UAE: Google helped create 30,000 jobs in 2024, added Dh21.8 billion to economy
Google contributed an estimated Dh21.8 billion to the UAE economy in 2024 through its multiple apps and channels that residents in the country use in their daily lives.
According to the Economic Impact Report released by the technology giant, the Android and Google Play app ecosystem supported the creation of 30,000 jobs in the UAE last year. The report revealed that Google's Search and Ads alone helped provide Dh20.2 billion in economic activity for businesses in the UAE.
Conducted in English and Arabic in March 2025 by the Public First research agency, the survey covered 1,110 online adults and 389 business leaders based in the UAE.
'The UAE is reimagining what a modern economy can look like and leveraging technology in really interesting and exciting ways. This is particularly true when it comes to AI. We estimate that generative AI could grow the economy by almost Dh300 billion and drive genomic diversification by nearly 30 per cent.
"We estimate that AI tools would help increase productivity across the UAE by 15 per cent – equivalent to 310 hours per offer, reallocated higher value tasks each year,' said Amy Price, director and head of technology, media and telecom prices at Public First.
'Through strategic investments, local partnerships, and our AI-powered tools, we're bringing substantial economic value and empowering individuals, businesses, and communities in the UAE,' said Anthony Nakache, managing director for Google in the Middle East and North Africa.
The study found that Dh455 million of revenue was generated by the Android App Economy for UAE-based developers in 2024, as half of adults in the Emirates say Google Search is essential to their daily lives while nearly 9 out of 10 – 89 per cent – UAE residents reported that Google Maps and/or Waze were very useful when they were avoiding getting lost.
It added that an estimated 7.6 per cent million adults in the UAE used Google Search to learn a new digital skill.
Nearly 9 out of 10 – 90 per cent – of adults in the UAE said that the ability to make contactless payments on mobile devices through services like GPay or GWallet makes their lives easier.
Interestingly, the Economic Impact Report found that consumers in the UAE, on average, get Dh683 a month in benefits created by Google services.
Google products – Search, Play, Maps, YouTube and Google Ads – are among the most popular apps and are widely used in the UAE and globally.
The technology giant said more than 430,000 individuals in the UAE had been trained in digital and AI skills through Google's key skilling initiative, "Maharat Min Google", initiative since 2018.
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