HEY GOOGLE, SHOW ME WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO UNDERSTAND ARABIC
Mariam Dabboussi, 24, shows age is no barrier to success and breaking world records
At only 24, Mariam Dabboussi is carving out a career at Google of which many people twice her age would be proud.
She is the company’s youngest team member in the Mena region, rising from the Lebanese city of Tripoli to become a central component of efforts to make Google Assistant an important and useful tool for Arabic speakers.
With more than 285 million internet users across the Arab world, the Mena region is a huge growth area for one of the world’s largest technology companies.
Since joining the Dubai office, Ms Dabboussi helped to bring Google Assistant’s services in Arabic to life for people using laptops, mobile phones, smart watches and home speakers.
“When I first joined Google one of my first projects was to launch Assistant in Arabic,” said Ms Dabboussi, who started at the company in July 2018.
“On the surface it looks pretty simple – a virtual assistant that responds to questions you ask it – but there was a mountain of research that went in behind the scenes.
“We had to understand user commands that were decoded from whatever language was spoken.”
Ms Dabboussi explained the challenges her team faced as they worked with several languages and dialects to ensure the responses from Google Assistant were accurate enough for Arabic speakers.
Nuances between regional dialects meant it was a long process, but it was ultimately a success.
“We had to ensure Google Assistant understood all the commands it received, which was hugely complex,” she said.
“For example, Saudi Arabia has several different dialects and the word ‘hello’ can be said more than 170 different ways depending on where you are in the region.”
Ms Dabboussi’s career in technology was forged at the American University of Beirut. She said the strong mentorship she received there helped to shape her career path.
Strong and supportive parents also played an important role in keeping her grounded and on course to securing her dream job.
“My father, in particular, strongly believed in the power of education, specifically in women,” Ms Dabboussi said.
“He thinks we can change the narrative in whatever path we set out on. Dad was my driving force.”
When she was 19, Ms Dabboussi directed a team of 30 students to develop 16 solarpowered lamp posts and 10 solar kits in Majdel, northern Lebanon. The project brought light to an area plagued by power cuts.
In May 2017, she moved to Dubai to begin a role with the Boston Consulting Group – a move that offered her a new experience building financial models for a new corporate subsidiary.
In 2018, an opportunity arose to join Google as a product marketing intern and it proved too strong a calling for Ms Dabboussi to ignore.
She progressed rapidly in Dubai in the past three years and now leads Google’s user research strategy across the Mena region.
She is in charge of making Google Assistant useful for Arabic speakers and also leads the company’s efforts to understand user habits and interactions with its products in 22 countries.
A highlight of her career so far was helping to set a Guinness World Record last year by organising an iftar live stream. With 183,544 concurrent viewers, the event is the most-viewed iftar live stream. It was played back more than 3.5 million times in 24 hours.
“When I first came to Google I think people were confused, not really in a negative way, just that I looked so young,” Ms Dabboussi said.
“The company sets you up to deal with this by showing who you are and what you can do.
“Everyone has a story to tell, regardless of their age or experience.
“I believe we have something to learn from everyone we meet and that is how I go about my life.”
When I first came to Google I think people were confused, not in a negative way, just that I looked so young.
MARIAM DABBOUSSI