Google's top searches of the year is more than a simple list. The top ten reflects the concerns, hopes and aspirations of the people who use the search engine and it can even point to the future.
And 2018's list is food for thought. Bollywood and football dominate the trends, with this year's World Cup claiming top spot. The tournament was held in Russia and saw France triumph over a spirited Croatian side.
Cricket-mad UAE netizens handed the Indian Premier League the second-most searched for term, while Bollywood also featured strongly.
Sridevi Kapoor was the third-most searched entry. Known simply as Sridevi, she was one of India's top film actresses and died of accidental drowning in her bathtub at Emirates Towers hotel in Dubai this February. She was was just 54. Sridevi was followed in fourth place by another Bollywood superstar, Priyanka Chopra. Chopra is one of India's highest-paid stars and her recent marriage to American pop star Nick Jonas will have played a role in her search position.
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1st: Meghan Markle. She became the Duchess of Sussex after marrying Prince Harry in May. AP -
2nd: Nick Jonas. He recently married Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra. Reuters -
3rd: YouTube star Logan Paul. AP -
4th: American actor and director Sylvester Stallone. He won the Career Achievement Award at the El Gouna film festival in Egypt in September. AFP -
5th: Freddie Mercury, who has been the subject of a film biopic this year. AFP -
6th: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor. Getty Images -
7th: Mo Salah played in the Champions League final for Liverpool and World Cup for Egypt during 2018. Reuters -
8th: Bollywood actress and author Sonali Bendre. Hindustan Times via Getty Images -
9th: US model Hailey Baldwin. She married pop star Justin Bieber this year. AFP -
10th: Reality TV star Khloé Kardashian gave birth in April. AP
The Passport Index came in fifth and this should be no surprise. The Emirati passport has surged up the rankings this year and is now the world's most powerful passport according to the index, which ranks the document based on the number of countries a holder can enter without a visa or by obtaining one on arrival. UAE passport holders can now travel to to 167 countries without the need for any pre-visa paperwork.
Google compiles the lists based on search terms that had the highest spike in 2018 when compared with the previous year. It also compiles other lists from culture to public figures.
In terms of cinema, the American superhero story Black Panther was 2018's most searched for movie, followed by Avengers Infinity War and Indian thriller Race 3.
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BLACK PANTHER: Chadwick Boseman in character. Marvel Studios/Disney via AP -
AVENGERS INFINITY WAR: Scarlett Johansson at the world premiere of the fourth “Avengers” movie. Invision/AP -
RACE 3: Indian Bollywood actors Daisy Shah, Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez pose for a picture during the music launch of the action thriller Hindi film in Mumbai. AFP -
VENOM: Tom Hardy starred in the Marvel superhero film (Sony Pictures via AP) -
THE NUN: US actress Taissa Farmiga starred as Sister Irene, a young novice who experiences holy visions, in the thriller. AFP -
THE MEG: US actor Rainn Wilson attends the US premiere of the science fiction thriller in Hollywood. EPA -
JURASSIC WORLD: Chris Pratt attends the 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' photocall in London. Getty Images -
INCREDIBLES 2 The Disney Pixar animation was nominated for a Golden Globe award for best animated feature. Disney/Pixar via AP -
CREED II: Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in a scene from the Rocky spinoff. AP -
A QUIET PLACE: John Krasinski and Noah Jupe in a scene from the mostly silent horror sensation. AP
Turning to those in the public eye, Meghan Markle was the most-searched for public figure of the year. The American actress married the UK's Prince Harry in May this year in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle and her appearance at the top of Google's public figure charts shows the enduring but inexplicable interest in the British royal family.
Markle was followed by Nick Jonas, boosted no doubt by his marriage to Chopra, while in third place was Logan Paul. Paul is something of an internet celebrity but became embroiled in an unseemly controversy at the start of the year. YouTube cut business ties with Paul after he posted a video showing the body of an apparent suicide victim in Japan.
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WORLD CUP: France lift the World Cup after beating Croatia in Moscow, Russia. The World Cup in June and July was the most Googled search term in the UAE in 2018. Getty Images -
IPL 2018: Shane Watson bats the Chennai Super Kings to IPL 2018 glory in May. This year's installment of the richest cricket tournament was No 2. AFP Photo -
SRIDEVI: Mourners line the streets of Mumbai as the body of Bollywood actress Sridevi passes by. Her death in Dubai in February was the third most googled item. Reuters -
PRIYANKA CHOPRA: Indian Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra and her marriage to Nick Jonas was the fourth most googled item. AFP -
PASSPORT INDEX: The UAE's climb to the top of the Passport Index was fifth. Philip Cheung / The National -
FORTNITE: The highly-addictive multiplayer battle royale game was sixth. Courtesy Epic Games -
BITCOIN: The Cryptocurrency Bitcoin started the year trading at $15,000 a coin. It is now valued at $3,000. Bloomberg -
FEDERAL TAX AUTHORITY: The UAE's introduction of VAT on January 1, 2018 had everyone googling. Antonie Robertson/The National -
INDIAN CURRENCY RATE: The falling rupee in 2018 had many of the UAE's Indian residents checking when the was best time to remit. EPA -
CHINESE NEW YEAR: The ‘Light Up’ Chinese New Year show on Burj Khalifa in February. The celebrations round out UAE's top 10 for 2018. Courtesy Emaar
Despite Egypt's poor showing at the World Cup, the team's star Mohamed Salah shone bright and he came seventh on the public figure list.
Other popular searches during the year included Bitcoin, the hugely popular online game Fornite and the Indian currency rate.
And finally, the Federal Tax Authority came in eighth on the list of most searched for terms - reflecting the landmark introduction of VAT across the UAE on January 1 and the concern felt by all people about their finances and their future.
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