STATISTICS

Social media statistics for Saudi Arabia (2026)

Saudi Arabia's internet penetration reached 99.6 percent in 2025, and 61.3 percent of users spend seven hours or more online each day, according to the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST). CST's Saudi Internet Report 2025 ranks WhatsApp (92.7 percent), Snapchat (83.6 percent), TikTok (77 percent) and YouTube (75.8 percent) as the most used social media apps. DataReportal reported 38.6 million social media user identities in October 2025, and TikTok's ads reached 38.6 million adults.

Compiled by the Zolyp team · Every figure checked against its source on

Internet and mobile

The regulator's 2025 figures from CST, alongside DataReportal's late-2025 report.

Most used social media apps (CST)

CST's Saudi Internet Report 2025 lists the most used social media applications in the Kingdom. The report page does not show the survey base or sample size for this question.

Platform by platform (ad reach)

Advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, from each platform's own ad tools as reported by DataReportal. Ad reach is the audience advertisers can target, not the number of active users.

  • 38.6 million

    Social media user identities in Saudi Arabia in October 2025, equal to 111 percent of the population.

    "User identities" are accounts, not confirmed people. DataReportal tries to remove duplicates and non-human accounts, but says the figure may not represent unique individuals. DataReportal's method may only count the platform with the largest audience, which is why this matches TikTok's adult ad reach. DataReportal republishes platform data as is, even when it exceeds 100 percent of the population. Meta, for example, says its estimates can differ from population counts because of people with several accounts and temporary visitors in a location.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 38.6 million

    TikTok's advertising reach among users aged 18 and above in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 154.3 percent of adults.

    TikTok's ad tools only show audiences aged 18+. DataReportal republishes platform data as is, even when it exceeds 100 percent of the population. Meta, for example, says its estimates can differ from population counts because of people with several accounts and temporary visitors in a location.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 27.5 million

    YouTube's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 79.2 percent of the population.

    This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 25.3 million

    Snapchat's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 72.9 percent of the population and 89.0 percent of adults.

    43.5 percent of Snapchat's adult ad audience was female, the highest share of the platforms measured. This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 18.2 million

    Instagram's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 52.4 percent of the population.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 17.7 million

    Facebook's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 50.8 percent of the population; 22.9 percent of its adult ad audience was female.

    Advertising reach from Meta's ad tools, not monthly active users. Meta says its audience estimates are not a proxy for monthly or daily active users, and one person can have more than one account. Meta's female and male figures do not always add up to 100 percent.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 15.0 million

    X's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, equal to 57.2 percent of adults aged 18 and above.

    DataReportal says X's reach figures can swing sharply even over short periods. This is advertising reach: the number of people the platform says advertisers can reach. It is not the same as monthly active users, and platforms revise these figures often.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • 12.0 million

    LinkedIn members in Saudi Arabia in late 2025, according to LinkedIn's advertising tools (equal to 48.0 percent of adults).

    LinkedIn counts total registered members, not monthly active users, so this is not directly comparable with the other platforms.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

Latest monthly figures (September 2026)

Newer than DataReportal's late-2025 report. NapoleonCat publishes monthly audience sizes from Meta's ad tools, and StatCounter shows which social sites sent visitors to Saudi websites. Neither is a count of active users.

  • 37.4 million

    Facebook users in Saudi Arabia in September 2026 (37,449,100), equal to 96.6 percent of the population; 65 percent were men and people aged 25 to 34 were the largest group (17.0 million).

    NapoleonCat's figure is far higher than the 17.7 million in DataReportal's late-2025 report and the 18.8 percent in CST's app ranking, which shows how much these measures differ. Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from Meta's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta's ad tools), Facebook users in Saudi Arabia, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 15 October 2026

  • 22.0 million

    Instagram users in Saudi Arabia in September 2026 (21,983,800), equal to 56.7 percent of the population; 59.2 percent were men.

    The same page's monthly table gives 23.1 million for September 2026. Ad-audience data, not active users. NapoleonCat reads it from Meta's advertising tools each month; Meta's figures are estimates of people who accessed their account at least once that month and can be reached with ads. One person can have more than one account, and the method differs from DataReportal's, so the two sets of figures don't match.

    Source: NapoleonCat (from Meta's ad tools), Instagram users in Saudi Arabia, September 2026 (September 2026), checked 15 October 2026

  • 63.56%

    Facebook's share of website visits referred by social media in Saudi Arabia in September 2026, ahead of Instagram (14.53 percent), YouTube (11.06 percent) and X, listed as Twitter (8.94 percent).

    StatCounter counts page views on websites that use its tracking code and records which social media site sent each visitor. It measures where website traffic comes from, not how many people use each platform, and apps that keep people inside them (such as TikTok) send few visitors to websites.

    Source: StatCounter Global Stats, Social Media Stats Saudi Arabia (September 2026), checked 15 October 2026

Year-on-year change in ad reach

How each platform's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia changed between late 2024 and late 2025.

  • +5.81 million

    Growth in TikTok's adult advertising reach in Saudi Arabia between the end of 2024 and late 2025 (+17.7 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • +2.60 million

    Growth in Facebook's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia between October 2024 and October 2025 (+17.3 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • +2.20 million

    Growth in Instagram's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia between October 2024 and October 2025 (+13.8 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • +1.01 million

    Growth in Snapchat's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia between the end of 2024 and late 2025 (+4.1 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

  • -1.10 million

    Change in X's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia between the end of 2024 and late 2025 (-6.8 percent).

    DataReportal warns that year-on-year changes in ad reach can come from platforms correcting their own data (for example removing fake or duplicate accounts), not only from real changes in use.

    Source: DataReportal (Kepios, We Are Social & Meltwater), Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia (8 November 2025), checked 15 October 2026

What this means for a small business

  • Snapchat matters far more in Saudi Arabia than in most countries. If you sell to consumers, especially women, plan Snapchat content alongside TikTok and Instagram.
  • WhatsApp is the most used app in the Kingdom, so make it easy for customers to message you there and answer quickly.
  • Online shopping is mainstream, so link your posts to a product page or a simple way to order rather than just showing the product.
  • Evenings are when people are most online, and Friday is the busiest day, so test posting times in the evening and at the end of the week.
  • Plan around the local calendar. Ramadan, both Eids, Saudi Founding Day and Saudi National Day are the big moments for brands in the Kingdom.

Knowing where your customers are is half of it; the other half is posting there every week. Make a post with the free generator or let Zolyp plan and write the week for you.

Common questions

What is the most used social media app in Saudi Arabia?

WhatsApp. CST's Saudi Internet Report 2025 puts WhatsApp first at 92.7 percent, followed by Snapchat (83.6 percent), TikTok (77 percent) and YouTube (75.8 percent). Instagram (40.8 percent), X (34.9 percent) and Facebook (18.8 percent) rank lower.

How many people use social media in Saudi Arabia?

DataReportal counted 38.6 million social media user identities in October 2025, equal to 111 percent of the population. The figure counts accounts, not people, which is why it is higher than the population.

How much time do people in Saudi Arabia spend online?

CST found that 61.3 percent of internet users in Saudi Arabia spend seven hours or more online each day. Daily use peaks between 9pm and 11pm, and Friday is the busiest day of the week.

Is Snapchat popular in Saudi Arabia?

Very. Snapchat is the second most used social media app in CST's 2025 report (83.6 percent), and its ad tools reached 89.0 percent of Saudi adults in late 2025, according to DataReportal.

Cite this page

You're welcome to use these figures. Please cite the original source shown under each one, and link to this page if it helped: Zolyp, “Social media statistics for Saudi Arabia (2026)”, updated 15 October 2026, https://www.zolyp.com/statistics/social-media-statistics-saudi-arabia

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