Arabic Wikipedia has seen a significant decline in growth due to lower broadband penetration and regional instability, which is a problem for places like Dubai and Egypt. That added to the lack of source material has limited the amount of Arabic language articles available on the website.
Arabic Wikipedia Has Over 400,000 Entries, But It is Not Enough
The project to bring in Arabic Wikipedia is technically a successful one. However, the platform still is not satisfied with the amount of articles considering the number of people who speak Arabic worldwide. Persian Wikipedia, for example, has 20% more entries than the Arabic version. That’s considering that there are 6 times more people speaking Arabic than there are Persian.
There are also some technological issues involved. Several Arabic-speaking regions have lower levels of literacy and lower broadband penetration. This means that there are less materials being translated to Arabic. The decline has been more significant in recent years.
Egypt and Dubai Have Stories That Need to Be Told
Editors have to find good sources to make good entries. Having more entries available in the desired language helps, hence why Wikipedia is pushing for more entries in countries like Dubai and Egypt. Wikipedia is looking to raise awareness of this shortage of material. Most notably, the United Arab Emirates. These countries allow pervasive internet filtering. Certain police bodies, like in Dubai, consider pervasive internet filtering punishable by law. These countries are hostile against the use of VPN technology.
Internet Filtering in Dubai, Egypt and the Arabic Region
Regulators and police are very adamant about internet filtering rules. These are people who don’t understand the internet, so they have no problem enforcing laws against is spread. However, there is hope for Arabic content in the region. The spread of the Arabic language has become a positive in terms of avoiding censorship. Hopefully, as time progresses, these internet filtering regulations can be lifted.
Countries like Egypt, where turmoil lurks at every corner, need Wikipedia to share their history. Wikipedia is a great outlet for political dissent, and it can be used for the better if these regulations are lifted. Until then, Wikipedia can do little more than raise awareness for the lack of content, and encourage people to write history on their platform.
