$10m Google fund to support Palestinian graduates, tech entrepreneurs

Tech giant Google announced a new $10 million initiative that will support Palestinian graduates by funding tech-related degrees as well as app developers and tech entrepreneurs in Palestine over the next three years.

At a roundtable with Palestinian entrepreneurs and business leaders yesterday, Ruth Porat, chief financial officer of Alphabet and Google, announced: “We are committed to helping Palestinian graduates, app developers and tech entrepreneurs unlock more opportunities by providing skills training, facilitating connections to financing, increasing access to jobs and more.”

The new initiative has four priorities to focus on with the sole aim to help Palestinians hone their digital skills and look for employment. Porat explained they are to develop advanced tech skills, mentor and build expertise in non-technical fields, provide access to job opportunities and connect Palestinians with sources of financing.

The programme builds upon Google’s pre-existing career development programmes in the region, including its Arabic digital skills training programme Maharat Min Google, which has supported more than two million people and businesses in the region, the company said.

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Additionally, Google and its partners will organise job fairs to help with employment and facilitate funding opportunities by providing grants for access to incubators and co-working spaces, and in-kind contributions such as Google Cloud and Google Play credits.

“At Google, we know that our efforts will always be most effective when we can work together with others in the private sector, public sector and NGOs. We look forward to partnering with many across the region to expand upon our existing digital skills programs and provide Palestinians with the tools they need to succeed.”

Porat arrived in Israel on Saturday for a series of meetings with policymakers, Israeli and Palestinian entrepreneurs and business leaders, and Google employees.