Social media usage and engagement in the Middle East has exploded in the last five years. While some Middle Eastern countries’ populations are nearly all on social media, plenty of markets still have room for significant growth. This shows the growing potential of the market compared to most other regions where social media use remains stagnant.
When entering a new market, you’re likely wondering: Is social media use consistent across Middle Eastern countries? What messages and visuals resonate? How do influencers fit in?
Thankfully, this article is a great primer to get you acquainted with social media in the Middle East. Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.
Social media use in the Middle East
Geographically, the Middle East extends from Egypt to Western Asia and consists of 17 countries: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen.
The region has a population of 489 million people and is growing every year. While the birth rate is slowing in many countries due to their increasing wealth, people from all over the world are also immigrating more and more to these countries. The most populous countries in the Middle East are Egypt (114 million), Iran (89 million), Turkey (86 million), Iraq (46 million) and Saudi Arabia (37 million).
As there are so many different countries that make up the Middle East, it’s actually one of the most linguistically diverse regions on Earth. The most commonly spoken languages are Arabic, Persian or Farsi, Hebrew and Turkish, but over 60 languages are officially spoken in the region. Arabic is the fourth most spoken native language in the world, but only the 15th most commonly used language in internet content (Turkish is ranked 14th).
See also: EMEA marketing: 10 challenges facing content marketers
Social media use in the Middle East has exploded
While most of the world’s social media usage patterns have remained similar to 2019 levels, the Middle East’s usage has increased dramatically. As of 2022, internet users in the region spend an average of 3 hours and 5 minutes a day just using social media. Latin America is the only region in the world with a higher average (3 hours and 35 minutes a day).
“The Middle East is growing by leaps and bounds. For example, Dubai is a major metropolitan city. All the brands, all the latest technology and long queues outside Apple stores when the new iPhone is released.
People are extremely tech-savvy, and e-commerce has boomed massively in the last two years because audience awareness in the region is insane. The entire rainbow of marketing can be done here. You can do everything: events, exhibitions, digital marketing, influencer marketing and social media.”
– Vibha Thusu, Overseas Global MarCom Leader at Schneider Electric
Four Middle Eastern countries are in the 10 countries with the highest percentages of their citizens on social media:
- UAE (100%)
- Bahrain (98.7%)
- Qatar (96.3%)
- Oman (90.5%)
For comparison, 70% of the US population is on social media and 82% in the UK. It’s important to note that Egypt, the most populous country in the region, only has 44.5% of its citizens on social media, so there’s still a lot of growth opportunity in the region.
Citizens of Middle Eastern countries on social media also tend to use a wide variety of platforms, usually higher than the worldwide average.
- UAE citizens use 8.2 platforms
- Saudi Arabians use 7.9 platforms
- Turks use 7.6 platforms
- Egyptians use 7.2 platforms
For comparison, the worldwide average is 7.2. The US average is 6.7, and the UK average is 6.4.
As previously mentioned, social media use in Middle Eastern countries has exploded in the last decade. In the UAE, Instagram use went from 38% of the country in 2014 to 80.1% in 2024, and in Saudi Arabia, it went from 57% to 72.2% in the same period. At the same time, Snapchat in Saudi Arabia grew from 24% to 70.5%, and in the UAE, Snapchat grew from 15% to 43.4%.
Middle Eastern countries are also very mobile-first. In addition to apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp that are mobile-only, most Middle Eastern people just prefer to access social media through their phones. As far back as 2013, 50% of YouTube views in Saudi Arabia, and 40% of views in the UAE came from mobile devices.
And the numbers are only increasing: mobile’s share of web traffic in 2024 is 66% in Egypt, 73% in Turkey and Iran, 75% in the UAE, and 79% in Saudi Arabia. For comparison, mobile’s share is 41% in the USA and 47% in the UK.
People in the Middle East also love to consume video-based content when they’re using social media. The region is the fastest-growing consumer of videos on Facebook, and has the world’s second-highest online video viewership after the US. When looking at the news, 66% said mobile videos were their favorite format.
Popular social media platforms in the Middle East
Wishing you health and prosperity on UAE’s National Day. Let the colours of the flag fly high 🇦🇪🇦🇪✨
تتمنى لكم St. Dalfour الصحة والعافية بمناسبة اليوم الوطني الإماراتي ✨ 🇦🇪🇦🇪
Here’s an overview of the most popular platforms in the region and any countries where they’re particularly popular or unpopular.
YouTube
While some may not consider YouTube a social media akin to Facebook or Instagram, YouTube is the most popular social network in the Middle East, with 150.7 million users in the region. Turkey has the 10th biggest YouTube user base in the world, with 57.9 million active users.
Of the top five countries worldwide by YouTube penetration (users compared to the population of those countries), three of them are in the Middle East:
- The UAE, at number one with 94.2%
- Israel, at number two with 93.6%
- Saudi Arabia, at number four with 89.7%
Instagram has overtaken Facebook in popularity in the Middle East, with about 127 million active users. Three of the top seven countries by reach, or addressable ad audience, are in the region—Bahrain at number one with 95.6%, the UAE at number three with 90.7%, and Kuwait at number seven with 84.5%. In addition, Turkey is Instagram’s fifth-biggest market by number of users, with 57.1 million.
While Instagram continues to be very popular, user habits are changing, especially with the adoption of new social media. Instagram is predicted to lose its spot to TikTok in several years, due to that app’s surging popularity and emphasis on video content.
Facebook is the third most popular social media platform in the region, with about 111.1 million active users across all countries. While, generally, its use is declining amongst young people, it’s still a place where most people have an account and look at social media.
A big driver for its popularity in the region is Egypt. With 42 million users, it’s the 10th biggest national market for the platform. Turkey is 14th, with 32.8 million users. UAE and Qatar, while not the biggest markets by population, are some countries with the highest levels of reach for Facebook relative to the population, at 93% and 90% respectively.
“Facebook is working very well for us because the communities that we work with—the electricians, retailers and resellers—are still using the platform a lot, especially in Europe, Middle East, and African regions. Facebook is very, very popular.”
– Vibha Thusu, Overseas Global MarCom Leader at Schneider Electric
TikTok
While not the most “popular” on this list by number of users (110 million active users), TikTok has seen the most explosive growth in the region in the last few years. Due to its short videos, viral trends and algorithm-driven content, it’s become extremely popular among younger people.
In a survey of Arab youth, the use of TikTok in that group more than doubled from 2019 to 2022, while the use of Facebook and X/Twitter declined.
The top five countries for the app—by reach—are all Middle Eastern countries:
- The UAE, with 105.2% reach
- Saudi Arabia, with 103.3% reach
- Kuwait, with 98.8% reach
- Qatar, with 96.5% reach
- Iraq, with 94.5% reach
More than three-quarters of adults use the app in Bahrain (78.7%) and more than six in ten adults in Jordan (62.9%) and Israel (62.8%).
An important note is that the UAE and Saudi Arabia have figures for reach and penetration over 100%. According to data collectors, theories as to why are due to duplicate or fake accounts, user age misstatements (as TikTok is only supposed to be used by those over 18), different research dates and differences in census data.
Snapchat
With 70.8 million users, Snapchat has nowhere near the highest amount of users of any social media app in the region, but it’s much more popular here than in many other regions of the world and is used a bit differently than in other places.
Six of the top ten countries by reach are in the Middle East:
- Saudi Arabia 1st with 76.5%
- Bahrain 2nd with 73.5%
- Kuwait 5th with 61.1%
- Iraq 6th with 55.4%
- UAE 7th with 51.8%
- Oman 8th with 51.2%
In addition, about four of every 10 adults use Snapchat in Qatar (39.2%), Jordan (38.4%), and Palestine (35.2%).
As you can probably see, Snapchat is most popular in Saudi Arabia. Its addressable reach includes over 20 million Saudi citizens. It’s one of the most popular platforms in general in the country, particularly among young people, reaching 90% of 13-34-year-olds. Not only that, but it’s become a popular app with Saudi parents, too. A 2021 survey discovered that 71% of parents there are on Snapchat.
X/Twitter
While we used to associate the Middle East with Twitter use, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. With only 33.6 million active users, use has fallen by half in the region since 2013, while other social media apps have either increased in use during that same time or remained steady.
While in most Middle Eastern countries X is not one of the most popular apps, there are a few exceptions: Saudi Arabia, where it’s the fifth most used social media app with 66.3% penetration, and Turkey, where it’s the fourth most used social media site with 69.1% penetration. Users in Saudi Arabia are continuing to increase, while in Turkey, market share is decreasing since hitting a peak in 2023.
Effective engagement strategies in the Middle East
Here are a few engagement strategies for social media in the Middle East.
Incorporate AR
Consumers in the Middle East are among the most enthusiastic in the world about emerging new tech, from AI to the Metaverse to hyper-personalization. They tend to think the adoption of these technologies will have a positive impact, whereas most people in Europe and North America think they will have a neutral impact.
AR filters on Snapchat are hugely popular in the Middle East, making them a great tool for boosting brand awareness. A notable example is the Snap Ramadan Mall from 2022. This world lens used the phone’s outward-facing camera, allowing users to “browse” through popular stores and shop for products directly.
The AR mall has been a huge success and returned for Ramadan in both 2023 and 2024. In 2023, the mall reached over 12 million shoppers in one month.
Incorporate popular video content in your strategy
As previously mentioned, Middle Eastern people love video content, and it’s the main type of content they consume on social media. They particularly like “soothing” content, like journaling, cooking and ASMR videos. They also like compilations of “oddly satisfying” clips, mukbang videos and exploratory travel videos with high-quality visuals.
While you may not be able to incorporate all of these types of videos into your marketing strategy, implementing a few might increase your chances of getting lots of organic views on your content and increase your brand awareness.
Respect Ramadan
Many Middle Eastern countries are Muslim-majority countries, so Ramadan—the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and the holy month of fasting—is a big deal in many markets. As this time emphasizes connection and giving, Muslim people in the Middle East are more likely to be on their phones and connect and shop online.
When marketing during Ramadan, there are a couple key points you need to consider. First, as Ramadan is a religious holiday with significant themes and values associated with it, you need to be conscientious with your marketing. Incorporate messages that highlight the communal values of the time and that are mindful of the traditions of the time. You should avoid promotions or aggressive marketing, as they may be perceived as insensitive.
You should also adjust your marketing timelines for different parts of the month—different days or times may see increased or decreased online activity. For example, post-Iftar, the meal at night to break the day’s fast, is always a peak time for online activity. Campaigns typically have their biggest impacts during Eid al-Fitr celebrations at the end of Ramadan.
Localize your content
The Middle East is not a monolith, so your content should be localized as much as possible to acknowledge local customs, values and icons. Each country has its own holidays, and even countries that celebrate the same holiday may celebrate it on different days.
As Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, it has many dialects, so the Arabic you use in a campaign in Saudi Arabia may work differently in Egypt. Use regional languages whenever possible, too.
Overall, personalized content acknowledging local customs, traditions and languages resonates deeply with Middle Eastern consumers and increases audience engagement.
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Cultural sensitivity in Middle East social media
When marketing in the Middle East, cultural sensitivities must be considered, especially given the region’s strong religious ties. Understanding these principles is key to effective social media campaigns.
Religion in these countries is very personal but also affects citizens’ daily lives, from consumers’ personal choices and preferences to government laws about what is allowed or not allowed to be posted.
While not every country in the Middle East is majority Muslim, we’ll focus on Islamic cultural sensitivities here as many countries there, particularly the largest markets, are.
Understanding Islamic cultural sensitivities
It’s important first to mention that Islam is not a monolith, so it’s a good idea to do some research on your specific target audience to see what they find acceptable, what they don’t, what they think of your competitors and what they want to see in their marketing.
However, there is one thing that all Muslims have in common: Halal, the concept of something being permissible in Islam.
You may know that foods can be Halal or not, but the concept of Halal extends to pharmaceutical, beauty and financial products. Having your products certified as Halal and advertising as such would go a long way toward building trust with your Middle Eastern audience. But make sure everything you’re selling is Halal—having Halal and Haram (forbidden) products mixed is strongly looked down on.
Practicing Muslims usually follow Shariah Law, and expect advertising targeting them to do the same. Some commonly used tactics that are against Shariah Law include comparing your product to another by speaking negatively about the competing product, women in “immodest” clothing (what that means can vary between countries), women and men intermingling freely and exaggerating claims of your product.
Your products should also only encourage moderate consumption. Even if you’re having massive sales, don’t include aggressive messaging about buying lots of stuff, as it could be seen as disrespectful. We highly recommend working with local linguists to make sure your messaging is appropriate for your audience without being offensive or condescending.
This may sound tricky, but try and frame the cultural sensitivities you need to consider as a way to enhance your campaign’s outreach, instead of making it the main target of your campaign. If you come from a place of understanding, people in the Middle East are more receptive and can become very loyal customers.
Working with social media influencers in the Middle East
Social media influencers in the Middle East can offer a lot of growth opportunities. In many Middle Eastern markets, social media users were more likely to follow influencers than the world average. But, as we’ve mentioned, these numbers can vary widely across Middle Eastern countries.
The worldwide average for someone following an influencer is 22.6%. In the UAE, 29.3% of people follow an influencer, in Saudi Arabia 27.1% and in Egypt 26.7% of people do. On the flip side, only 12.2% of Turkish people follow influencers, the second-lowest figure of all the countries in the report. Your success with influencer marketing greatly depends on what market you’re getting into.
Despite their likelihood to follow influencers, however, many young Middle Eastern people don’t have the best opinion of them. 54% of respondents in a 2022 Arab Youth survey said that influencers were trustworthy and 46% said they were untrustworthy. They were the least trustworthy to them of all forms of media they were asked about, including social media in general itself—66% said it was trustworthy, while 34% said it was untrustworthy.
Influencers require licenses in many Middle Eastern countries
Another important thing to consider is the social media influencer licenses different countries have put into effect. All Saudi Arabians, even if they live abroad, have to apply for and pay for an influencer permit. It costs SR15,000 (about $4,000) and lasts for three years. Non-Saudi nationals living in Saudi Arabia or people visiting are prohibited from posting advertisements on social media while they’re there.
In Dubai, they’ve had social media licenses since 2018. It costs 15,000AED (about $4,000) and it lasts for one year. Influencers found to not have or renew their license can face fines or even the closure of their social media accounts. The license also applies to influencers visiting the UAE. Abu Dhabi, also in the UAE, is implementing a similar program.
In all of these situations, you as a business can also face penalties for working with non-licensed influencers. Overall, influencer marketing doesn’t have a huge impact in every Middle Eastern market. But in the ones where it does, it’s important to make sure you and the influencers you work with are following all the necessary rules and regulations.
Successful social media campaigns in the Middle East
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, MetLife launched a campaign in the UAE called “switch off” in 2022. Its premise revolved around how our phones and the internet can negatively affect our mental health.
Social media video ads and outdoor advertising led users to a website that featured an array of meditation-style videos and wellness content—as we know, Middle Eastern audiences respond well to “relaxing” videos. The catch? The only way to access them was through turning off their Wi-Fi and data, forcing them to truly “disconnect.”
By combining video ads, relaxing content and an uplifting and positive message related to moderation, MetLife led a successful campaign that greatly increased brand awareness and positive attitudes toward the brand.
Ready to tap into the Middle East market?
The Middle East’s social media scene is booming, offering huge opportunities for brands. But to succeed, it’s important to localize your approach and respect cultural differences. From video content to influencer marketing, understanding local preferences can make all the difference.
Partnering with locals who know the market can give you a real edge. At VeraContent, we can help you create campaigns that truly connect.
Reach out today to see if you qualify for a Free Content Consultation and start unlocking the potential of social media in the Middle East!