Google.org grants $2.4m to INJAZ Al-Arab for child online safety as pop-up opens in Dubai
Google.org has awarded $2.4 million to INJAZ Al-Arab to fund a four-year programme aimed at equipping young people across the Middle East and North Africa with digital safety and online citizenship skills. The initiative is based on Google’s Arabic-language digital literacy curriculum, Abtal Al Internet (Be Internet Awesome), and is expected to reach more than 2.3 million young people in nine countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
Pop-up playground experience
The announcement coincides with the opening of the Google Abtal Al Internet Pop-Up Playground at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai. The interactive space, open to the public from 24 to 25 October, is organised in partnership with the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and the National Media Authority (NMA). Families visiting the pop-up can engage with Google’s digital literacy programme and explore parental control features available on Google products, such as YouTube Kid and Teen accounts and the standalone YouTube Kids app.
Abtal Al Internet was first launched in Arabic in 2018 and is designed for children aged seven to thirteen. The grant from Google.org represents the company’s latest commitment to online safety in the region.
Official support and vision
Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of the National Media Authority, described creating a safe digital environment for youth as a strategic pillar of the UAE’s vision to build a secure, sustainable knowledge-based society. He said the Authority is working to raise digital awareness and promote responsible use of online platforms, ensuring technology serves as a tool for knowledge, creativity and progress. Speaking during a visit to the Abtal Al Internet interactive space, Al Hamed stressed the importance of digital literacy in helping children identify reliable information, protect their privacy and interact respectfully online. He added that preparing future generations requires not just technological skills but also values that enable children to use technology consciously and responsibly.
Anthony Nakache, Managing Director of Google MENA, said: “Whether seeing a life-sized T-Rex with Augmented Reality on Search, exploring biology with AbdulAllah Anan on YouTube, or using Gemini’s Study Notebook to prepare for a chemistry quiz, kids use our products every day to make sense of the world. As parents and leaders, our job is to help them navigate these spaces safely, building healthy habits and becoming responsible digital citizens.”
Eng. Saeed Belhoul, Acting Director-General of the TDRA, stated that the authority’s child digital safety strategy is based on prevention, awareness and empowerment, along with shared responsibility among families, relevant entities and digital platforms. He said that as technology and artificial intelligence evolve rapidly, protecting children does not mean avoiding digital engagement but rather enabling them to explore with awareness, confidence and responsibility.
Built-in protections and family tools
Google integrates default safety measures into its products for under-18 accounts, including private uploads, disabled autoplay and no personalised ads. Families can use tools such as Google Family Link and the YouTube Family Centre. Earlier this year, YouTube introduced Kid & Teen Accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, offering parents additional content controls based on the child’s development stage, including an industry-first Shorts feed timer. YouTube launched its standalone kids app in 2021, which provides robust parental controls.
Javid Aslanov, Head of YouTube MENA, said: “We want parents to feel empowered when their children open YouTube to learn and explore, whether they are building a science experiment at home or diving into the region’s rich history. By pairing strong default protections with easy-to-use parental controls, every unique family can customise their experience and make the most of YouTube’s educational content.”
Research by Kantar found that in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, 95% of viewers believe YouTube offers leading educational content, and 92% of Gen Z respondents said the platform helped them develop new skills.
To encourage conversations at home about screen time and online safety, Google and YouTube have created a Family Online Safety Agreement. The agreement suggests families discuss what they watch and share online, keep personal details private, verify facts before sharing, choose kindness and report toxic behaviour, and agree on trusted adults to talk to when something feels uncomfortable.
