards a diversified, AI-driven economy.
Through significant investments, strong local partnerships, and our AI-powered tools, we’re bringing substantial economic value and empowering individuals, businesses, and communities.”
Google is equipping Saudis for the jobs of the future, and fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem. The report highlights that since 2018, over 590,000 individuals in Saudi Arabia were trained in essential digital and AI skills through Google’s key skilling initiative “Maharat Min Google” initiative.
This effort includes empowering a diverse and mature ecosystem of developers. In 2024, the Android and Google Play app ecosystem supported the creation of 29,000 jobs in the Kingdom, according to the report.
The Google Impact Report in Saudi Arabia explores the impact of Google’s products in 2024 across three areas: People, Businesses and Communities. Below are the additional findings:
Making everyday life easier for people in Saudi Arabia
- SAR 564 a month on average in consumer benefits is created by Google’s services for Saudis.
- 53% of adults said they had used Gemini, Google’s AI Assistant, and 1 in 3 of users now use it every day.
- 86% of users agreed that Gemini helped them to be more productive.
- 78% of users agreed that Gemini is easier to use in Arabic than other AI chatbots
- 54% of adults agree that Google Search is essential to their daily lives.
- 89% said that they find the results of Google Search reliable.
- 88% of users said that Google Maps and/or Waze was helpful to avoid getting lost.
Fueling the Growth of Businesses in Saudi Arabia
- 89% of adults use Google Search at least once a month to compare the prices of products and services.
- 92% of 18-24 year olds said they use Google Search at least weekly to shop or browse products online.
- 70% of adults use Google Maps and/or Waze at least once a month to find a local business.
- 86% of those users said they had checked Google reviews at least once a month before visiting a local venue or business.
- 90% of public sector workers said that Google AI-enabled tools help them to be more productive at work.
Empowering Communities in Saudi Arabia
This section of the report combines Public First research and Google internal data and estimates Google’s contribution to creators, developers and publishers.
- SAR 20.7 million of revenue generated by the Android App Economy for Saudi developers in 2024.
- 40% increase in the number of YouTube channels making 7 figures or more in SAR, year over year.
- 20,000+ journalists and journalism students trained by the Google News Initiative in the MENA region, including in Saudi Arabia.
Google’s investment in Saudi Arabia, includes its Google Cloud region in Dammam, and the global AI Hub, which is expected to increase the Kingdom’s GDP by $71 billion over eight years.
