Arabic SEO Lead (MENA)

TL;DR

Arabic SEO Lead (MENA): Defining and executing a comprehensive SEO strategy for the Arabic market with an accent on technical, content, and authority-building pillars. Focus on driving market penetration, scaling local SEO operations, and experimenting with AI-driven discovery and search trends.

Location: Must be based in Dubai, UAE, with a hybrid work model expected.

Company

Canva is a global design platform on a mission to empower everyone to design, currently experiencing rapid international growth.

What you will do

• Lead end-to-end SEO strategy across Saudi Arabia, UAE, GCC, and Egypt.
• Build and mentor a high-performing local SEO team as the market scales.
• Partner with localisation and design teams to deliver culturally relevant content.
• Maintain technical SEO foundations including site speed, indexation, and structured data.
• Develop country-specific KPIs and report performance to global stakeholders.
• Experiment with AI search optimization strategies for platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.

Requirements

• Native Arabic speaker with command of regional dialects.
• Business-level English proficiency.
• Ideally based in Dubai, UAE, and able to work in a hybrid capacity.
• Proven track record leading SEO projects on large websites (500+ pages).
• Deep understanding of technical, content, and link-building SEO pillars.
• Experience with comprehensive SEO and analytics toolsets like Google Analytics, Search Console, and Ahrefs.

Nice to have

• Experience in hyper-growth startup environments.
• Mobile-first optimization expertise.
• Background in multi-year market expansion strategies.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to influence global SEO strategy for a high-priority international market.
• Access to proprietary SEO platforms and best-in-class third-party tools.
• Collaborative environment with global experts in product, engineering, and data.
• Focus on autonomy, ownership, and personal growth.