Ayna Launched First Online Map Service For The Middle East

On July 13, 2008 as part of its Idrissi “Rabat Release”, Ayna launched a beta version of Ayna Maps, a service that provides interactive maps of places and businesses for all major Arab capitals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Ayna is known for being the first Arabic search engine in the region. Its new street level map service will cover 26 cities in 17 countries and presented in Arabic and English.

Ayna maps provides street level detailed mapping that is not available through any other online service, including Google, Yahoo, and MapQuest. With the launch of Ayna Maps, businesses and individuals will be able to easily locate and add points of interest. As of the launch, Ayna Maps are preloaded with over fifty thousand searchable points of interest available in Arabic, English and French to meet the needs of local audiences.

Real-estate, banks, retails stores, hotels and tourism services will greatly benefit from Ayna Maps by marking their point of interest on a map to guide their customers to their physical location. Ayna makes it easy to embed the marked map in any web site along with contact details, such as name, address, phone, email, and a descriptive summary. The CEO of Ayna, Mr. Adonis El Fakih, describes the ability to view where Ayna is located in Beirut with his favorite line, “a picture is worth a 1000 words, and I will not get lost driving to work anymore.”

Ayna search engine is the only service that provides a geo-referenced (GeoRSS) news feed in the Middle East and North Africa. This allows users to view what is occurring in their part of the world by clicking on map markers. This feature enhances the offerings of online news providers in the region and provides an alternative way to access news.

Ayna Maps future releases include providing routing and directions, updating map data, and publishing submitted points of interest for businesses in the region. A mobile version of the map service will also be available soon.

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Ayna Maps
Ayna First to Launch Online Map Service for the Middle East (Ayna News)