The internet giant's Kirkland office in Washington, where amenities for employees include a gym and soda fountain.
The internet giant's Kirkland office in Washington, where amenities for employees include a gym and soda fountain.

Google plans offices in the MENA region



Free food, "foosball" tournaments and workplace chill-out rooms await new Google employees in the MENA region, as the company plans to open "two to three" regional offices next year.

The US internet giant, which is known for its unorthodox workplace decor and generous employee benefits, says it aims to boost its presence in the region as it expects the online advertising market there to grow at double the pace of that in Europe.

New recruits can expect a similar workplace culture as found in the company's Dubai office, which features an "art wall", beanbag seating and video games - as well as free food for employees.

"Next year in the Middle East and North Africa, we hope to open between two to three offices," said Carlo d'Asaro Biondo, Google's vice president for southern and eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Mr Biondo declined to specify possible locations for the new offices, but pointed to markets in north Africa and the Levant. Google already has a regional presence in Dubai and Cairo.

"It depends on our ability to find the right people to manage them, and our ability to develop the right conditions locally to make them useful and relevant," he said. "There are many possibilities. We should open [in] northern Africa; we think that the Levant is important."

Advertising sales account for the majority of Google's revenues. Mr Biondo said that while the total online ad spend in the MENA region was still low, he predicted growth in the market outpacing that of Europe.

"The advertising market in the Middle East is not huge … We believe in an acceleration of the growth of the advertising market online here," he said. "The potential for growth should be twice the pace we see in Europe."

Ari Kesisoglu, the regional manager for Google in the MENA region, said the company forecast online advertising spend in the region to reach "significant" numbers in the next few years.

"The total [digital] ad market today is between US$110 million (Dh404m) and $130m in the Middle East and North Africa. And this number has been growing by between 30 and 40 per cent every year in the last four to five years," said Mr Kesisoglu.

"If you do the maths, in a couple of years we reach significant numbers."

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.