“Social Media in the Middle East: 2019 in review” is the eighth annual study on social network use in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) written by Professor Damian Radcliffe, and the first co-written with University of Oregon PhD student HadilAbuhmaid.
Press Release
A new white paper from Damian Radcliffe and HadilAbuhmaid at the University of Oregon comprehensively analyzes how the Middle East uses social media.
10 key findings
Arab Youth: Over 90% of young Arabs engage with social media in the Middle East daily, though platform preferences vary regionally. Approximately 52% of Arab youth now source their daily news from Facebook, surpassing other channels like online portals (41%), TV (32%), and newspapers (3%).
Facebook: Facebook remains the dominant social network in the MENA region with 190 million active monthly users. Egypt continues to be its largest market, hosting 39 million daily users and 42 million monthly users.
Twitter: Twitter usage among Arab nationals has declined, now half of what it was in 2013. However, Saudi Arabia and Turkey remain significant global markets for Twitter, with 11 million users in Saudi Arabia and 8.5 million in Turkey.
Instagram: Instagram's user base in the Middle East has grown to over 65 million. Turkey maintains its position as the sixth-largest global market with 38 million users. High penetration rates are also noted in Kuwait (55%) and Bahrain (52%).
YouTube: YouTube's popularity continues, particularly among millennials in MENA, with 78% of Egyptian millennials viewing content daily.
Snapchat: Saudi Arabia ranks as the fourth largest global market for Snapchat, boasting over 16 million users. Turkey's user base has increased to 7.6 million, making it the ninth-largest market.
Manipulation: In response to manipulation, Facebook has removed 265 accounts, 108 pages, 7 groups, and 20 Instagram accounts. Twitter has suspended over 4,700 accounts in the region for platform manipulation and state-backed information campaigns.
Digital Parenting: Over half of all mothers in the Middle East now use YouTube for children's content, with parents increasingly using the platform for bonding and educational purposes.
WhatsApp: WhatsApp remains the most popular Facebook-owned service in the region with a penetration rate of 77%. Meanwhile, other messaging services like Viber maintain popularity in specific areas.
Ramadan: During Ramadan, social media use spikes with users spending approximately 60 million more hours on Facebook throughout the month, a significant increase. YouTube sees a 155% rise in viewership for TV dramas and soap operas during this period.
The State of Digital Adoption in the United Arab Emirates in 2024 :
- There were 9.46 million internet users in the United Arab Emirates at the start of 2024 when internet penetration stood at 99.0 percent.
- The UAE was home to 10.73 million social media users in January 2024, equating to 112 percent of the total population.
- A total of 20.96 million cellular mobile connections were active in the United Arab Emirates in early 2024, with this figure equivalent to 219.4 percent of the total population.
- These headline stats offer a great overview of the “state of digital” in the United Arab Emirates, but to make sense of how digital trends and behaviors are evolving, we need to dig deeper into the data.
Damian Radcliffe said:
“This year’s report highlights the growing role played by social media in the Middle East in meeting the information needs lives of Arab Youth and young parents, as well as the prominent role that social networks play in the media habits of the region during Ramadan.
Social media usage continues to evolve. Twitter, for example, once the poster child for social networks in the region, has declined in usage outside of Saudi Arabia and Turkey; which are the fifth and sixth largest markets for Twitter in the world.
Meanwhile, greater scrutiny by platform owners resulted in Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram each closing hundreds of accounts in 2019 due to inappropriate use by state-sponsored actors and terrorist groups.”
Report co-author HadilAbuhmaid said:
“Alongside these trends, the importance of social video and visually-led social networks continued to grow.
In the last year, Snapchat introduced new advertising formats to the region, Google highlighted the importance of YouTube in supporting parents and parenting, and in major markets such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Twitter has emerged as a leading platform for online video consumption.”
Drawing on data from a wide range of published sources including industry announcements, news reporting from around the world, as well as data from Google, Northwestern University in Qatar, and the annual Arab Youth Survey, Social Media in the Middle East: 2019 in review offers a detailed 55-page analysis of the most important social media developments in the past year.
Looking ahead to the latest year, Damian Radcliffe said:
“The year ahead is likely to result in a continuation of many of the trends outlined in this report, but concerns about misinformation and manipulation are only going to increase.
As a result, it will be increasingly important for social media users to develop their ability to discern bias, the differences between news and opinion, and fact versus fiction.
Government, civil society, education providers, and social networks themselves all have a role to play in increasing media literacy among social networkers.”
The complete report is available to download, or view online, via the University of Oregon Scholars' Bank, Scribd, LinkedIn’s SlideShare, Academia.edu, and ResearchGate.
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About the Authors: Damian Radcliffe and HadilAbuhmaid
Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, and a Professor of Practice, at the University of Oregon. In this role, he undertakes a wide range of teaching, research, and journalistic work, which includes writing a monthly column on technology in the Middle East for CBS Interactive’s ZDNet (which he has done since December 2013).
He has produced an annual report charting social media in the Middle East developments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since 2012. Between 2012 and 2014 he worked for Qatar’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) as an analyst and researcher. He joined the University of Oregon in 2015.
Damian is also an affiliate of the Department for Middle East and North African Studies at the University of Oregon, a Fellow of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, and a fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). He tweets @damianradcliffe.
HadilAbuhmaid is a Media Studies PhD student and a Graduate Employee at the University of Oregon. Her primary area of research interest explores national identity and culture in Palestinian cinema.
Hadil earned a BS in Journalism and Political Science from Bir-Zeit University in Palestine and an MA in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon, with a focus on Arts Administration. She is the co-founder of Filmlab: Palestine, a nonprofit company based in Ramallah, that aims at developing the cinema industry in Palestine.
Through her research, Hadil aims to examine the formation and self-representation of the national identity in Palestinian feature films produced within the historical map of Palestine by researching their production, audience, and aesthetics. Her research interests include cinema studies, diasporic studies, representations, and national identity.
Latest trends in social media across the Middle East highlighted in new White Paper [Infographic] by Go-Globe
Social media statistics for the United Arab Emirates in 2024
Infographics by GO-Globe SEO Muscat
- DataReportal’s figures show that there were 10.73 million active social media user identities in the United Arab Emirates in January 2024.
- As a result, our latest figure for social media in the Middle East might appear to be quite different from the values that we published in previous years.
- Because of this, we advise caution when comparing the social media user values published in this year’s reports with those published in previous years, especially because changes in reported values may be the result of “corrections” in the source data, as well as changes in actual user behavior.
- For clarity, Kepios' analysis shows that social media users in the United Arab Emirates increased by 1.7 million (+19.4 percent) between early 2023 and the beginning of 2024.
- The number of social media users in the UAE at the start of 2024 was equivalent to 112 percent* of the total population, but it’s important to stress that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).
- Meanwhile, data published in the ad planning tools of top social media platforms indicates that there were 10.73 million users aged 18 and above using social media in the UAE at the start of 2024, which was equivalent to 136 percent* of the total population aged 18 and above at that time.
Read more : M-Commerce Statistics And Trends Infographics [Infographic] , Mobile Vs Desktop Internet Usage – Statistics And Trends [Infographic]
Challenges and Considerations:
While the social media in the Middle East offers exciting opportunities, there are also challenges that businesses and individuals need to consider:
- Data Privacy Concerns: As social media use intensifies, so do concerns about data privacy. Users are becoming increasingly aware of how their data is collected and used by platforms. Governments across the Middle East are also implementing stricter regulations to protect user privacy, which may impact how social media platforms operate in the region.
- Content Regulation: The issue of content regulation is another challenge. Balancing freedom of expression with cultural sensitivities is a complex task. Social media platforms need to implement clear guidelines and enforce them effectively to create a safe and inclusive online environment.
Combating Misinformation: The spread of misinformation and fake news is a growing concern on social media platforms. Developing effective strategies to combat misinformation and promote media literacy is crucial for ensuring a healthy online ecosystem.
How GO-Globe Analyzes Emerging Trends of Social Media in the Middle East
With GO-Globe, it has always been a priority to understand the dynamic landscape of social media in the Middle East. Social media has become part of daily life, molding communication, business, and culture across the region. With the help of expertise in the analysis of these trends, we enable a business to adapt and succeed in this fast-evolving market.
Step 1: Gathering Data from Trusted Sources
Our approach begins with sifting through information from sources such as government reports and surveys combined with insights from some of the biggest players in tech. This is how we ensure our conclusions are grounded in the right and updated information. For example, we witnessed such rapid development in social media in the UAE that platforms like Facebook and Instagram dominated, showing us valuable aspects of users' behavior. We focus on how this communication, shopping, and even education take place and devise a strategy accordingly for specific business needs.
Step 2: Identifying Platform-Specific Trends
We analyze how each of the social media platforms serves a different purpose and is adopted across different demographics. Platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok have witnessed massive growth, especially among younger audiences. With contrasted trends of platforms like Facebook, which still holds its grounds robust for a wide user base, this article takes it helps us understand these patterns so businesses can realign their strategies to what works best in social media in the Middle East.
Step 3: Understanding Regional Influences
The cultural nuances play a vital role in social media trends. In the Middle East, weekends, religious festivals like Ramadan, and significant events shape online activity. During Ramadan, viewership increases on YouTube, typically for dramas and family-friendly content. Here at GO-Globe, we understand these local dynamics and guide businesses to leverage them effectively, ensuring that brands remain relevant and interesting to their audiences.
Step 4: Monitoring the Impact of Emerging Trends
Our company tracks all changing trends – video-based content, influencer marketing, live shopping, and so on. For example, the explosion of video content in social media in the UAE has compelled business entities to upscale YouTube and Instagram Reels as a preferred platform. Through these trends, GO-Globe empowers businesses to make strategic decisions and gain an upper hand over competitors.
Step 5: Using Technology to Analyze Patterns
We use high-end tools and technology to give accurate insights. Our data-driven approach unravels the patterns in social media in the Middle East and gives detailed analysis in terms of user preferences, peak engagement times, and preferred formats for content. With such information, businesses will create campaigns that speak to their target audience.
Step 6: Adapting to Local and Global Changes
The social media landscape is never static. Changes in algorithms, privacy policies, and user behavior constantly redefine the digital world. At GO-Globe, we adapt our strategies to reflect these changes while ensuring that businesses maintain strong connections with their audiences. Our focus on social media in the UAE and beyond helps brands stay relevant in an increasingly competitive market.
GO-Globe takes pride in its ability to analyze the always-changing trends of social media in the Middle East. Blending advanced technology with local expertise, we help businesses be confident in this dynamic environment. No matter if you want to tap into users across the region, or specifically in the UAE, we will yield measurable results for you.
