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.

authors

Karin von Abrams

Contributors

Anam Baig
Senior Editor
Joanne DiCamillo
Donte Gibson
Chart Editor
Kathleen Hamblin
Chart Editorial Manager
Dana Hill
Director of Production
Erika Huber
Copy Editor
Magenta Ranero
Senior Chart Editor
Hilary Rengert
VP, Research Strategy
Amanda Silvestri
Senior Copy Editor