Yahoo’s acquisition of Maktoob.com this year encourages start-ups and investors to work on online content and services for the world’s 300 million Arabic speakers.

When Samih Toukan and Hussam Khoury started Maktoob.com as an Arabic e-mail service 10 years ago, they had a modest office in Amman, Jordan, and little support from friends and family who could not imagine anyone using the Internet in Arabic.

L.A. Times - Technology News