Global Media Intelligence 2020: Saudi Arabia

Key Features

Smartphones rule the device hierarchy in Saudi Arabia. PCs and smart TVs rank second and third.

• Smartphone penetration among internet users in Saudi Arabia ages 16 to 64 approached 99% in H1 2019 and was essentially the same (98.7%) this year, according to GlobalWebIndex.
• Ownership of desktops and laptops increased to 61.1% in H1 2020. City dwellers were more likely to have a PC than respondents living in suburban areas. Nearly 73% of affluent internet users owned a PC, as well.
• Similarly, tablet penetration was notably greater among web users in high-income households (44.9%) compared with the national average (34.1%). Females and older internet users were more likely to own a tablet, too.
• While tablet ownership saw few changes between H1 2019 and H1 2020, more internet users had invested in smart TVs, lifting penetration to 36.1%.
• Smartwatches had also gained fans since last year, and 18.4% of internet users polled in H1 2020 owned such a device. Among 25- to 34-year-olds and affluents, that share was nearly a quarter.
• By contrast, smart home devices are struggling to convince internet users of their usefulness or value for money. Just more than 5% of respondents owned a smart home product this year—compared with 7.4% in H1 2019.