Social media usage is pervasive across the Middle East, with the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, having the highest levels of its adoption in the world, according to a new study.

Five Mena nations can be seen in the Top 10 for take-up of social networks, according to findings published by DataReportal and featured in “Social Media in the Middle East 2022: A Year in Review”, published by the University of Oregon-UNESCO Crossings Institute. Led by Professor Damian Radcliffe, this report is the eleventh in a series of annual studies dating back to 2012.

Globally, social media usage around the world remains at 2019 levels. With one exception: MEA. The Middle East and Africa region surveyed by GlobalWebIndex reveals that users are often on social media for more than three hours a day.

YouTube

The Top 5 countries in the world for reach on YouTube are all in the Mena region. Lebanon leads the way, followed by Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and UAE.

It’s the same on TikTok. The top five spots for the app - by reach - are all held by Middle East nations (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq). Nine Mena nations are in the Top 20.

Nine of the Top 16 nations in the world using Snapchat are in Mena (based on reach), as are five of the Top 20 markets - by total audience size - globally. Bahrain has the highest reach (79.8%) of any national market in the world.

Facebook

Libya has the largest reach for Facebook globally, with 96.1% of those aged 13+ using the social network. Worldwide, Libya is also ranked second in the adoption of Facebook Messenger. Three-quarters of those aged 13+ (75%) use the app.

Four Mena nations can be found in the Top 20 for reach on Instagram, while Turkey is now the 5th largest market for Instagram, globally, with nearly 49 million users.

Three countries in Mena can be found in the Top 20 markets for Twitter; and viewed by market share, the region has five spots in the Top 20.

Alongside these headline numbers, the report showcases case studies outlining how businesses, governments, NGOs, influencers and celebrities, are using social media.

Invaluable resource

“As the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of its kind, this report is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the region's digital landscape,” Professor Radcliffe said.

"We hope that our findings will help businesses and individuals better understand the social media landscape in the region and develop more effective communication strategies."

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