‘More searches on Google in Ramadan than any time of year’

[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="‘More searches on Google in Ramadan than any time of year’" ids="63031,63029,63030,63028"] Layan Damanhouri MORE and more people are tapping into the Internet around Ramadan time, causing a significant rise in searches and digital media consumption. Searches on Google being done ahead of, during, and towards the end of the holy month are the highest than any other time of the year, according to Google’s head of communications Joyce Baz.  “The total number of hours people watch on YouTube has doubled annually in Saudi Arabia,” she said in an interview with Saudi Gazette. “Engagement is also higher with more users liking, sharing and commenting on videos.” Topics people most frequently look for include recipes, charities, health-related issues to fasting, religious matters, and shows for entertainment. For some time now, Saudi Arabia already marks the highest watch time per capita in the world. On mobile, watching YouTube has gone up at an astounding rate of 80% per year. Millennials alone make a significant portion of mobile penetration in the MENA region, with 43% checking their smartphones every five minutes. When asked about the reason for the surge in searches on Google during this seasonal time, Baz said, “The Saudi Internet user is really needing the Web to find information especially for important events.” Not only do people have numerous questions to ask on search engines, she adds, but they also want to consume entertainment and tend to be more social as they spend more time with loved ones and family. The top trending recipes in Saudi Arabia was soup, coffee and basbousa during the first week of the holy month. In recent years, Ramadan has coincided with summertime in the region, with people having more free time and tend to travel more. Shopping online has gone up as well as travel bookings. Makkah was the No. 1 searched destination in 2015, followed by Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Since last year, Google launched My Ramadan Companion, a feature that combines the most used products of Google to create a comprehensive experience for Android users during Ramadan such as the search engine, maps to go to social gatherings for Iftar and Suhoor, YouTube to catch up with shows, organize travel bookings, and reminders for sunrise and sunset timings. The feature also suggests apps and recommended recipes among other related searches. “It’s very telling about what people are interested in during Ramadan,” says Baz. “Google is giving information back to users in Saudi before they even ask for it.”