Top UAE Google search trends in 2016

International personalities and events dominated the search trends on Google in the UAE in 2016, the company revealed in its 16th annual Year in Search report on Wednesday.

The 2016 UEFA European Championship topped the most trending queries list this year – followed by popular smartphone game app Pokemon Go. Meanwhile the most trending events searched in the UAE were Brexit and the 2016 Oscars.

The most trending public figures in the UAE included celebrities and political figures such as US president-elect Donald Trump and Indian actress Pratyusha Banerjee – who committed suicide in April.

In the category of most trending destinations in the UAE, newly opened theme park complex IMG World came first, followed by another theme park – Legoland Dubai and the Dubai Opera – which opened in August.

Joyce Baz, head of Communications at Google, Middle East and North Africa said: “Year in Search is a look back at what caught the attention and curiosity of our users in the Middle East and North Africa over the past 12 months and as always, the results are diverse in the UAE.”

Here are the most trending search queries in the UAE in 2016:

Searches

1. Euro 2016
2. Pokemon Go
3. Rio Olympics
4. Donald Trump
5. Ramadan
6. T20 World Cup 2016
7. iPhone SE
8. Suicide Squad
9. Eid al Adha
10. Why is there a leap day?

People

1. Donald Trump
2. Pratyusha Banerjee
3. Qandeel Baloch
4. Nizar Qabbani
5. Muhammad Ali
6. Prince
7. Christina Grimmie
8. Alan Rickman
9. David Bowie
10. Hillary Clinton

Events

1. Brexit
2. Oscars 2016
3. Eid Al Adha 2016
4. Fly Dubai crash
5. Gitex 2016
6. Holi 2016
7. Panama Papers
8. Dubai Canal opening
9. Chinese New Year 2016
10. Pakistan vs England cricket match

Destinations in the UAE

1. IMG World
2. Legoland Dubai
3. Dubai Opera
4. Cirque du Soleil Dubai
5. Dubai Garden Glow
6. The Green Planet
7. Outlet Village Dubai
8. F1 Abu Dhabi 2016
9. Last Exit dubai
10. Global Village

Movies

1. Suicide Squad
2. Deadpool
3. Sultan
4. The Revenant
5. Captain America Civil War
6. Batman vs Superman
7. Conjuring 2
8. Pulimurugan
9. Rustom
10. Finding Dory

Songs

1. Love yourself
2. Barbes (Arabic song)
3. Panda
4. Closer
5. One Dance
6. Hali Hali (Arabic song)
7. One Call Away
8. 7 years
9. Photograph
10. Hola (by Joey Montana)