UAE’s social media reach is among highest in world

Richard Knowles posted on 31 August 2022

New research, published by DataReportal, suggests users of platforms including Facebook and TikTok in the UAE are among the most active and engaged in the world.

As part of the in-depth analysis, some of which was provided by DataReportal partner Locowise, the research explored how users around the world behave online and presented a snapshot of how some of the most popular social media platforms are used across the seven Emirates. 

It looked at how users across the UAE interact with the channels and how useful advertising on these platforms is to companies, who want to target these consumers.

Initial findings show that the average number of social media platforms that internet users in the UAE aged 16-64 use actively each month is 8.2, which is the third highest in the world, after India (9.1) and Brazil (8.4). The worldwide average is 7.4.

While YouTube has the highest potential reach amongst the 18+ audience at 98.5%, TikTok’s potential reach is almost as high, at 97.7%, when compared to the 18+ population of the country.

From an advertising perspective, LinkedIn has the highest potential audience reach in the UAE at 78.2% of the population aged over 18 (*approximately 6.5 million). This is significantly higher than the global average, which is just 15.2%.

Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and Twitter adverts can target those aged 13+ and fare favourably in the UAE too.

Instagram ads reach 71.6% of the population, while Facebook Messenger ads reach about 67.9%, around *6 million and *5.8 million people respectively.

For the likes of Snapchat and Twitter the figures are lower, with Snapchat reaching approximately *3.8 million (44.7%) and Twitter *2.7 million people (31.8%) across the seven Emirates.

However, only 13.6% (*1.1 million) of internet users aged 16 to 64 feel represented in the advertising they are served, regardless of channel or medium. This is compared to the global average of 16.7%

Sophie Beard, marketing manager at Locowise said: “Clearly in a country where internet usage is almost at 100% of the population, we can see that advertising on social media platforms can reach significant numbers of people.

“While LinkedIn and Facebook channels can reach more people, social media managers shouldn’t ignore the likes of Snapchat or Twitter, as they can still reach millions of people.

“What’s clear is analysing social media platforms to understand the benefits to consumers and therefore businesses through a dedicated tool like Locowise, makes life much easier for social media managers.”

To find out how Locowise can help you, book a demo at a time to suit you – we’ll even give you a 21 day free trial to try the intelligent tool out for yourself.  

*Based on approximate population figures from here