Gitnux/Report 2026

Saudi Media Industry Statistics

Saudi ad spending grew 10.6% in 2023 to $177 per person. Explore what’s driving Saudi Arabia’s media momentum and audience reach.
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Saudi Media Industry Statistics
Thomas LindqvistWritten by Thomas Lindqvist·Edited by Jonathan Hale·Fact-checked by Rajesh Patel
Last verified Jul 22, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

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

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

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Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Within the next 40 days
Saudi Arabia’s media ecosystem is being reshaped by digital connectivity and shifting consumption habits, from messaging and social platforms to broadband and streaming. This page connects the growth of advertising, per-capita ad spend, and the scale of mobile networks with the size of online news and digital media companies. It also considers factors such as press freedom ranking and the speed of mobile and fixed broadband—explaining how information moves and what it means for brands.

Key Takeaways

  • 91% of Saudi Arabia’s internet users use messaging apps
  • 37.8 million internet users in Saudi Arabia
  • 52.5% internet penetration rate in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia’s advertising market grew by 10.6% in 2023 (YoY)
  • Saudi Arabia’s total ad spend per capita: $177 (2023)
  • Saudi Arabia’s OTT subscriptions: 8.1 million in 2023
  • Saudi Arabia ranked 2nd globally for fastest mobile data speed (median) in 2023: 61.24 Mbps
  • Saudi Arabia’s median fixed broadband speed was 117.34 Mbps (2023)
  • Saudi Arabia’s fixed broadband subscriptions: 4.9 million (2023)
  • Saudi Arabia had 5.8 thousand digital media companies (2022)
  • Saudi Arabia had 2,000+ registered news websites (2022)
  • Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation in media spending projected to reach $1.6 billion by 2025

Saudi Arabia’s connected media ecosystem is surging, with strong social use, rising ad spend, and record speeds.

Related reading

01 · Category

User Adoption26 stats

01
91% of Saudi Arabia’s internet users use messaging apps
02
37.8 million internet users in Saudi Arabia
03
52.5% internet penetration rate in Saudi Arabia
04
60.7% of Saudi Arabia’s population is active on social media
05
30.4 million social media users in Saudi Arabia
06
23.3 million mobile connections in Saudi Arabia
07
YouTube has 33.6 million users in Saudi Arabia (reach) (Digital 2024)
08
Instagram has 14.2 million users in Saudi Arabia (reach)
09
Snapchat has 7.6 million users in Saudi Arabia (reach)
10
X (formerly Twitter) has 5.0 million users in Saudi Arabia (reach)
11
Facebook has 18.1 million users in Saudi Arabia (reach)
12
Saudi Arabia’s Google Play Store had 5.7 billion app downloads in 2023
13
Saudi Arabia’s Apple App Store had 1.6 billion app downloads in 2023
14
Saudi Arabia ranked 1st in MENA for average time spent on mobile per day (2023): 3h 52m
15
Saudi Arabia ranked 2nd in MENA for average time spent on social media per day (2023): 2h 31m
16
Saudi Arabia’s online video viewing penetration: 71% of internet users (2024)
17
Saudi Arabia’s average time spent watching online video: 2h 34m per day (2023)
18
Saudi Arabia’s average time spent on social media: 2h 21m per day (2023)
19
Saudi Arabia’s average time spent on internet: 10h 12m per day (2023)
20
Saudi Arabia’s e-sports audience reached 2.4 million in 2023
21
Saudi Arabia’s gaming audience grew by 8.9% in 2023
22
Saudi Arabia’s digital audio users (monthly) were 9.2 million in 2023
23
Saudi Arabia’s podcast listeners reached 2.1 million in 2023
24
Saudi Arabia’s audiobook users reached 1.4 million in 2023
25
Saudi Arabia’s digital music subscriptions: 3.7 million in 2023
26
Saudi Arabia’s e-book users: 2.0 million in 2023
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

With 91% of Saudi internet users using messaging apps and 60.7% of the population active on social media, the country shows strong user adoption that marketers should tap through mobile-first channels.

02 · Category

Market Size7 stats

01
Saudi Arabia’s advertising market grew by 10.6% in 2023 (YoY)
02
Saudi Arabia’s total ad spend per capita: $177(2023)
03
Saudi Arabia’s OTT subscriptions: 8.1 million in 2023
04
Saudi Arabia’s pay-TV subscriptions: 9.3 million in 2023
05
Saudi Arabia’s esports sponsorship revenue reached $18 million in 2023
06
Saudi Arabia’s cinema admissions: 7.6 million in 2023
07
Saudi Arabia’s cinema box office revenue: $0.19 billion in 2023
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

Saudi Arabia’s media market is expanding fast, with advertising up 10.6% year on year in 2023 alongside 8.1 million OTT and 9.3 million pay TV subscriptions, showing strong demand across multiple entertainment platforms.

More related reading

03 · Category

Performance Metrics12 stats

01
Saudi Arabia ranked 2nd globally for fastest mobile data speed (median) in 2023: 61.24 Mbps
02
Saudi Arabia’s median fixed broadband speed was 117.34 Mbps (2023)
03
Saudi Arabia’s fixed broadband subscriptions: 4.9 million (2023)
04
Saudi Arabia’s mobile-cellular subscriptions: 43.7 million (2023)
05
Saudi Arabia’s average upload speed was 9.6 Mbps (2023)
06
Saudi Arabia’s average download speed was 112.1 Mbps (2023)
07
Saudi Arabia’s average broadband latency was 19 ms (2023)
08
Saudi Arabia’s broadband adoption among individuals: 87% (2022)
09
Saudi Arabia’s fixed broadband penetration: 38% (2023)
10
Saudi Arabia’s mobile broadband adoption: 124% of population (2023, subscriptions per 100 people)
11
Saudi Arabia’s digital government readiness score was 66.7 in 2022 (0–100 scale)
12
Saudi Arabia’s digital music ARPU: $5.3per month (2023)
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Saudi Arabia’s strong performance for the media industry is reflected in its high connectivity levels, including a 61.24 Mbps median mobile data speed in 2023 and an average download speed of 112.1 Mbps, supported by widespread adoption with 43.7 million mobile cellular subscriptions and 4.9 million fixed broadband subscriptions.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Saudi Media Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/saudi-media-industry-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Saudi Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/saudi-media-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Saudi Media Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/saudi-media-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

datareportal.comstatista.comspeedtest.netdata.worldbank.orgoecd.orgunctad.orgspa.gov.saigrad.comitu.intfrost.comrsf.orgworldjusticeproject.orgfreedomhouse.orgun.orgnewzoo.comesportscharts.com

+15 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)