Google Knol now in Arabic

In a move designed to highlight the importance of the Arab market, Google has made its knowledge sharing tool, Knol, now available in Arabic worldwide.

"The Arab region is a high priority for us at Google and we are excited to provide more tools in local language such as Blogger and now Knol," said Mohammad Gawdat, managing director for Emerging Markets.

Once users log in to knol.google.com, they can write on a preferred topic or subject, and even search for existing Knols. It’s designed to promote interaction and participation in a purpose-built community of information.

Knol allows authors to include references, link to additional information and further interact with readers. In turn, readers can easily submit comments, rate or write a review of a Knol.

"The internet is huge, but still a lot of expert knowledge remains untapped," said Ahmed Gaballah, spokesman for Google. "Knol provides a way for people to share their expertise with others - and get credit for their contribution."There is a lack of Arabic content on the internet, and Google Knol hopes to address that issue. "We are delighted that beyond providing a forum for Arabic speakers to share their knowledge, readers can now access information they are searching for that they otherwise could not get in Arabic," Gaballah stated.