Maktoob may not be a site with which many American search experts are familiar, and similarly, Yahoo's name probably isn't something Arabic-speaking individuals are used to seeing on a daily basis.  But an introduction of sorts has occurred, as Yahoo Search is now powering Maktoob, which is the largest online Arabic-language community.

Yahoo announced its interest in acquiring Maktoob in August of last year, and at the time, described the move as its biggest geographic expansion in quite a while.  So this development, which more or less sees the matter through, is a big deal.  Thanks to it, around 17 million people will lay eyes on the Yahoo logo on a regular basis.

What's more, it seems that Yahoo's planning to take additional steps in the Arabic-language arena.

Kaushal Kurapati, Head of Search for Emerging Markets at Yahoo, explained on the Yahoo Search Blog, "This is just the beginning of our long-term commitment to deliver relevant Arabic-language content and services to the region.  Stay tuned for more news about our efforts in these emerging markets."

It should be interesting to see how things proceed.  Reactions to the initial announcement about Yahoo acquiring Maktoob were positive, with an official blog post receiving roughly 20 comments.

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