LinkedIn today launched the Arabic version of its services at its new regional headquarters in Dubai.
The launch of Arabic – the first bi-directional language on LinkedIn – brings the service’s number of available languages to 24.
LinkedIn’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) division has seen its users grow from five million members in October 2012 when the company opened their local office, to more than 14 million today.
“The launch of an Arabic version will provide a more relevant experience to our members and customers in the region,” said Ali Matar, Head of MENA Talent Solutions, LinkedIn. “Our aim is to create economic opportunities for every member of the global workforce. This will open up opportunities for hundreds of millions of Arabic speaking professionals to connect and engage with other professionals and employers across the world, and for companies to find and attract the best talent, connect their brand with our audience, and engage with their customers.”
H.E. Noura Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of the Media Zone Authority – Abu Dhabi (twofour54), said, “The launch of LinkedIn Arabic is a significant step towards strengthening the Arabic media sector, developing local content and nurturing Arabic talent. LinkedIn Arabic will enable greater communication among individuals and major companies within the region and support career building efforts with the ability to search for opportunities that fit with their skills and potential.
“Arabic is spoken by over 300 million of the global population, more than French and Portuguese, yet it is underrepresented on the Internet. As speakers of this great language, it is our duty to be proactive, collaborate and strengthen the content available online in our language, and to initiate new sites and platforms, such as LinkedIn Arabic, that will cater for Arab youth and the generations to come. I commend those driving the development of LinkedIn’s Arabic initiative and wish them every success in developing this socially-significant, Arabic-led tool,” she added.
Adel M. Fakeih, Minister of Labour, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said, “LinkedIn has been working with us to match talent in the Kingdom with the right opportunity, and with Arabic, this benefit can be rolled out to a much wider member base. LinkedIn will continue to be a useful tool for us as we use technology to communicate the need for nationals to up-skill themselves and take advantage of the strong economic climate and significant job-creation in the Kingdom. Being a part of a global network also helps youth identify the key demand areas, and build their qualifications accordingly.”
New members can sign up for LinkedIn in Arabic by visiting the site and registering a new account.
