Google demonstrated new products launched in Saudi Arabia, including localized Arabic versions of YouTube and Maps at its first G-Saudi, a major technology event it launched in Riyadh recently.

Attendees at the two-day G-Day Saudi explored Google’s technologies through a combination of tech talks, breakout sessions and codelabs run by some of Google’s top engineers, product specialists and business managers, a statement said.

The company also announced a new product called Gmail SMS, a major partnership initiative with telecom giant STC which allows users to send free text messages directly from their Gmail account.

Nelson Mattos, Google vice president of Product Management and Engineering for Europe, Middle East and Africa, shared the company’s vision towards an Arabic Internet – one which is locally relevant, vibrant and with an enriched user experience.

“The potential for an Arabic web in Mena is untapped -- with nearly 400 million people in the Arab world and a talented pool of developers, the opportunities here in the Saudi market alone are substantial,” he said.

Mattos added that the company is investing heavily in the adaptation of global products into Arabic and in creating new Mena specific products borne in the region.

G-Day Saudi is part of a series of similar events across the region, designed to provide an informal environment in which local participants can engage in open dialogue with technology and product experts as they experience Google technologies. – TradeArabia News Service