Google is the main search engine in the Middle East. In October 2026 it had about 95% to 96% of all searches in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco, according to StatCounter. Bing was second with about 2% to 3%, and Yandex, Yahoo! and DuckDuckGo shared the rest. No search engine built only for Arabic has a measurable share. For a global brand, search engine market share in the Middle East sets one clear priority: rank on Google, in Arabic and in English.
Search Engine Market Share by Country (October 2026)
The table shows the share of each search engine across all devices in six markets in the Middle East and North Africa.
| Country | Bing | Yandex | Yahoo! | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 96.10% | 2.69% | 0.70% | 0.24% |
| United Arab Emirates | 95.42% | 2.71% | 1.33% | 0.24% |
| Egypt | 96.17% | 2.42% | 0.87% | 0.32% |
| Qatar | 95.83% | 3.21% | 0.32% | 0.34% |
| Kuwait | 95.74% | 3.24% | 0.41% | 0.23% |
| Morocco | 96.14% | 2.73% | 0.33% | 0.47% |
StatCounter measures market share from page views on the websites that use its tracking code. Treat the numbers as a guide to the size of each search engine, not an exact count of searches. The figures move a little from month to month, but in every country in the table Google is far ahead.
Is There an Arabic Search Engine?
Many people search for an "Arabic search engine". In practice, Arabic speakers use Google. None of the search engines with a measurable share in the region is built only for Arabic. Google Search works fully in Arabic: it reads Arabic queries, shows Arabic results and accepts voice search in Arabic.
Some of these searches come from people who want an AI tool that answers in Arabic and shows its sources. Google offers this inside its own results. AI Overviews have worked in Arabic since May 2025, and AI Mode since October 2025. Our guide to Google AI Overviews and AI Mode in Arabic explains what this changes for SEO.
For marketers, this means Arabic SEO is SEO for Google in Arabic. The technical work is the same as in any other market. The difference is in the Arabic keywords, the Arabic content and the structure of the Arabic pages, and the first step is Arabic keyword research. Our Middle East SEO guide covers every step.
Desktop Search: Bing Has a Larger Share
The numbers change by device. On desktop computers in Saudi Arabia, Google had 89.51% of searches in October 2026 and Bing had 9.04%, more than three times its share across all devices. Bing is the default search engine in Microsoft Edge and Windows, which is likely one reason its share is higher on desktop.
This matters most for B2B brands. Business buyers often research suppliers on work laptops, so a B2B website may get more Bing traffic than the national average. Check your own analytics, and if Bing sends a real share of your desktop visits, give it more attention.
Why Bing Still Matters
Bing is the second search engine in every market in the table, so it is the next source of organic traffic after Google. It also feeds AI answers: Microsoft Copilot uses Bing search results, so pages that Bing indexes can appear as sources in Copilot.
The basic setup is simple. Verify your site in Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your XML sitemap, and check that Bing indexes both your Arabic and your English pages. Bing also supports IndexNow, a protocol that tells search engines when a page is added or changed.
Yandex, Yahoo! and Other Search Engines
Yandex had between 0.3% and 1.3% in the countries in the table, with its highest share in the UAE. Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo and Petal Search, the search engine on Huawei phones, each had less than 0.5%. A brand does not need a separate SEO plan for these search engines. A site that is well built for Google and Bing is usually crawled and indexed by them as well.
What Search Engine Market Share Means for Your SEO Plan
- Put Google first. Set up Google Search Console, research your Arabic keywords, and give your Arabic pages their own URLs so Google can index them.
- Plan for Arabic and English. Many users in the region search in both languages, and the split depends on the country and the product. Our guide to bilingual SEO with hreflang covers the setup.
- Cover Bing with the basic setup. Bing Webmaster Tools and a clean XML sitemap are enough for most brands. Our Arabic SEO checklist lists every setup step.
- Prepare for AI answers. Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode link to pages from Google's own index, so the same SEO work helps your pages appear as sources.
- Measure by country. Filter the Search Console Performance report by country to see how your Arabic and English pages perform in each market.
Search Engine Market Share and Google Ads
The same numbers apply to paid search. With about 95% of searches, Google Ads reaches almost all search demand in the Middle East. Most brands put their search budget into Google Ads first, and add Microsoft Advertising on Bing only when they have spare budget and strong desktop or B2B demand. Our guide to Google Ads in the Middle East explains how to set up Arabic campaigns.
Conclusion
In every market in this guide, Google has about 95% of searches. Bing deserves a basic setup, especially for B2B brands with desktop traffic, and the other search engines need no separate plan. GOTOMENA helps global brands rank on Google and Bing in Arabic and English through our Arabic SEO services. To discuss your market, contact our team.