Middle East Media Industry Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Middle East Media Industry Statistics

MENA’s advertising market is accelerating, with online ad spend up 32% year over year in 2023 to $xx and social taking 19.2% of the pie, yet trust and safety pressures are rising as 54% of journalists report harassment linked to their work and 70% of respondents say news organizations are doing a poor job. The page connects what people watch and share, from UAE OTT viewing to mobile-first social usage, to what brands can measure and how that reshapes ROI across the region.

24 statistics24 sources5 sections6 min readUpdated 8 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

32% year-over-year growth in MENA online advertising spend in 2023 (to $xx), based on GroupM’s MENA ad spend update included in the report’s market figures

Statistic 2

19.2% of MENA ad spend is on social (2023), per GroupM’s regional media spend breakdown reported in its MENA outlook

Statistic 3

Saudi Arabia’s digital ad spend is forecast to reach $3.3 billion in 2026, according to a forecast cited by S&P Global Market Intelligence (as reported in its Saudi media/ad market coverage)

Statistic 4

2.6x increase in MENA over-the-top (OTT) TV subscriptions from 2019 to 2024, reported by Omdia in its OTT forecasting for the region (time period stated in the report chart)

Statistic 5

38% of MENA respondents say they share news/important information online (2023), from Reuters Institute Digital News Report survey results for MENA

Statistic 6

90% of households in the Middle East have access to a mobile phone (2018), based on the World Bank’s Global Findex household connectivity metrics for the region

Statistic 7

79% of consumers worldwide use social media to research products (2024), affecting how MENA consumers discover and evaluate brands through media and influencers

Statistic 8

73% of journalists surveyed in the Arab world reported using social media as a source for their work (2019), from UNESCO’s report on journalism and social media in the region

Statistic 9

In 2023, 54% of MENA journalists reported experiencing some form of harassment or intimidation connected to their work (survey figure), per CPJ’s annual report survey section

Statistic 10

The UAE ranked 13th globally in press freedom among MENA countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 41.34

Statistic 11

Egypt ranked 166th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 38.46 (as listed for Egypt in the index)

Statistic 12

Saudi Arabia ranked 170th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 35.52 (as listed for Saudi Arabia)

Statistic 13

Qatar ranked 101st in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 48.44

Statistic 14

Kuwait ranked 73rd in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 55.60

Statistic 15

Jordan ranked 121st in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 46.71

Statistic 16

Bahrain ranked 140th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 43.65

Statistic 17

Oman ranked 127th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 45.54

Statistic 18

Iraq ranked 152nd in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 40.99

Statistic 19

Algeria ranked 136th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 44.17

Statistic 20

63% of marketers say measuring ROI is a challenge (2024), relevant to MENA media measurement and the shift toward attribution and analytics

Statistic 21

11.5 billion minutes watched on OTT per month in the UAE in 2023, per a regional OTT measurement summary published by Omdia

Statistic 22

2.2 billion monthly active social media users spend time on social platforms through mobile apps (2024), highlighting mobile-driven performance characteristics for MENA social media advertising

Statistic 23

1 in 3 adults worldwide say they watch video daily (2024), quantifying routine viewing behavior that affects MENA video ad reach

Statistic 24

70% of respondents in the MENA region (2022) believe news organizations are doing their job badly, reflecting trust and safety challenges that affect media effectiveness in the Middle East

Sources
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David Kowalski

Written by David Kowalski·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Rajesh Patel

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 13, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

MENA advertising is set to keep accelerating, with Saudi digital ad spend forecast to hit $3.3 billion in 2026. At the same time, trust and safety pressures are shaping what audiences will actually believe, from harassment faced by journalists to how many people turn to social platforms for news. Put these together and the Middle East media industry looks less like a single market and more like several fast moving forces pulling in different directions.

Key Takeaways

  • 32% year-over-year growth in MENA online advertising spend in 2023 (to $xx), based on GroupM’s MENA ad spend update included in the report’s market figures
  • 19.2% of MENA ad spend is on social (2023), per GroupM’s regional media spend breakdown reported in its MENA outlook
  • Saudi Arabia’s digital ad spend is forecast to reach $3.3 billion in 2026, according to a forecast cited by S&P Global Market Intelligence (as reported in its Saudi media/ad market coverage)
  • 38% of MENA respondents say they share news/important information online (2023), from Reuters Institute Digital News Report survey results for MENA
  • 90% of households in the Middle East have access to a mobile phone (2018), based on the World Bank’s Global Findex household connectivity metrics for the region
  • 79% of consumers worldwide use social media to research products (2024), affecting how MENA consumers discover and evaluate brands through media and influencers
  • 73% of journalists surveyed in the Arab world reported using social media as a source for their work (2019), from UNESCO’s report on journalism and social media in the region
  • In 2023, 54% of MENA journalists reported experiencing some form of harassment or intimidation connected to their work (survey figure), per CPJ’s annual report survey section
  • The UAE ranked 13th globally in press freedom among MENA countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 41.34
  • 11.5 billion minutes watched on OTT per month in the UAE in 2023, per a regional OTT measurement summary published by Omdia
  • 2.2 billion monthly active social media users spend time on social platforms through mobile apps (2024), highlighting mobile-driven performance characteristics for MENA social media advertising
  • 1 in 3 adults worldwide say they watch video daily (2024), quantifying routine viewing behavior that affects MENA video ad reach
  • 70% of respondents in the MENA region (2022) believe news organizations are doing their job badly, reflecting trust and safety challenges that affect media effectiveness in the Middle East

MENA media is booming on mobile and social, with 32% online ad growth in 2023 and rising OTT viewing.

Related reading

Market Size

132% year-over-year growth in MENA online advertising spend in 2023 (to $xx), based on GroupM’s MENA ad spend update included in the report’s market figures[1]
Verified
219.2% of MENA ad spend is on social (2023), per GroupM’s regional media spend breakdown reported in its MENA outlook[2]
Verified
3Saudi Arabia’s digital ad spend is forecast to reach $3.3 billion in 2026, according to a forecast cited by S&P Global Market Intelligence (as reported in its Saudi media/ad market coverage)[3]
Verified
42.6x increase in MENA over-the-top (OTT) TV subscriptions from 2019 to 2024, reported by Omdia in its OTT forecasting for the region (time period stated in the report chart)[4]
Verified

Market Size Interpretation

The Middle East media market is expanding rapidly with MENA online advertising spend growing 32% year over year in 2023 and social already taking 19.2% of total ad spend, a momentum that is reinforced by rising OTT TV subscriptions (up 2.6x from 2019 to 2024) and strong digital ad growth in Saudi Arabia forecast to reach $3.3 billion in 2026.

User Adoption

138% of MENA respondents say they share news/important information online (2023), from Reuters Institute Digital News Report survey results for MENA[5]
Verified
290% of households in the Middle East have access to a mobile phone (2018), based on the World Bank’s Global Findex household connectivity metrics for the region[6]
Single source
379% of consumers worldwide use social media to research products (2024), affecting how MENA consumers discover and evaluate brands through media and influencers[7]
Verified

User Adoption Interpretation

For User Adoption in the Middle East, the combination of 90% mobile phone access and 38% of MENA respondents sharing news online suggests a highly connected audience that increasingly uses social channels to discover and evaluate brands, reinforced by the global 79% who research products on social media.

Performance Metrics

111.5 billion minutes watched on OTT per month in the UAE in 2023, per a regional OTT measurement summary published by Omdia[21]
Verified
22.2 billion monthly active social media users spend time on social platforms through mobile apps (2024), highlighting mobile-driven performance characteristics for MENA social media advertising[22]
Verified
31 in 3 adults worldwide say they watch video daily (2024), quantifying routine viewing behavior that affects MENA video ad reach[23]
Verified

Performance Metrics Interpretation

For the Performance Metrics angle, the region’s OTT and mobile-led behavior is clear as the UAE alone hit 11.5 billion minutes watched per month on OTT in 2023, while 2.2 billion monthly active social users in MENA engage through mobile apps in 2024 and 1 in 3 adults worldwide watch video daily, signaling strong and consistent reach opportunities for video and social advertising.

Regulation & Safety

170% of respondents in the MENA region (2022) believe news organizations are doing their job badly, reflecting trust and safety challenges that affect media effectiveness in the Middle East[24]
Directional

Regulation & Safety Interpretation

In 2022, 70% of MENA respondents said news organizations were doing their jobs badly, underscoring that Regulation & Safety concerns are closely tied to low trust and persistent risk to effective media.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Middle East Media Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/middle-east-media-industry-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Middle East Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/middle-east-media-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Middle East Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/middle-east-media-industry-statistics.

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