This year I traveled to Saudi Arabia for perform Hajj. I have been relying on Google Maps to explore and navigate this beautiful country,
and while it has been incredibly helpful,
I have encountered a language barrier issue.
As you may know, many of the locations and landmarks on Google Maps in Saudi Arabia are primarily listed in Arabic. As an English-speaking tourist, I find it challenging to navigate and explore effectively when the information is in a language I am not proficient in.
I have heard about the wonderful community of Local Guides who contribute their time and knowledge to enhance the Google Maps experience for travelers like myself. This is why I am reaching out to kindly request your assistance in translating some of the location names and details from Arabic to English on Google Maps. Your contributions would not only make my trip more enjoyable but also benefit other English-speaking tourists visiting Saudi Arabia in the future.
Are you aware of how you can change the language setting in the Maps app?
In the database Google has set aside space for the name in all the languages. And Google will show the name in your language if anyone has suggested the name in your language (and it was approved).
So all Local Guides can actually help make such translations.
But please be warned that adding more languages in one language field is not helpful. This is unfortunately really common in some places. I have noticed that in Jakarta it is quite normal to have both the English and the Local language listed in the same field. Here is one such example from Japan:
Notice the Japanese name. Here the English name is also included. This is not correct. Please keep it clean by respecting the languages and not mix them them up like shown here under the Japanese name.
There are also other issues here:
In the English name, the road name (Cat Street) is added. I guess âOmotesandoâ is another location reference. Both are not allowed.
And in the Japanese name, ALL CAPS is used. This is also not allowed.
You could try creating a project where you recruit and motivate fellow local guides to join a task force of volunteers to make it happen.
