The population of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries are most likely to use a smartphone to access the internet, according to new data.
The study, from Global Web Index, found that across all 34 countries, it’s the smartphone that consumers are most likely to pick as their most important device for getting online – but only just. While mobiles are picked by 34%, laptops and desktops are hot on their heels (scoring 33% and 30% respectively).
Within Saudi Arabia, UAE and Turkey, however, there is quite a different picture. Smartphones have already opened up a clear lead over the other devices, with the numbers for desktops seeing a dramatic decline.
Along with APAC, that means countries within the MENA region remain at the forefront of mobile trends.
That’s also why Saudi and the UAE were the very first of the MENA countries to see consumers spending more time on their mobiles than on all other devices combined – a trend that GWI expects to see happening in other regions too before the end of the current decade.