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Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report
Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions
Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions
Econsultancy London
4th Floor, The Corner
91-93 Farringdon Road
London EC1M 3LN
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 (0)20 7269 1450
http://econsultancy.com
Econsultancy New York
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New York, NY 10003
United States
Telephone:
+1 212 699 3626
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or any information storage and retrieval system, without
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Copyright © Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011
Published October 2011
Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report - Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage
and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011
Contents
1. Executive Summary and Highlights ................................ 1
2. About Econsultancy ......................................................... 4
3. About Real Opinions ........................................................ 5
4. Methodology and sample ................................................. 6
5. Findings ........................................................................... 7
5.1. Internet usage .............................................................................. 7
5.1.1. Use of the internet .......................................................................................... 7
5.1.2. Time spent online ......................................................................................... 11
5.1.3. Location of internet broadband .................................................................. 12
5.2. Smartphones .............................................................................. 14
5.2.1. Internet-enabled smartphones ................................................................... 14
5.2.2. Activities carried out using smartphones ................................................... 17
5.3. Online purchases ....................................................................... 20
5.3.1. Use of the internet for researching products ............................................. 20
5.3.2. Purchasing products and services online ................................................... 22
5.3.3. Barriers preventing online purchase .......................................................... 24
5.3.4. Types of products purchased online ........................................................... 26
5.4. Payment cards ........................................................................... 30
5.4.1. Ownership of payment cards .......................................................................30
5.4.2. Use of payment cards for online purchases ................................................ 32
5.4.3. Consumers considering payment cards for online purchases ................... 34
5.5. Social media ............................................................................... 35
5.5.1. Use of social media websites ....................................................................... 35
5.5.2. Adding comments in online discussions .................................................... 39
5.5.3. Ratings and reviews ..................................................................................... 41
5.5.4. Liking brands on Facebook ......................................................................... 42
5.5.5. Following brands on Twitter ....................................................................... 44
5.6. Search ........................................................................................ 45
5.6.1. Use of search engines ................................................................................... 45
5.6.2. Language for search ..................................................................................... 47
5.6.3. Sponsored listings ........................................................................................ 49
5.7. Email ........................................................................................... 51
5.7.1. Subscribing to email newsletters ................................................................ 51
5.7.2. Purchases resulting from email newsletters ............................................... 52
6. Respondent profiles ....................................................... 53
6.1. Gender ....................................................................................... 53
6.2. Age ............................................................................................. 53
Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report - Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions
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6.3. Geographic location .................................................................. 54
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1. Executive Summary and Highlights The Middle East Digital Consumer Report is based on a survey (commissioned by
Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions) of more than 2,000 consumers, across a range of
regions across the Middle East, including North Africa, the Levant and the GCC. Respondents
came from the Real Opinions online panel across the Middle East from a pool of over 100,000
internet users.
The report looks at internet usage in the region, including the types of products and services
purchased by consumers online. The report also examines in detail how consumers use a wide
range of online channels, including mobile, social media, search and email.
The survey findings cover the whole of the Middle East and are broken down for different regions.
Certain questions are split out further for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The results show that
cultural, demographic and population differences between Middle Eastern countries can have far-
reaching consequences for marketers in this region.
Social networking is the most popular online activity across the Middle East with 88% of
consumers reporting they use the internet for this daily.
– In the Gulf states, email is the most frequent activity undertaken on the internet, with 87%
reporting they use email daily. Some 80% undertake social networking daily.
Typically, internet users in the Middle East spend more than two hours online every day.
More than a third of respondents (38%) report spending between two and five hours online,
while another 34% spend more than five hours online daily.
Facebook is overwhelmingly the most popular social media site in the Middle East, with some
98% of respondents stating they use the site.
– Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) say they have „liked‟ a brand on Facebook.
Slightly more consumers in the Levant region (82%) have „liked‟ brands on Facebook.
Consumers are using the internet both at home and work. While the majority have internet
broadband access at home, the proportion of respondents with internet at work varies
significantly by country. The UAE has a strong reputation for business and consequently has 69%
of respondents with broadband access at work, far higher than in other parts of the Middle East.
The majority of consumers (86%) in this survey typically have internet broadband access at
home. Some 35% also have broadband at work.
The report looks at smartphone ownership, indicating that Nokia is the most popular handset
manufacturer in this region.
Some 44% of consumers in the Middle East indicated that they have a Nokia internet-enabled
smartphone.
Some 35% of respondents in the Emirates own a BlackBerry, far higher than for the Middle
East overall, where only 11% own a BlackBerry.
The research also examines e-commerce in the region, looking at how many consumers purchase
online or use the internet to research products. While a third of consumers occasionally or
regularly purchase products online, far more respondents said they use the internet for research
or looking for planned purchases.
Over a quarter of consumers (27%) occasionally purchase products online, while only 6%
make regular purchases.
Almost half of consumers (48%) say they occasionally use the internet either for looking for
products or for researching planned purchases. Under a fifth (18%) regularly use the internet
for researching purchases.
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Although the digital industry is rapidly growing in the Middle East, there are still many barriers
preventing consumers from buying online. A combination of different factors is holding back
customers, although the main barriers relate to payment.
The lack of trust in payments cited by 43% of respondents in this survey. The second most
cited issue is unsuitable payment options, mentioned by over a third (36%) of respondents.
Some 27% report that there is a lack of local online retailers. However, e-commerce is rapidly
developing in the region and this will be directly addressed as more companies begin to offer
online transactions.
Consumers are buying a wide range of products online. While some products such as flights and
hotels are purchased widely across the whole Middle East, the purchase of other products varies
by country. The types of products purchased can be affected by the culture and demographic
population of individual countries within MENA.
Of the consumers who have purchased products online, almost half (47%) have bought flights
online and over a third (38%) have purchased a hotel reservation.
A far higher proportion of respondents in the UAE are buying products online compared to
the rest of the Middle East.
Just under half of UAE online consumers (49%) pay their credit card bills online, compared to
just 9% of Saudi consumers. Only 25% of Saudi respondents pay their utility bills online,
compared to 52% of respondents in the UAE.
The difference in language used for search varies widely in the Middle East. Consumers across the
Middle East use both the English and Arabic version of Google. In the Emirates, which has a large
expatriate population, the majority of searches are conducted in English.
Google is the most commonly used search engine in the Middle East, with 61% of respondents
using the English version of the site. Over half (58%) are using the Arabic version of Google.
The vast majority of respondents in the UAE (92%) use the English version of Google and only
23% use the Arabic version of Google.
Saudi Arabia is very different; only 45% use the English version of Google, while 82% use the
Arabic version.
The report‟s findings show that consumer behaviour varies widely across the Middle East. For
marketers in this region, it‟s highly important to understand the differences between different
countries and adapt and target campaigns accordingly.
Other relevant Econsultancy reports, training and events
Reports
The State of Digital in the Middle East and North Africa
http://econsultancy.com /reports/the-state-of-digital-in-mena
Middle East and North Africa: Internet Statistics Compendium
http://econsultancy.com/reports/middle-east-and-north-africa-internet-statistics-compendium
Blog posts
http://econsultancy.com/blog/tags/middle-east
Training
Training courses in Dubai
http://econsultancy.com/training/in/dubai
Fast Track Digital Marketing - Dubai Training
http://econsultancy.com/training/courses/fast-track-digital-marketing-dubai/
Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report - Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions Page 3
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storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011
Social Media Marketing - Dubai Training
http://econsultancy.com/training/courses/social-media-marketing-dubai/
Online Media Planning and Buying – Dubai Training
http://econsultancy.com/training/courses/online-media-planning-and-buying-dubai
Usability and User Experience - Dubai Training
http://econsultancy.com/training/courses/usability-and-user-experience-dubai
Events
Digital Cream Dubai
http://econsultancy.com/events/digital-cream-dubai
To keep up-to-date with Econsultancy's latest developments in MENA, including training, reports
and events, bookmark this page: http://econsultancy.com/hello/mena
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2. About Econsultancy Econsultancy is a community where the world's digital marketing and e-commerce professionals
meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each
other out and discover how to do everything better online.
It was launched in 1999 and since then has grown to a dominant position in the digital marketing
industry with more than 100,000 members worldwide.
Its website and blog attracts more than 300,000 unique users per month and its range of training
courses and conferences are attended by more than 5,000 marketers every year.
Econsultancy also provides a range of resources specifically for the Middle East including
regionalised reports, such as the Middle East internet Statistics Compendium, local events, online
resources and training programmes. Econsultancy‟s 100,000 members make better decisions,
build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.
Find out more at http://econsultancy.com/hello/mena.
For more information, visit http://econsultancy.com or follow @econsultancy on Twitter.
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3. About Real Opinions Real Opinions is the appointed knowledge partner of Econsultancy in the Middle East. It has been
at the forefront of helping to promote a better understanding of the evolving Middle East digital
landscape through its research and is considered as one of the leading innovators in digital
research. It consulted on this project and conducted research with its own exclusive online panel
across the Middle East.
Real Opinions is a full service market research consultancy through its headquarters in Dubai and
globally based consultants. It specialises in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
providing innovative and strategic market research solutions and consulting. It is a regular
presenter at conferences in both the Middle East and Europe.
Its online panel includes over 100,000 Middle East Internet users and is able to conduct online
and mobile qualitative and quantitative research with them.
For more information about Real Opinions, visit http://www.real-opinions.com or follow
@realopinions on Twitter.
To contact them and for any inquiries about this research project, email inquiry@real-
opinions.com
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storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Copyright © Econsultancy.com Ltd 2011
4. Methodology and sample Respondents came from the Real Opinions online panel across the Middle East from a pool of
over 100,000 internet users. Panel members were randomly selected in each country to ensure a
representative sample was obtained in each to reflect the internet population. The number of
respondents in each country reflects a number of factors, such as the number of internet users,
the frequency of internet usage and a minimum number in order to analyse each country
individually. The number of respondents from Libya and Syria were limited due to internet
restrictions.
A total of n=1999 respondents reached the final demographic questions of the survey. Research
was conducted from 10th to 15th of June 2011 in order to have the research completed before the
seasonal school summer holidays.
Respondents were given a choice of either English (20% of respondents) or Arabic (80% of
respondents) language to complete the survey in.
The Middle East sub-regions of North Africa, Levant and GCC reflect the geographical clustering,
economic and cultural similarity. Analysis is broken down in this document by these sub-regions
to highlight the differences.
The full database of respondents is held by Real Opinions and is available for further analysis.
For further inquiries on the methodology and results, contact [email protected].
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5. Findings
5.1. Internet usage
5.1.1. Use of the internet
In the Middle East, the internet is mainly used for social networking and email, according to the
vast majority of respondents. Some 88% of consumers use the web for social networking on a
daily basis, while over three-quarters (78%) use email daily.
Instant messaging and video are used less often, with over half of respondents (57% and 52%
respectively) reporting they use these technologies on a daily basis.
At the other end of the scale, some 41% have never used the internet for shopping online, while
over half of respondents (57%) have never undertaken online banking.
Figure 1: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2630
The charts below show the breakdown for different regions in the Middle East, including North
Africa, the Levant and states in the GCC.
The results for North Africa (Figure 2) indicate that 90% of respondents use the internet for
social networking daily, while 74% use email. Over two-thirds of respondents (69%) have never
used the internet for online banking.
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North Africa
Figure 2: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Panel Respondents: 1001
The results below indicate 95% of internet users undertake social networking daily in the Levant
region. Over half (51%) have never used the internet for shopping online. Over a third of
respondents (38%) have never downloaded films online, compared to 29% for the Middle East
overall.
Levant
Figure 3: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 572
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In the GCC region, it is interesting to note that online banking is far more commonplace, as only
27% have never used the internet for this type of activity, while 12% say they use online banking
daily.
Shopping online is also more common in the Gulf states than in the rest of the Middle East, with
only 23% of respondents reporting they never shop online.
Email is the number one activity undertaken on the internet in this region, with 87% of
respondents reporting they use email on a daily basis.
In contrast to the rest of the Middle East, social networking is further down the line in terms of
activities undertaken on the internet, with 80% of respondents reporting they use these types of
sites daily.
GCC
Figure 4: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 740
To better understand the differences between the Gulf states, the results have been broken down
further for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Significant changes to note between the two countries
include:
Online banking. More than half of respondents in the UAE (60%) say they undertake
online banking weekly or daily, significantly more than in Saudi, where just over a third
(36%) say carry out online banking at least once a week.
– While 32% of respondents in Saudi Arabia have never undertaken online banking, only
14% in the UAE say the same.
Playing games. More respondents (over a quarter or 28%) in Saudi Arabia play games daily.
This compares to 16% in the UAE. There is also a marked difference in the proportion of
respondents who play games monthly, as this is 13% for Saudi, and only 6% for the UAE.
Phone / video calls. Only a fifth of respondents (22%) in Saudi make daily phone or video
calls using the internet, compared to over a third (34%) in the UAE.
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Shopping online or researching for shopping. Only 28% of respondents in Saudi use
the internet at least once a week for internet shopping, compared to 44% in the UAE.
Saudi Arabia
Figure 5: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 192
UAE
Figure 6: How often do you use the internet for the following activities?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 173
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5.1.2. Time spent online
Typically, internet users spend more than two hours online every day. More than a third of
respondents (38%) report spending between two and five hours online, while another 34% spend
more than five hours online daily.
Figure 7: On average, how much time in a typical day do you spend online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2638
The results below show the breakdown across different regions in the Middle East, indicating that
more than two-thirds of internet users in each region spend at least two hours a day online.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 8: On average, how much time in a typical day do you spend online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2317
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5.1.3. Location of internet broadband
The majority of internet users (86%) have broadband at home. Over a third of respondents (35%)
have broadband internet at work. Just 5% say they do not have broadband access.
Figure 9: Where do you have broadband internet access?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2523
The results below show the breakdown between different regions in the Middle East. Some 91% of
internet users in the GCC region have broadband access at home, while over half (51%) use
broadband at work. This compares to 35% for the MENA region as a whole.
The proportion of respondents with broadband at work in the Gulf is much higher than other
regions. Comparatively, just over a quarter of respondents (26%) in North Africa and 32% of the
Levant region have broadband at work.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 10: Where do you have broadband internet access?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2224
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The breakdown of results looking specifically at Saudi Arabia and UAE show that over two-thirds
of respondents (69%) in the Emirates have broadband at work, compared to only 39% in Saudi
Arabia.
The difference in results reflects the cultural and demographic differences between the two
countries. Since UAE is more of a hub for business, it is unsurprising that more people have
access to broadband at work. UAE also has a large expatriate community, many of whom have
moved to the Emirates for work.
In comparison to UAE, Saudi has a younger population, which means that there may be fewer
Saudi Arabian respondents in the survey who are working and thus have access to internet
through work.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 11: Where do you have broadband internet access?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 194 UAE respondents: 171
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5.2. Smartphones
5.2.1. Internet-enabled smartphones
Nokia is the smartphone manufacturer of choice in the Middle East, according to 44% of
respondents surveyed. Other internet-enabled smartphones owned by respondents include
Samsung (13%), iPhone (12%) and BlackBerry (11%). Just under a quarter of respondents (23%)
do not own a smart phone.
Figure 12: What type of internet-enabled phone (smartphone) do you have?
Note: respondents could check more than one option Respondents: 2523 Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel
Figure 13 shows the results from North Africa and indicates Nokia is the most popular internet-enabled smartphone in this region according to 43% of respondents. Just over a quarter of respondents (26%) do not own an internet-enabled smartphone.
North Africa
Figure 13: What type of internet-enabled phone (smartphone) do you have?
Note: respondents could check more than one option Respondents: 956 Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel
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Almost half of respondents (47%) in the Levant region own a Nokia phone with internet, while
just under a quarter (23%) do not have a smartphone.
Levant
Figure 14: What type of internet-enabled phone (smartphone) do you have?
Note: respondents could check more than one option Respondents: 553 Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel
The results from the Gulf region indicate that many respondents own other handsets in addition
to having a Nokia internet-enabled phone.
A similar proportion of respondents in the GCC region (42%) own a Nokia phone compared to the
Middle East overall (44%). However, a quarter of respondents (25%) own an iPhone, while 26%
have a BlackBerry, much higher than for other regions in MENA.
The proportion of respondents without an internet-enabled phone is just 15%, significantly lower
than for the Middle East overall and other regions in MENA.
GCC
Figure 15: What type of internet-enabled phone (smartphone) do you have?
Note: respondents could check more than one option Respondents: 735 Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel
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The results from UAE and Saudi show that BlackBerry handsets are significantly more popular in
the Emirates. While over a third of respondents in the UAE (35%) own a BlackBerry smartphone,
only 17% in Saudi own a BlackBerry. This is unsurprising given the reputation of the Emirates as a
hub for business.
Slightly more respondents in the Emirates own a Nokia device. Some 44% of survey respondents
have a Nokia smartphone, compared to 37% in Saudi Arabia.
The proportion of respondents in Saudi Arabia who have a Samsung internet-enabled phone is
14%, twice as many as in the UAE, where only 7% own a Samsung smartphone.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 16: What type of internet-enabled phone (smartphone) do you have?
Note: respondents could check more than one option Saudi respondents: 194 Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel UAE respondents: 171
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5.2.2. Activities carried out using smartphones
The main activities carried out on the internet using phones are social networking and email,
according to 77% and 70% of consumers respectively. Some 42% of respondents use instant
messaging on their phone, while a third (33%) watch video clips.
Figure 17: Which of the following activities have you carried out on the internet using your phone?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 1944 The results from North Africa (Figure 18) indicate that over three-quarters of respondents (76%)
use social networking sites on their phone, while two-thirds (64%) use email.
North Africa
Figure 18: Which of the following activities have you carried out on the internet
using your phone?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 703
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Social networking and email are also the most popular activities carried out on internet-enabled
smartphones in the Levant region according to 76% and 68% of respondents respectively, as the
chart below indicates.
Levant
Figure 19: Which of the following activities have you carried out on the internet
using your phone?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 412 In contrast to the rest of the Middle East, email is the most popular activity undertaken on
internet-enabled smart phones in the Gulf, according to 81% of respondents. Only slightly fewer
respondents (79%) report they carry out social networking using their mobile phone.
The results indicate that a twice as many respondents in the Gulf undertake online banking on
their phone, compared to the Middle East overall. Just under a quarter of consumers (22%)
report they use online banking on their phone, compared to 11% for the MENA region overall.
GCC
Figure 20: Which of the following activities have you carried out on the internet
using your phone?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 626
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The results below indicate that online forums are more popular in Saudi Arabia than in the UAE.
While 21% of Saudi respondents say they have used forums on their smartphone, only 11% of UAE
respondents say the same.
It is also noteworthy that a slightly higher proportion of Saudi respondents have carried out
online banking on their phone. Just under a quarter of respondents (24%) from Saudi Arabia say
that have undertaken online banking using their smartphone, compared to 21% of respondents
from the UAE.
Some 44% of Saudi respondents watch YouTube or online video clips on their smartphone,
compared to just under a third (32%) of respondents from the Emirates. This may be reflective of
the significantly younger population in Saudi Arabia compared to that of the UAE.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 21: Which of the following activities have you carried out on the internet
using your phone?
Saudi respondents: 194
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel UAE respondents: 171
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5.3. Online purchases
5.3.1. Use of the internet for researching products Just under half of consumers (48%) say they occasionally use the internet either for looking for
products or for researching planned purchases. Under a fifth (18%) regularly use the internet for
purchases.
Figure 22: Do you ever use the internet to look for products or items to buy or to research something you plan to purchase?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2523
The chart below shows the breakdown of results across the Middle East and indicates a third of
respondents (33%) in the Gulf regularly use the internet for purchasing or researching products.
This compares to 14% in North Africa and 12% in the Levant region.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 23: Do you ever use the internet to look for products or items to buy, or to
research something you plan to purchase?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2224
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Slightly more respondents in the UAE say they regularly look for products and items to buy on the
internet. Some 44% of UAE respondents regularly use the internet to research products,
compared to just over a quarter (26%) of Saudi consumers.
Conversely, 51% of Saudi consumers occasionally use the internet to look for products, compared
to 39% of UAE respondents.
Results for Saudi and UAE
Figure 24: Do you ever use the internet to look for products or items to buy, or to
research something you plan to purchase?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 191
UAE respondents: 170
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5.3.2. Purchasing products and services online
Over a quarter of consumers (27%) occasionally purchase products online, while only 6% make
regular purchases. Some 39% of respondents state an intention to buy products on the internet,
although they currently do not make online purchases. Over a quarter (28%) of respondents have
no intention of purchasing products online.
Figure 25: Do you purchase products or services online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2523
The breakdown of results across the Middle East indicates that over a fifth of respondents in
North Africa (22%) and 20% in the Levant occasionally purchase products or services online.
The proportion of respondents in the Gulf that regularly purchase online (15%) is higher than in
other parts of the Middle East. Some 42% in the GCC region occasionally purchase products and
services online, approximately twice as many as the other parts of the Middle East.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 26: Do you purchase products or services online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2224
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While 21% of consumers regularly buy online in the UAE, only 10% of respondents in Saudi
Arabia say they regularly purchase on the internet.
Almost a third of consumers in Saudi Arabia (31%) state that they intend to buy online although
they currently do not purchase products on the internet. This compares to 15% in the UAE who
state an intention to buy products online.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 27: Do you purchase products or services online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 191
UAE respondents: 170
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5.3.3. Barriers preventing online purchase
The main barrier preventing online purchase is lack of trust in payment, which is cited by 43% of
respondents in this survey. Payment is clearly a vital issue in this region, as the second most cited
issue is unsuitable payment options, mentioned by over a third (36%) of respondents.
Over a quarter of respondents (27%) report that there is a lack of local online retailers while 23%
cite unreliable delivery as a factor. Although e-commerce is rapidly developing in this region,
there are clearly still many barriers to overcome.
Figure 28: Which of the following has prevented you from buying online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2523
The results from North Africa (Figure 29)are similar to the findings for the Middle East overall,
and indicates that a lack of trust in payment prevents some 42% of respondents from buying
online.
North Africa
Figure 29: Which of the following has prevented you from buying online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 956
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The results from the Levant region are shown below and show a similar pattern of results to the
Middle East overall. Unreliable delivery is a major problem in the MENA region, with 23% of
Levantine respondents citing this as a factor, while 17% said the inability to process orders or
deliver prevented them from buying online.
Levant
Figure 30: Which of the following, if any, has prevented you from buying
something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 533
In the Gulf states, slightly fewer respondents said the lack of local online retailers (24%) was a
problem, whereas slightly more respondents (26%) mentioned unreliable delivery. Some 14%
reported poor website design was a problem. This compares to 9% for the Middle East overall.
GCC
Figure 31: Which of the following, if any, has prevented you from buying
something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 735
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5.3.4. Types of products purchased online
There are a wide variety of different types of products bought online in this region. Nearly half of
respondents (47%) have bought flights online and over a third (38%) have purchased a hotel
reservation.
Other items paid for online include utility bills (37%), books (31%), and clothes (27%). Over a
quarter of respondents (27%) have paid their credit card bills online, while a quarter (25%) have
paid for gifts delivered to other people.
At the other end of the scale, the items least likely to be bought online include films, food and
groceries, virtual currency and furniture. The online market for films in this region may be
restricted due to the prevalence of pirated movies, which may explain why only 10% of consumers
have bought movies online. Online grocery shopping is not yet fully developed in this region,
which explains why few people (8%) have bought food online.
Only 4% of consumers have purchased furniture online, and this may be because many furniture
stores in the Middle East are not yet set up for e-commerce. As an example, Ikea UAE allows
users to add items to their shopping list online, but as yet does not allow the customer to pay for
the product online or have the item delivered. Instead, the customer has to visit the store to buy
the product and arrange for home delivery.
It is interesting to note that although 19% of consumers have paid for online games, only 7% have
bought virtual currency. The market for social gaming and virtual worlds is still in the early
stages of adoption in this region, but this sector is rapidly growing in the Middle East, with
already a fifth of consumers having paid for online games. Some of the leading local games
publishers in the Middle East include Jabbar Internet Group‟s Tahadi.com, and Peak Games,
which provides Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African consumers a localised version of the
game Zoo World 2 on Facebook.
Figure 32: What have you purchased or paid for online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 829
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The chart below shows the breakdown of results for North Africa and indicates that consumers
here are less likely to buy products online than in the Middle East overall. A third of consumers
(33%) have paid for utility bills online. Significantly fewer consumers (28%) have bought flights
compared to the rest of the Middle East.
A quarter of respondents (25%) have paid for hotel reservations, while a similar proportion (26%)
have paid for books. Only 6% have bought cinema tickets online and it worth noting that this may
be due to fewer cinemas in this part of the world.
North Africa
Figure 33: What have you purchased or paid for online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 241
The results from the Levantine region (Figure 34) show that a similar proportion of products are
purchased online, but there are slight differences in the order of the results.
In particular, fewer respondents (15%) have paid for utility bills online, compared to the Middle
East as a whole. Additionally, just 13% of respondents in the Levant have paid their credit card
bill online compared to 27% for the MENA region overall.
Clothes are purchased online by only a fifth of consumers (19%), compared to 27% for the Middle
East overall.
Notably, 10% have paid for virtual currency, slightly higher than for the Middle East overall, and
16% of consumers have paid for online games.
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Levant
Figure 34: What have you purchased or paid for online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 122 The results from the Gulf states indicate a higher propensity to purchase different types of
products online, compared to the Middle East overall. Almost two-thirds (63%) have purchased
flights online, while half (50%) have reserved hotels.
Some 48% have paid utility bills online, while over a third (38%) have paid credit card bills
online. Other products, such as household and electrical products (27%) and gifts delivered to
others (33%) are bought online by a higher proportion of consumers in the GCC than for the
Middle East overall.
It is worth noting that a significantly higher proportion of respondents in the GCC have bought
cinema tickets online; 22% compared to 14% for the Middle East overall. This may simply reflect
the fact that some parts of the GCC region (the UAE, in particular) have more physical cinemas
than the rest of the Middle East.
GCC
Figure 35: What have you purchased or paid for online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 416
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The results for Saudi Arabia and the UAE indicate that a far higher proportion of consumers in
the Emirates are buying products online. Additionally, respondents from UAE are also purchasing
a wider variety of different products.
Flights are purchased online by over half (58%) of consumers in the Emirates, twice as many as in
Saudi Arabia, where just over a quarter of respondents (27%) buy this online. Some 46% of
respondents in UAE have paid for hotel reservations, while 22% in Saudi have paid for this
online.
Just under half of UAE consumers (49%) pay their credit card bills online, compared to just 9% of
Saudi consumers. Similarly, only 25% of Saudi respondents pay their utility bills online,
compared to 52% of respondents in the UAE.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 36: What have you purchased or paid for online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 191
UAE respondents: 170
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5.4. Payment cards
5.4.1. Ownership of payment cards
Almost half of consumers in the Middle East (47%) have a payment card as Figure 37 shows.
However, 53% of consumers in this region do not have a payment card.
Figure 37: Do you have a payment card?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2466
The breakdown of results indicates that over two-thirds of consumers (68%) in the Gulf states
have a payment card, significantly higher than for other parts of the Middle East. Only 40% of
North African consumers have a payment card.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 38: Do you have a payment card?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2176
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The results below indicate that 60% of respondents in Saudi Arabia have a payment card,
compared to 82% in the UAE.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 39: Do you have a payment card?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 188
UAE respondents: 169
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5.4.2. Use of payment cards for online purchases
The vast majority of consumers have used their payment card to buy something online. Of
consumers who have a payment card, 84% have made an online purchase using the card.
Figure 40: Have you used your payment card to buy something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 599
The proportion of consumers who have made an online purchase with a payment card is even
higher in the Gulf at 90%. North Africa has the lowest proportion of consumers using their card to
pay for products online at 71%.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 41: Have you used your payment card to buy something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 577
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The results below show that of the respondents with payment cards, 84% in Saudi Arabia have
used their card to buy something online. Some 94% of consumers in the UAE have used their card
to make an online purchase.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 42: Have you used your payment card to buy something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 73
UAE respondents: 110
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5.4.3. Consumers considering payment cards for online purchases
Over half of consumers (59%) state that they would consider using a payment card to buy
something online, compared to 41% who say they would not consider using a card.
Figure 43: Would you consider using a payment card to buy something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2416
Over half of consumers in North Africa and in the Levant region (52%) state they would consider
using a payment card to buy something online. In the Gulf region, this proportion is even higher,
with 72% stating they would consider purchasing something online using a payment card.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 44: Would you consider using a payment card to buy something online?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2135
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5.5. Social media
5.5.1. Use of social media websites
Facebook is overwhelmingly the most popular social media site in the Middle East, with some
98% of respondents stating they use the site. Next on the list is YouTube, with 61% of respondents
using the site, significantly fewer than Facebook, the leading social network in the region.
Other social media sites are considerably less popular. Just under a third of respondents (31%)
said they use Wikipedia, while 28% use Twitter.
The most popular local Arab social networking site is Mattoon’s As7ab, with 11% of respondents
reporting they use the site. Other local sites include ArabFriendz, Kalam, and MyArabPlace but
penetration is very low, with only 1% of people using these sites.
Figure 45: Which of the following social networks and social media websites do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2371
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In North Africa, Facebook has 99% penetration amongst internet users. A large proportion of the
respondents in this region are based in Egypt. It is worth noting that Egypt saw large increases in
the number of Facebook users following the revolution, gaining 632,120 new Facebook users from
January-February, 2011, an increase of 12.16%.1
Over half of internet users (58%) say they use YouTube, while 29% use Wikipedia and 27% use
Twitter.
North Africa
Figure 46: Which of the following social media websites do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 884 The results from the Levant region indicate that 100% of the respondents to this survey use
Facebook. Some 60% use YouTube, and 27% use Wikipedia.
Levant
Figure 47: Which of the following social media websites do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 510
1http://jeffesposito.com/2011/02/21/egypts-social-media-revolution-by-numbers/
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In the Gulf states, Facebook has 96% penetration among internet users. The proportion of
respondents that use YouTube is slightly higher than in other parts of the Middle East, with 71%
penetration.
Notably, Wikipedia and Twitter also have more users in the Gulf states than in other parts of the
Middle East. Over a third of consumers (36%) use Twitter, slightly higher than for the Middle
East overall (28%).
The use of LinkedIn is slightly higher in the GCC region, with almost a quarter of internet users
(24%) using the site, compared to 11% for the Middle East overall.
GCC
Figure 48: Which of the following social networks and social media websites do
you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 700
The results from Saudi Arabia and UAE highlight that LinkedIn is used far more frequently in the
Emirates than in Saudi. Some 45% of respondents in the UAE use LinkedIn, compared to only
12% in Saudi Arabia.
Over a third of Saudi respondents (36%) use Wikipedia, fewer than in the UAE, where over half
(52%) of consumers report they use the site.
It is noteworthy that Maktoob’s As7ab is used by slightly more respondents in Saudi Arabia than
in the UAE. Some 15% of Saudi consumers use the Arab social network, compared to only 5% in
the Emirates. This is partly due to the greater proportion of Arab speakers in Saudi Arabia.
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Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 49: Which of the following social networks and social media websites do
you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 188
UAE respondents: 169
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5.5.2. Adding comments in online discussions
Over half of internet users (52%) say they have occasionally added a comment in an online
discussion, but only 8% do so regularly. Just under a quarter of users (22%) state an intention to
add comment to an online discussion, while 19% have no intention of commenting.
Figure 50: Have you ever added a comment in an online discussion about a brand or product, either on a social network, a forum or on a blog?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2371
The results below show that there is little difference in the propensity to comment online across
the different regions across the Middle East.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 51: Have you ever added a comment in an online discussion about a brand
or product, either on a social network, a forum or on a blog?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2371
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The results below indicate that slightly more respondents in the UAE (26%) have not added a
comment and do not intend to add a comment. In Saudi Arabia, this is only 13%.
Over half of Saudi Arabian consumers (56%) say they have occasionally added comments to
online discussions compared to 47% of respondents in the UAE.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 52: Have you ever added a comment in an online discussion about a brand
or product, either on a social network, a forum or on a blog?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 187
UAE respondents: 168
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5.5.3. Ratings and reviews
Over half of consumers (55%) say ratings and reviews occasionally influence their decision to
purchase a product or service, while 10% are regularly influenced. Conversely, over a third of
consumers (35%) say that ratings and reviews do not influence the decision to purchase.
The results across the Middle East (Figure 54) indicate that a higher proportion of respondents in
the GCC (16%) say ratings and reviews regularly influence their decision to buy a product or
service.
Figure 53: Have online ratings and reviews ever influenced your decision to buy a product or service?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2371
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 54: Have online ratings and reviews ever influenced your decision to buy a
product or service?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2094
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5.5.4. Liking brands on Facebook
Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) say they have „liked‟ a brand on Facebook, compared to
only 23% who have not.
Figure 56 shows the differences across the region, indicating that slightly more consumers in the
Levant region (82%) have „liked‟ brands on Facebook.
Figure 55: Have you ever “liked” a brand on Facebook?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2342
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 56: Have you ever “liked” a brand on Facebook?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2067
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Almost three-quarters of respondents (72%) in Saudi have liked a brand on Facebook, compared
to over half (57%) in the UAE.
It is interesting to note that Saudi consumers are far more open to engaging with brands on
Facebook than Emirati consumers. This may be down to the younger population of Saudi Arabia,
despite a higher proportion of respondents in the UAE using Facebook.
Results for Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Figure 57: Have you ever “liked” a brand on Facebook?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 186
UAE respondents: 167
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5.5.5. Following brands on Twitter
In contrast to the results above, very few respondents have „followed‟ brands on Twitter. Twitter
still has very low penetration in the Middle East and is in the early stages of growth. Only 20% of
consumers have followed brands.
Figure 58: Have you ever “followed” a brand on Twitter?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2342
Figure 59 shows the breakdown of results across the region. The GCC has the highest proportion
of consumers who „follow‟ brands at 24%. Only 17% of consumers in the Levant say they follow a
brand.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA Figure 59: Have you ever “followed” a brand on Twitter?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2067
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5.6. Search
5.6.1. Use of search engines Google is the most commonly used search engine in the region with 61% of respondents using the
English version of the site. Over half (58%) are using the Arabic version of Google.
A quarter of respondents (25%) use Yahoo! Maktoob in the Middle East. Bing is only used by 8%
of consumers in the Middle East.
Figure 60: Which of the following search engines do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2342
Almost three-quarters of respondents (74%) in the Gulf region use the English version of Google,
according to Figure 61. Fewer respondents in the GCC use the Arabic version of Google (42%)
compared to the rest of the Middle East. This is unsurprising given that countries in the GCC,
such as UAE have a large expatriate population whose first language may not be Arabic.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 61: Which of the following search engines do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2067
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The results below show the differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The vast majority of
respondents in the UAE (92%) use the English version of Google and only 23% use the Arabic
version of Google.
Saudi Arabia is very different, however, where a large proportion of the population are Arabic-
speaking. Only 45% use the English version of Google, while 82% use the Arabic version.
The use of Maktoob also varies between the two countries. Just under a fifth of respondents (19%)
in Saudi Arabia use Maktoob, compared to 30% in the Emirates.
Results for Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Figure 62: Which of the following search engines do you use?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 186
UAE respondents: 167
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5.6.2. Language for search
Over a third of consumers (35%)search mainly in Arabic, while just under a quarter (24%) of
respondents search mainly in English. Just under a fifth of consumers (19%) always search in
English. Only 7% of respondents search in languages other than Arabic or English.
Figure 63: Do you search in English or in Arabic?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2323
The chart below shows that Arabic is the main language for search for 36% of North African
respondents and 42% of Levantine consumers. In the Gulf states, some 44% say they always
search in English, compared to 19% for all MENA respondents.
Only 22% of respondents in the GCC say they mainly search in Arabic, while 9% say they always
search in Arabic, significantly lower than in other parts of the Middle East.
Some 14% of respondents in North Africa say they search in neither English nor Arabic and this
could be due to French-speaking respondents in countries such as Morocco and Algeria.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 64: Do you search in English or in Arabic?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2050
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There are also significant differences in the languages used for search between Saudi Arabia and
the UAE. Over a fifth of respondents (21%) in Saudi always search in Arabic, compared to only
2% in the UAE. Over half of Saudi respondents (51%) search mainly in Arabic, compared to 8% of
Emirati respondents.
The vast majority of respondents in the UAE (72%) always search in English, compared to 9% in
Saudi Arabia.
Figure 65: Do you search in English or in Arabic?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 184
UAE respondents: 166
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5.6.3. Sponsored listings
The chart below looks at the proportion of respondents who click on paid search ads. Over a third
(35%) do not click and say they do not intend to. While 27% say they occasionally click, over a
fifth (21%) say they are unaware of the difference between normal and paid-for search listings.
Figure 66: Do you ever click on the sponsored listings in search engine results?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2282
The results from across the region indicate that a greater proportion of respondents (40%) in the
GCC region say they occasionally click on the sponsored listings in search engine results. This
compares to 22% for North Africa and 23% for the Levant.
Additionally, fewer respondents in the GCC (29%) say they have no intention of clicking on paid
search ads, compared to 41% for the Levant, and 35% for North Africa.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 67: Do you ever click on the sponsored listings in search engine results?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2016
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The results below indicate that over a quarter (28%) of respondents in Saudi Arabia are unaware
of the difference between normal and paid-for listings, compared to only 7% in the UAE.
Just under a third of Saudi respondents (32%) say they occasionally click on sponsored listings,
while just half (48%) of consumers in the UAE sometimes click on these results.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 68: Do you ever click on the sponsored listings in search engine results?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 180
UAE respondents: 166
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5.7. Email
5.7.1. Subscribing to email newsletters
Over a fifth of respondents (22%) say they regularly subscribe to email newsletters, while 9%
occasionally subscribe. Over half of internet users (54%) in the Middle East intend to subscribe to
email newsletters or updates from companies or brands.
Figure 69: Do you subscribe to email newsletters from companies and brands?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2282
Notably, the results below show that fewer consumers in the GCC (16%) regularly subscribe to
email newsletters compared to North Africa and the Levant. However, slightly more respondents
in the Gulf state an intention to subscribe. This is 61% in the GCC, compared to 54% for the
Levant and 48% in North Africa.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 70: Do you subscribe to email newsletters from companies and brands?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2016
Middle East and North Africa Digital Consumer Report - Commissioned by Econsultancy and conducted by Real Opinions Page 52
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5.7.2. Purchases resulting from email newsletters
Some 42% of respondents say they have not bought something as a result of an email newsletter
and say they have no intention to buy anything. A fifth (19%) say they occasionally buy a product
as a result of an email. Over a third (37%) of internet users state an intention to buy something
although they have not bought something already.
Figure 71: Have you ever bought something because of an email you received from a company?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2256 The breakdown of results from across the region indicates that almost a third of respondents in
the GCC (31%) have occasionally bought something as a result of an email, compared to 17% for
the Levant and 14% for North Africa.
Correspondingly, slightly fewer respondents (29%) in the Gulf states say that they intend to buy
something as a result of email. This compares to 37% for the Middle East overall.
Breakdown between different regions in MENA
Figure 72: Have you ever bought something because of an email you received
from a company?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 1992
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6. Respondent profiles
6.1. Gender The majority of respondents (72%) taking part in this survey are male. Just over a quarter (28%)
are female.
Figure 73: Are you male or female?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 1997
6.2. Age Over half of respondents in this survey (59%) are aged between 21 and 35, while 17% are under 21
and 22% are aged 35 and over.
Figure 74: In which age range do you fit into?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 1997
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The chart below shows the age breakdown for respondents in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The
results show that Saudi has a significantly younger population and that there more respondents
aged above 35 in the Emirates.
Results for Saudi Arabia and UAE
Figure 75: In which age range do you fit into?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Saudi respondents: 163
UAE respondents: 156
6.3. Geographic location Over a third of respondents (38%) reside in North Africa, while over a quarter (28%) are from the
Gulf states. Just over a fifth (22%) are from the Levant. Some 12% fall into the „Other Middle East‟
category, which includes Iran, Iraq and Yemen.
Figure 76: From which region in the Middle East do you mainly reside in?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 3012
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Figure 77 shows the total breakdown of countries in the Middle East, and indicates that 20% of
respondents reside in Egypt.
Figure 77: Which country in the Middle East do you reside in?
Source: Real Opinions Middle East Online Panel Respondents: 2774