Social media has changed the way people interact with each other, communication is easier than ever before. People are able to interact with friends and family conveniently from the comfort of their homes and react to posts and ads that they see on social media. This has allowed social media platforms to become advertising platforms for many brands.It has become an effective way to reach a wide range of people in a short period of time with detailed analytics. This allows businesses to track the performance of their posts & ads and improve it accordingly through time.
UAE has been increasingly becoming one of the most popular countries in the world for its innovations. According to a recent report from Datareportal, there were approximately 9.46 million internet users in the UAE, as of February 2024. This country is home to approximately 10.73 million social media users. So, if you are looking to use these social media platforms to promote your business, you should know about the statistics. In this blog, let us discuss the most popular social media platforms in UAE with their detailed statistics in 2024.
Statistics of the top 5 social media platforms in UAE
According to Statcounter Global Stats – February 2024, the percentage market share of the top 5 social media platforms is as follows:
- Facebook is the most popular Social Media Platform in UAE with social media usage of 62.58%.
- Instagram has a share of social media usage with 14.67%.
- YouTube has a share of 6.96%.
- X (Formerly Twitter) has a market share of 6.41%.
- Pinterest has a market share of 5.84%.
- LinkedIn has a share of 2.79%.
- Reddit has a market share of 0.58%
Facebook has been one of the oldest and most trusted social media networks for many years. People use Facebook regularly to connect with their family & friends and share their thoughts & views. Also, Facebook’s marketplace and its ability to customize the target audience for the ads based on various categories have made this platform a go-to choice for many old and new businesses. This platform has more than 9.2 million active users in the UAE and is a great choice for businesses to connect with customers and communities to promote their products and services through Facebook ads in Dubai.
Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms in UAE. This platform has almost 8.2 million active users, which means almost 74% of the whole UAE population is actively using Instagram. People use Instagram to share photos & videos and follow one or the other business accounts. This is perfect for both product/service-based businesses that want to attract a large audience.
WhatsApp has been known for its privacy and features such as photos, videos, and voice messaging. UAE People find this instant messaging app handy to connect with their friends and family, However, with the launch of WhatsApp Business the platform has become the top social media platform in UAE, this social media platform has increasingly gained popularity for connecting brands with people. WhatsApp Business today allows businesses to interact with their customers effectively and sell their products or services without the intervention of an external application source. This convenience has made this platform achieve a record-breaking 7.2 million active users in UAE so for businesses looking to target an organic customer base, this platform is the perfect choice.
X (Formerly Twitter)
X has been the go-to platform for real-time updates, discussions, forums, and networking opportunities. This platform has established a genuine community of millions of users and has been used to generate traffic and build awareness. These features have allowed it to earn a whopping 5.5 million active users in the UAE. For businesses focusing on building a loyal customer base and strengthening their existing relationships with partners or building new relations with potential clients, X is the perfect choice.
LinkedIn has stood as a professional networking site for many years now, this platform allows users to interact with colleagues, find jobs, and also learn new skills. The platform is excessively used to post updates about the professional career and connect with other businesses. These features have gained over 4.8 million users for the platform in the UAE. This is a great platform for businesses who are looking to connect with potential customers, and partners, recruit employees, and share news and updates about the brand.Â
YouTube
This platform has stood at the top of the test of time, YouTube has been the top video streaming platform for decades. It has evolved into a marketplace for many businesses to connect with local and international audiences more effectively. It allows the audience to subscribe to channels, and businesses to integrate other social media accounts directly. This enables businesses to earn money through advertising and grow in short periods of time from the beginning of their journey.
Some of the other social media platforms that are getting increasingly popular for advertising are:
- TikTok, a short-form video-sharing platform, is popular among teenagers.
- Snapchat, a messaging app that is known for its privacy and safety features.
- Telegram, a messaging app known for its extensive features and open-source platform.
- YouTube, a video streaming and sharing platform known for its trustworthiness.
Key takeaways
- UAE has around 10.73 million social media users as of January 2021, including tourists.
- Approximately people aged 16-64 spend an average of 3 hours on social media every day.
- 91% of internet users spend 8.2 hours a week on social media.
- According to a report by ResearchAndMarkets.com, the social media industry in the UAE is expected to grow by 22.7% annually by the end of 2024.
- People of UAE in the age group of 16-64 spend on an average of 7.5 to 8 hours a day.
- Approximately there are 9.89 million active social media users in the UAE.
Conclusion
All in all, the UAE has very active social media users, almost 99% of the population is on one or the other social media platforms. This percentage shows the impact of social media in the present time, which can be used by businesses to reach UAE audiences effectively. Businesses should consider investing in these platforms to promote their products and services for effective results. It helps them connect with customers, promote products, and run advertising campaigns, which altogether combined allows businesses to build a loyal customer base in the long run.
