Five years ago, asking a young Arab about online shopping might have elicited hesitation. Today, nearly all young people in Gulf countries have become frequent digital shoppers, making purchases via social media several times each month. This remarkable transformation, along with Arab youth's evolving digital behaviors, is revealed in the latest Arab Youth Survey released by ASDA'A BCW.
E-Commerce Boom
The survey, conducted by IDS Research & Consultancy between May 13 and June 16 across 50 cities in 17 Arab countries, involved face-to-face interviews with 3,400 Arab men and women aged 18 to 24. The findings show online shopping participation among Arab youth has nearly doubled in five years, skyrocketing from 50% in 2018 to 98% today. Notably, young people in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have almost universally adopted e-commerce, with exceptionally high shopping frequencies.
TikTok's Meteoric Rise
Beyond shopping, social media usage patterns show significant shifts. TikTok has experienced explosive growth among Arab youth, with half now using the platform daily—more than double the 21% reported in 2020. The short-video platform has surpassed established competitors to become the fifth most popular social app after WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, captivating younger audiences with its entertaining content format and strong social interaction features.
News Consumption Shifts
Social platforms have also become primary news sources, with two-thirds of respondents reporting they get news through social media—surpassing television, online news outlets, and print newspapers. However, despite social media's growing influence, television remains the most trusted news source, trusted by 84% of respondents. Social media's news credibility stands at 66%, slightly below print and online news sources (71%), suggesting continued public wariness about information authenticity in the digital age.
Digital Infrastructure Enables Transformation
With internet penetration rates reaching 98-100% in GCC nations and exceeding 65% in Levant and North Africa regions, robust digital infrastructure has enabled Arab youth to fully embrace connected lifestyles. The study demonstrates that young Arabs largely share the same interests, habits, and patterns as their Western counterparts, actively participating in global digital culture while pursuing more convenient and enriched life experiences.
While data from conflict-affected areas like Libya, Sudan, Yemen, and Syria may show variations, Arab youth overall are adopting social media, news platforms, e-commerce, and streaming services at unprecedented rates. However, this digital immersion carries challenges—76% report difficulty disconnecting from social platforms, highlighting widespread issues of information overload and digital dependency. Balancing online and offline lives has become a critical challenge for this demographic.
The Arab Youth Survey paints a vivid portrait of a generation fully immersed in digital transformation—enthusiastic online shoppers, TikTok adopters, and social media-dependent news consumers who simultaneously grapple with the pitfalls of constant connectivity. These insights offer valuable guidance for businesses, policymakers, and civil society seeking to understand and engage with Arab youth effectively.