Saudi Arabia saw more people using the internet in 2023, with 99% of users, mostly split evenly between men and women. A report called “Saudi Internet” looked at how people use the internet in the Kingdom. It found that over half spend 7 hours or more online each day, mostly at home or while out. Peak internet use is at night, especially on Fridays and in December.
Mobile phones are the most popular devices for browsing the internet, followed by computers and tablets. Most people use Android phones, and Windows is the most common computer operating system.
The report also showed what people do online, like visiting government and banking websites, and how many shop online, with more women than men. It also looked at popular social media and calling apps, as well as cloud storage services.
The Kingdom has good internet infrastructure, with fast mobile internet speeds. The report also noted the rise of Internet of Things technology and the increasing amount of internet data used in the Kingdom.
Lastly, the report mentioned that the Kingdom is adopting the latest internet protocols and has seen growth in the number of Saudi domain names.
The Kingdom experienced a rise in internet usage in 2023, reaching 99% of users, with almost equal distribution between males (99.3%) and females (98.5%).
In 2023, the “Saudi Internet” report from the Communications and Information Technology Commission examined user habits. It found that over half of internet users (52.3%) spend at least 7 hours online daily. Most use the internet at home (84.7%), while commuting (72%), or at work (43.4%).
Peak usage times are typically from 9 PM to 11 PM daily, with Fridays and December being the busiest times.
Mobile phones are the most popular devices for internet browsing (98.9%), followed by computers (55%), tablets (39%), and other devices like smartwatches and gaming platforms (29.9%). Android leads in mobile operating systems (61.5%), followed by iOS (38.1%), while Windows dominates computer operating systems (91.1%), with macOS at 7%.
The report also highlights internet activities, popular websites, and usage percentages for browsers and mobile internet packages, with government services at 95.5% and banking services at 73.6%.
Online shopping is prevalent, with 63.7% of people purchasing products or services online, more so among women (74.6%) than men (55.7%). Additionally, popular social media and calling apps, along with cloud storage services, are widely used, reaching a usage rate of 71.4%.
The Kingdom’s internet infrastructure supports its high mobile internet speeds, ranking among the top 10 globally. The report notes significant growth in Internet of Things (IoT) technology subscriptions, surpassing 12 million, and internet data traffic exceeding 42 million terabytes, with an average monthly consumption of 44 gigabytes per person for mobile internet data.
Regarding internet domain names, the Kingdom is among the top adopters of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), with a 61% adoption rate. Saudi domain names saw substantial growth, reaching 57 thousand domains in 2023.
