A new study reveals significant growth in internet and social media usage across Arab countries. Nearly 348 million Arab internet users are now online, accounting for 70.2% of the total Arab population, which stands at approximately 496 million. Meanwhile, the number of social media users in the Arab world has reached 228 million, or about 46% of the population.
The study, conducted by Galal & Karawi Management Consulting in collaboration with Orient Planet Research, sourced data from platforms like DataReportal, GSMA Intelligence, Semrush, Sky, and Statista. Egypt leads the region with the highest number of internet users, boasting 50.7 million, followed by Iraq (34.4 million) and Saudi Arabia (34.1 million). Morocco ranks fourth with 21.3 million users, and the UAE comes in fifth with 11.3 million users. Algeria holds the sixth position with 25.6 million internet users.
In terms of social media platforms, TikTok has emerged as the most popular app across many Arab countries, especially in the Gulf region. It tops the charts in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, as well as Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Mauritania, and Somalia. On the other hand, Facebook remains the preferred social media platform in North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, and the Comoros.
YouTube holds the top spot in Egypt, Jordan, and Oman, while Snapchat sees strong usage in Saudi Arabia, with about 24.7 million users. LinkedIn is also widely used in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The study highlights the younger demographic in the Arab world, with 62.8% of the population under the age of 35, which influences the preference for digital platforms and presents opportunities for digital transformation campaigns.
When compared to global trends, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok are the top five social media platforms worldwide. However, Instagram did not dominate in Arab countries as it did globally, with Facebook and YouTube taking the lead among social media platforms in the region.
