Today, Google is celebrating World Teachers’ Day with a special regional doodle.

The animation has the letters that spell out “Google” shown as leaves reading books that get watered by the sun (which is the letter O) against a notebook backdrop. This year’s theme for the occasion is “the teachers we need for the education we want”.

The Google Doodle’s reach is visible in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria.

“Happy World Teachers’ Day 2023! Today’s Doodle honours educators across the world who nurture students to become the best version of themselves,” says a post on Google’s blog.

“To educators: Thank you for all that you do to help your students grow by instilling a love for learning.”

The day is recognised annually on October 5 in the UAE, but has differing dates around the world. It is on April 13 in Ecuador, while countries such as Mexico, Colombia and South Korea celebrate in May. There are five dates in September, mostly for countries in South America and Taiwan.

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World Teachers’ Day celebrates the work of educators. It was first recognised in 1994 by the International Labour Organisation and Unesco as a way to address the status and situation of teachers across the world.

Unesco estimates that the world needs more than 69 million new teachers by 2030, but the shortage continues to grow.

Google often marks major human achievements, events and historical milestones with its Doodles, often visible in certain territories, although this new animation appears to be available on screens across the world.