Saudi Gazette Report

RIYADH — The internet penetration in Saudi Arabia stood at 99 percent while the percentage of online shopping jumped to 63.7 percent during the year 2023. This information was contained in the Saudi Internet Report 2023, published by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission.

The report reviewed a set of indicators and information related to the pattern, behavior and preferences of users in browsing the internet in the Kingdom during the year 2023. According to the report, more than half of internet users in the Kingdom spend seven hours or more using internet on a daily basis, and the peak hours using internet during the day were between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

“Friday is the most used day for internet during the week. The percentage of mobile phone use for browsing internet reached 98.9 percent,” the report noted while indicating that the rate of mobile Internet data consumption per capita reached 44 GB per month, reaching three times than that of global consumption.

The report also included an analysis of users’ behavior in using applications of various classifications. It was found that WhatsApp, Snapchat, and YouTube ranked top on the list of the most widely used social media applications in Saudi Arabia. The Nafath, Absher and Tawakkalna Services applications also topped among the list of the most downloaded government applications during the year 2023.

The commission released the report on the sidelines of the Communications and Technology Indicators Forum 2024. The report includes the most important statistics and figures about internet usage in Saudi Arabia with the aim of raising the level of digital services and empowering investors and entrepreneurs, which in turn helps build a prosperous digital economy.

According to an earlier report, there were 36.84 million internet users at the start of 2024 in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom was home to 35.1 million social media users in January 2024, which is equivalent to 94.3 percent of the total population. A total of 49.89 million cellular mobile connections were active in Saudi Arabia in early 2024, with this figure equivalent to 134.1 percent of the total population.

The commission’s annual internet report provides the most accurate statistics on the Internet system and its usage in the Kingdom, as well as the level of infrastructure development. This aims at enhancing digital services for the public and private sectors, attracting technical investments, and thereby contributing to the development of a thriving digital economy. The report reveals the growth of Internet usage in the Kingdom, according to gender, age and regions.