Amazon has announced that Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic will be coming to the UAE, offering customers an all-new, localised language experience in Khaleeji Arabic as well as in English.
Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic
New features built with Gulf customers in mind, include new smart home integrations with compatible devices, and nearly 200 Alexa skills, or programs built by third parties. Echo devices are voice-controlled speakers that can answer questions, play music, read the news, recite the Quran, set timers and alarms, provide sports scores, control lights at home, and more. With Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic, all of this can be done in the local dialect.
In the United Arab Emirates, Alexa delivers a localised experience, including a Khaleeji Arabic voice with local pronunciations and intonation; local knowledge; and nearly 200 Alexa skills from regional developers and brands including skills from Etisalat, Expo 2020, Domino’s, Fatafeat, Careem, Emirates NBD, and DEWA. Customers can also use Alexa in English.
Speaking on the creation of Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic, Tom Taylor, Senior Vice President, Amazon Alexa, said, “We’re incredibly excited to bring Alexa and the Echo family of devices to the United Arab Emirates. The team has worked hard to create an all-new Khaleeji Arabic experience designed from the ground up for Arabic-speaking customers and to optimise the Alexa experience in English for English-speakers to enjoy.”
“On our way to becoming a world leader in Artificial Intelligence, we welcome Alexa to the United Arab Emirates”, said His Excellency Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. “Much like AI is at the core of Alexa’s personality, we are working on doing the same for the entire nation – building an AI-driven economy that contributes significantly to education, government development, and the happiness of our community.”
Local services
Alexa offers a range of solutions and services including reading the news, setting prayer times and reciting the Quran, music streaming through popular services, controlling smart home systems, answering questions, providing live updates on sports teams and more. At launch, nearly 200 third party skills will be available in the UAE, including offerings from Careem, Fatafeat, Dominos, Reel Cinema, Tawazon and Storytel. With Alexa in Khaleeji Arabic, services can be enjoyed in Arabic, in real time.
Amazon recently announced the creation of its most technologically advanced fulfillment center in the world in Abu Dhabi.
