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Finally in MENA: Directions and navigation for Android

Google Maps brings its navigation system to nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa - but only for Android.
Google Egypt | 17.09.2012
Google announced the next step for Google Maps for mobile in the Middle East and North Africa- the availability of Google Maps™ with Navigation (Beta) for phones running Android 4.0 in nine countries across MENA. Now available, Google Maps™ with Navigation Beta is an Internet-connected GPS navigation or ‘satnav’ system that provides turn-by-turn voice driving directions as a feature of Google Maps for mobile.

For the first time ever, Google Maps™ with Navigation Beta uses phone Internet connection to give the latest maps and driving directions with a free application. Google’s navigation tool is regularly updated with the most recent data from Google Maps, which means users will not be required to purchase map upgrades or manually update their devices.

“Since we have launched Google Maps in the Middle East and North Africa region in 2011, we have seen a remarkable 80% growth in usage in the region for local domains” said Ammar Ibrahim, Product Manager for Google MENA. “The user is at the heart of every product we develop. In line with Google’s ongoing quest to build the perfect map for our users and making information accessible to everyone, we are launching Google Maps Navigation across MENA.”
Google Maps™ with Navigation Beta was built from the ground up as an Internet-connected GPS system, allowing users to search for their locations through a voice recognition. In addition to offering address search, Google Navigation allows users to search for locations by their business names. You can just say “Burj Khalifa or “Cairo University” and Google navigation will provide directions to the required destination. Google Navigation brings plenty of features including identifying landmarks along the route such as petrol stations, restaurants and parking areas.

Google Maps™ with Navigation Beta for mobile launch comes after a series of Google products have been made available in the country including Google’s Map Maker & Driving Directions, Arabic Voice Search and YouTube local domain.

To get Google Maps™ with Navigation Beta, search for and download the newest release of 'Google Maps' in Play, Android’ app market on your Android 4.0+ phone.
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