Google has published its annual Year In Search trends for 2020, breaking down the most searched terms of the year. From popular questions to news to public figures, people can now view the year’s most popular searches in nearly 70 countries. Focusing on the region, era. examined the most searched terms in 2020 across three Middle East countries as well as around the world.
Speaking on Google’s Year In Search, Simon Rogers, Data Editor at Google News Lab wrote, “as we come to the close of such a tumultuous year, we’re taking a closer look at trending topics across searches, news, people, “how to’s,” virtual activities and more from across almost 70 countries.”
World 🌍
Globally, coronavirus dominated search results as the world tried to keep up with the latest developments and breaking news about COVID-19. In addition to the virus, the recent U.S. presidential election and Joe Biden featured heavily in search charts globally.
Focusing on tech, Zoom and Google Classroom reached the top 10 searches worldwide reflecting how much the world has transitioned to distanced communication and virtual learning. Moreover, Tesla stock also made news headlines highlighting the electric car company’s substantial rise in valuation this year.
| SEARCHES | NEWS | PEOPLE |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Coronavirus 2) Election results 3) Kobe Bryant 4) Zoom 5) Indian Premier League 6) India vs New Zealand 7) Coronavirus update 8) Coronavirus symptoms 9) Joe Biden 10) Google Classroom | 1) Coronavirus 2) Election results 3) Iran 4) Beirut 5) Hantavirus 6) Stimulus checks 7) Unemployment 8) Tesla stock 9) Bihar election result 10) Black Lives Matter | 1) Joe Biden 2) Kim Jong Un 3) Boris Johnson 4) Kamala Harris 5) Tom Hanks 6) Jacob Blake 7) Kanye West 8) Ghislaine Maxwell 9) August Alsina 10) Ryan Newman |
Kuwait 🇰🇼
In Kuwait, coronavirus dominated the most searched terms in the Gulf state, appearing three times as people looked for updates and advice. Moreover, the country’s online education portal was among the top searches, again showing how education has become much more virtual in 2020.
| SEARCHES |
|---|
| 1) Coronavirus 2) India vs New Zealand 3) Coronavirus update 4) Kuwait news 5) بوابة الكويت التعليمية 6) Coronavirus tips 7) تصريح خروج 8) مواقيت الصلاه الكويت 9) منصة متى |
Egypt 🇪🇬
Taking a look at the most populous country in the Middle East, 2020 saw Egypt search for news as well as advice about the coronavirus. Moreover, as more people stayed home, Egyptians searched for tips on how to exercise while indoors, make kunafa and draw for beginners.
Looking to entertainment, the first Egyptian Netflix Original Paranormal, which premiered on the streaming platform in November, made the top searches in the country.
| SEARCHES | QUESTIONS | PEOPLE |
|---|---|---|
| 1) كوفيد-19 2) نتيجة الثانوية العامة 2020 3) دعم مصر 4) الانتخابات الأمريكية 5) الدوري المصري 6) المكتبة الرقمية 7) مسلسل الاختيار 8) نصيحة عن فيروس كورونا 9) وظائف 10) مسلسل ما وراء الطبيعة | 1) نصيحة عن فيروس كورونا 2) كيف اتمرن في المنزل 3) كيفية كتابة السيرة الذاتية 4) أفكارعشاء صحي سريع 5) نصائح للحفاظ على البيئة 6) مقدمة بحث 7) كيفية صلاة العيد 8) طريقة عمل الكنافة 9) تحديد اتجاه القِبلة 10) كيف ارسم للمبتدئين | 1) حنين حسام 2) حسن شاكوش 3) محمد شومان 4) مؤمن زكريا 5) رمضان صبحي 6) أحمد بسام زكي 7) جمال يوسف 8) أمل عبدالله 9) منه عبد العزيز 10) يوسف البلايلي |
United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
In the Emirates, coronavirus and the U.S. presidential election once again featured multiple times across the country’s most popular searches and news. In addition, people in the Emirates searched globally for their news with events ranging from the fires in Australia to explosion in Lebanon being among the most searched events.
Also, the country’s smart learning portal was searched frequently as more people continued their education virtually. Regarding tech, the new iPhone 12, announced in November, also featured in the top 10 searches in the country.
| SEARCHES | NEWS | PEOPLE |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Coronavirus 2) US election 2020 3) Indian Premier League 4) Coronavirus update 5) Joe Biden 6) Bihar election result 2020 7) iPhone 12 8) Champions League 9) بوابة التعلم الذكي 10) NBA | 1) US election 2020 2) Bihar election result 2020 3) Iran Coronavirus 4) Lebanon Explosion 5) Italy Coronavirus 6) Taal volcano 7) Australia Fire 8) مسبار الأمل 9) India China 10) Oscars 2020 | 1) Joe Biden 2) Donald Trump 3) Kamala Harris 4) Kim Jong Un 5) Arnab Goswami 6) Boris Johnson 7) Tom Hanks 8) Kanika Kapoor 9) هيثم بن طارق 10) Ankita Lokhande |
For More Tech Coverage Check Out:
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- Scoodle: The Learning App Targeting The Middle East
- Zain Launches Zain Esports To Boost Regional Gaming Ecosystem
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