# data[].attributes.body
Digital divide can also occur between people who have strong and those who have lower performing devices. This is because people who have money are able to buy mobile devices having high performance capability hence having a better experience than those who cannot buy devices with better technologies.

# data[].attributes.body
Fortunately, there are many regions around the world that now have the infrastructure necessary for high-speed Internet.

However, even within a region that is well connected to the Internet, we still find differences in which households have access to computers and the Internet. Those differences are often due to socioeconomic factors.

# data[].attributes.body
Individuals hailing from low-income families are much limited to the access to information that is crucial in advancing their education and coming up with innovative ideas since they can’t afford connectivity to the web. As such, most students from underdeveloped countries will only do programs that are theoretical and don’t involve intensive researches. Limitation by the range of information available to such students is discouraging, and often they will either avoid pursuing involving courses, or if they register, the performance is poor.

# data[].attributes.body
Less industrially developed nations cannot keep up with the constant changes as they cannot afford to invest as much as industrially developed countries.

More industrially developed nations have more higher-performance computers while less industrially developed nations would have lower performance computers due to their price.

# data[].attributes.body
The digital divide typically exists between those in cities and those in rural areas; between the educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic groups; and, globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations. Even among populations with some access to technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lower-performance computers, lower-speed wireless connections, lower-priced connections such as dial-up, and limited access to subscription-based content.

# data[].attributes.body
Not all countries are able to keep up with the constant changes in technology as their economy doesn't give space for constant improvement in technology....

some countries may have lower-performance computers and may have difficulty in obtaining technical assistance, this means that it is hard for people in less developed areas to maintain a stable internet access compared t well developed areas which have very high performing machines which are able to maintain a stable and fast, moreover they have more access to technical assistance as the people who give the assistance prefer to live close to the well developed areas

# data[].attributes.body
Those who find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide—including low-income people, those with less formal education, rural populations, the elderly and older workers, and minorities—suffer further economic, social, health, and political disparities resulting from disconnection,

# data[].attributes.body
People in low-income areas and inadequate access to technology are hindered from learning tech skills that have become crucial in today's world. Being a computer and Internet user can lead to higher wages. This is not possible for people in developing countries which only worsen their situation.

# data[].attributes.body
The parts of the world that have greater access to modern technology are the USA, Europe and northern Asia. These areas mostly consist of developed countries Areas, where access is more restricted, are in some parts of Africa, India and South Asia.
These are areas that consist of countries that are less industrially developed. This is possible because the less developed countries are having to use their financial resources to provide more important t services and do not have the funds available to concentrate on the development of their technology services.

# data[].attributes.body
- digital divide can have an impact on the level of education as well as ecommerce which as a result creates a greater divide.
- start-ups in developed countries have more chances of surviving than those in developing countries due to access of advanced technology that helps them reach their target market globally -> increased profit -> can afford to invest in higher technology.
- firms in developed countries use information from the internet to aid the establishment of their company.
- firms in developed countries have better quality of output than those in developing countries due to the difference in their level of technology.
- developed countries have a higher standard of living due to higher quality of output produced using established technology.
- An increased level of experience when using technology
may lead to a better lifestyle for those who can afford high
performance technologies.

# data[].attributes.body
Digital divide technology adapts faster to people in cities such as having faster internet, high quality computers and technological services, etc...

However, Digital divide technology is quite difficult to adapt in rural areas as people there tend to have lower incomes thus very few people have basic access to internet just at home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Like every year, We Are Social and Hootsuite have come up with UAE digital media statistics 2020 for different regions. These statistics are showing fervent development in the usage of social media, internet usage, and E-commerce.

With every passing day, digitalization is observing changes and having growth beyond boundaries. Social media platforms are playing a massive role in bringing this growth of digitalization. However, brands are making use of all social media platforms in full capacity and leveraging the benefits out of it.

Let us take a look at what we are having for you in this post:

Table of Contents

1. Digital around the world in 2020

2. The United Arab Emirates in Numbers

3. Internet penetration in UAE

4. Daily time spent with media in UAE

5. Device usage in UAE

6. Most visited websites in UAE

7. Top Google search queries in UAE

8. Daily Internet usage in UAE in 2020

9. Daily social media usage in UAE in 2020

10. Facebook users in UAE

11. Instagram users in UAE

12. Twitter users in UAE

13. Snapchat users in UAE

14. LinkedIn users in UAE

15. Use of voice search and voice command in UAE

16. Daily time spent using game consoles in UAE

17. Streaming TV content via internet in UAE

18. Ecommerce adoption in UAE in 2020

19. Mobile Ecommerce adoption in UAE in 202

20. Conclusion

1. Digital Around the World in 2020

The latest reports by Hootsuite and We are social are showing the total population of 7.75 billion across the world having 5.19 billion unique mobile phone users globally. However, 4.54 billion people are avid internet users signifying 59% internet penetration across the globe. The crunching figures are indicating the greater usage of social media in the world as it is represented by 3.80 billion people with 49% penetration.

Have a look at the overview:

2. The United Arab Emirates in Numbers

When it comes to see the digital aspect, total population of the UAE is 9.83 million, out of which 18.38 million mobile connections are shown with 187% population penetration as per the Hootsuite source. Internet users are observed with the count of 9.73 million people in the region whereas active social media users in UAE are recorded as 9.73 million people with 99% penetration.

3. Internet penetration in UAE

As per the sources, UAE is at the top position among all countries that carries highest internet penetration. The United Arab Emirates is leading the chart with 99% penetration whereas Denmark is at the second position with 98% penetration. Other countries South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom are present at the third position having the 96% penetration at average.

4. Daily time spent with Media in UAE

With the gigantic changes in the technological world, people are getting more inclined towards gadgets. When we see the time spent of people on media, there comes greater number of hours on scale. The United Arab Emirates is having internet users aged between 16-64 who spend their time on different devices. In the region, people are spending more than 7 hours a day at average on internet while 2 hours and 57 minutes are spent daily on social media. Other than this, people are spending their time to watch TV, listening to music streaming and using a game console as well.

Here are the stats shown at a glance.

5. Device usage in UAE

Massive percentage of UAE population is involved in usage of gadgets. As per the survey, 92% people are using any type of mobile phones and smartphones. Moreover, 11% people are still using non-smartphones in UAE while 66% people are frequently using laptop or desktop computers.
Here is a detailed representation of each device usage in UAE.

6. Most visited websites in UAE

Having the highest internet penetration, UAE is showing a prominent usage of different websites. Google.com, YouTube.com and Facebook.com are the most used websites in UAE with highest time spent by people. Other websites that are in the list of most visited websites are google.com.br, Instagram.com, Google.ae and others. These websites are having enormous monthly traffic respectively.

However, as per Alexa source, top 5 most visited websites in UAE are Google.com, YouTube.com, Google.ae, Faceboook.com and Manoramaonline.com respectively.

7. Top Google Search Queries in UAE

The most common terms that people searched throughout the year were Dubai, UAE, Google, Abu Dhabi and others. Let us take a look at all the most searched terms in UAE

8. Daily Internet Usage in UAE In 2020

It is interesting to see that the world's internet users will spend approx 1.25 billion years online in 2020 and this is more than one-third of the time spent using social media. Moreover, the time spent on the internet varies from country to country as people in the Philippines are spending an average of 9 hours and 45 minutes per day online while people in Japan spend just 4 hours and 22 minutes per day.

When it comes to UAE digital media statistics 2020, the country is showing accelerated figures of internet usage. It comes under twenty countries that have higher time spent on the internet each day. The Philippines and South Africa are carrying the highest time spent on the internet with over 9 hours. However, the United Arab Emirates is having 7 hours 3 minutes of time spent each day using the internet. It is an average amount of time users aged between 16 to 64 are spending on the internet each day. It is apparent that this time span is increasing day by day regardless of countries.

9. Daily Social Media Usage in UAE In 2020

Likewise the gigantic internet penetration, social media is making waves in almost every country. The United Arab Emirates in one of the top countries with higher time spent on social media. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and LinkedIn are holding colossal percentage of users. Facebook is in the leading position with 73.8% male and 26.3% female whereas LinkedIn is securing the second spot with 4.30 million people. Other platforms are following the race with prominent user base.
However, Philippines, Colombia, and Brazil are at the top positions with higher social media usage stats. Their users are spending over 3 hours each day on social media. Moreover, the United Arab Emirates is approximately spending 3 hours each day on any device.

10. Facebook users in UAE 2020

Facebook is one of the prominent platforms that is used by vast number of people in UAE. Facebook users in UAE is represented by 8.10 million people with the massive 73.8% percentage of male users and 26.3% of female. UAE Social media statistics 2020 is showing that 99.1% people use this platform through mobiles while 10.2% people prefer to use this platform from both computers and phones.

11. Instagram Users in UAE

As per the latest reports, reachable Instagram users in UAE through adverts are shown as 3.80 million people whereas in last year, this figure was reported as 3.70 million people. So this is quite an increase in the usage of this platform in UAE.

The survey graph is mentioning the visible percentage for male users with 63.2% alongside the female percentage of 36.8% leading to quarter wise growth by more than 12%. If we compare the last year percentage of male and female users of Instagram in UAE then male percentage has seen a growth in terms of percentage where female users are declined by almost 2%.

12. Twitter Users in UAE

The social networking platform Twitter is also prominent in the region and has shown increased audience than last year. There are over 3 million Twitter users in UAE reported in the survey. The Twitter users in UAE include 63.6% of male and 36.4% female ratio representing the increasing interest of users in the platform.

13. Snapchat users in UAE

Snapchat is an intriguing platform that is liked by great number of people across the world. This platform is encompassed with 2.35 million users in UAE where female proportion is colossal as compared to male presence. The UAE social media statistics 2020 is mentioning the 55.2 % of female Snapchat users in UAE while the male users are shown with 44.2% in the charts.

14. LinkedIn Users in UAE

The professional network is holding 4.30 million users and it is an increased percentage as compared to last year. On the platform, there is an avid presence of male LinkedIn users in UAE, represented by 70.8% in the survey while female audience is denoted with 29.2% overall.

15. Use of Voice Search and Voice Command in UAE

In the graph of usage of voice search and voice command, China, Indonesia and India are leading towards higher usage stats with 55%, 54%, and 54% respectively. The United Arab Emirates is also having an evident percentage for use of voice search and voice commands with 41% overall. This percentage is indicating the country as technology savvy as their work is getting dependent on the latest technological aspects. It is intriguing to see that one in three global internet users now prefer to use voice interfaces on their mobile phones each month as shown in the report.

16. Daily time spent using games consoles in UAE

When it comes to the usage of gaming consoles, UAE appears at the fourth position with an average time spent of 1 hour 25 minutes. The first three spots holding the higher time spent with game consoles are Thailand, Philippines, and Saudi Arabia. They are having time spent of 1 hour 43 minutes, 1 hour 33 minutes and 1 hour 33 minutes respectively.

These stats are clearly showing that people are interested in spending money on games. However, mobile games are also emerging as a big business. The App Annie is reporting that mobile users across the world spent more than US$65 billion on game apps and game-related in-app purchases in the year 2019. This accounts for more than 70 percent of total consumer spend on mobile apps in the past 12 months.

17. Streaming TV content via the Internet In UAE

Undoubtedly, people prefer to stream content through the internet and the percentage of this streaming is going bigger with each passing day. Like the other countries, United Arab Emirates is appearing with good figures of internet streaming users. It is having 64% of internet users who stream TV content through the internet on a regular basis. Furthermore, Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia are in the top positions with a higher percentage of internet streaming users.

18. E-commerce Adoption in UAE in 2020

Throughout the world, consumers are inclining towards E-commerce and want to purchase through mobile devices as compared to laptops. However, reports reveal that people are using both devices for their online shopping.

Indonesia, Thailand, and Poland are reserving the top spots in greater Ecommerce adoption with 88%, 82%, and 82%percentages respectively. As per the reports, UAE is having 66% Ecommerce adoption rate that is quite good in the charts. This percentage is likely to increase in the coming years specifically due to upcoming events and Expo 2020.

19. Mobile Ecommerce Adoption in UAE in 2020

Following the growth of eCommerce, countries are greatly encouraging Mobile Ecommerce adoption in 2020. Data from Statista shows that e-commerce across the world has grown significantly during 2019. In the chart of mobile e-commerce adoption, Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines are in the leading position with 80%, 69%, 66% respectively. United Arab Emirates at the 12th position in Mobile E-commerce adoption. Other countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, and others are included in the charts with significant percentages.

20. Conclusion

With the report of UAE digital media statistics 2020, it is crystal clear that the world is evolving through digitalization and the success of social media and E-commerce is creating brands and landing them in the hearts of people. Either it is professional or individual aspects, the digital arena is making it possible to convey your messages and brands to a wider audience. We will come with another post that will go deeper into more nuanced findings in this year's report.
Moreover, if you are eager to know how to translate these findings from data into more efficient and effective plans and strategies, then get in touch with the Media Lab. At the Media Lab, we have all diversified and modernized technological tools with proficient knowledge of the industry and in-depth insights to increase our clientele business revenues and reputation. Talk to us for exploring the influential digital marketing strategies including the awesome web designs and best SEO with effective social media strategies of Dubai.
Data Source:
We Are Social

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Like every year, We Are Social and Hootsuite have come up with UAE digital media statistics 2020 for different regions. These statistics are showing fervent development in the usage of social media, internet usage, and E-commerce. With every passing day, digitalization is observing changes and having growth beyond boundaries.

# data[].attributes.headline
Digital divide can exist between:                                       - high and low performance computers, wireless connections       

# data[].attributes.subject
Digital divide can exist between:                                       - high and low performance computers, wireless connections       

# data[].attributes.headline
Digital divide can exist between:–                                   – the educated and the uneducated     

# data[].attributes.subject
Digital divide can exist between:–                                   – the educated and the uneducated     

# data[].attributes.headline
Digital divide can exist between:–                                    - socioeconomic groups

# data[].attributes.subject
Digital divide can exist between:–                                    - socioeconomic groups

# data[].attributes.headline
Digital divide can exist between:                                     –more and less industrially developed nations   

# data[].attributes.subject
Digital divide can exist between:                                     –more and less industrially developed nations   

# data[].attributes.headline
ME                                         What are ethics and moral Values that have to be adhered while using devices and digital media       

# data[].attributes.subject
ME                                         What are ethics and moral Values that have to be adhered while using devices and digital media       

# data[].attributes.headline
Digital divide can exist between: -                                       – people in cities and people in rural areas

# data[].attributes.subject
Digital divide can exist between: -                                       – people in cities and people in rural areas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This digital era is driving massive changes in the technological ecosystem and the big role in this regard is played by smartphones. Mobile phones have given an ultimate boost in the internet and social media usage across the world.
Table of contents

1. Digital in the United Arab Emirates

2. Population and Economic Indicators in the UAE

3. Device usage in UAE

4. Time spent with Media

5. Internet use in UAE

Digital in the United Arab Emirates

When we consider the region of United Arab Emirates to check the penetration of internet, colossal results are observed throughout the scale. The total population of the region is reached to 9.47 million comprising of 86% penetration while internet usage is attributed by 99% of the population and this record has surged past the previous year's record.

The increased dominance of super speedy connectivity has given a real enhancement in social media usage comprising of 9.38 million population. Besides the surfing at desktop or tablets, people prefer to be active at social media platforms regardless of time. It merits mentioning here that the massive population of unique mobile users is accrediting 7.31 million people standing at 77% penetration across UAE. This swelled usage is seen due to the availability of advanced internet facilities like 4G at lower price plans.

Population and Economic Indicators

UAE is the region known for business hub and for possessing rich culture carrying a diverse and fast-growing economy leading to incredible growth through the decades. According to the statics of 2018, the population of UAE is about 9.47 million consisted of 72.2% male and 27.8% females. The ratio of males to female is observed as skewed due to the higher percentage of the male in the country.

The recent stats showed an average annual change of 1.5% while carrying the greater number of population living in urban areas enjoying the distinctive luxuries of the country. When it comes to literacy rate, an eyeball popping 96% and 93% females and males are literate out of the population of 9.47 million people. While a whopping GDP per capita of 72,540$ million here is signifying the region as the substantial business abode.

Device Usage in UAE

Almost 99% of the population in the region carries mobile phones.

Specifically followed by the usage of smartphones by 96%. As per the latest statistics of 2018, tablets are also in the game possessing the usage of 28% while the television usage is booming the larger percentage of 80% as people found it good for sparing leisure time with family.

Time Spent with Media

The latest UAE digital media statistics 2018 revealed that average time spent using internet through any device is above 7 hours daily; whereas, a significant portion of time is attributed by social media usage at an average of more than 2 hours daily. Along with internet usage, people are also indulging in TV and streaming media spending an average time of more than 2 hours on it.

Internet Use in UAE

Enormous numbers of statistics are shown when it comes to internet usage. Across the region, 9.38 million people are active internet users comprising of 99% population though 9.13 million people are involved in internet surfing via mobile encompassing 96% of the population.

Throughout the United Arab Emirates, digital media is evolving all the aspects either in personal or industrial ways. Social media is playing a gigantic role in raising voices and transforming the brands' appearances harvesting excessive benefits to the economy.

If you are planning to boost your online presence through eye-catching website design or want to reach your target audience through social media, our team of digital experts will help you to craft a right strategy for you. Let's get in touch with us to discuss your digital business goal.

Data Source: We are Social

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
UAE Digital Media Statistics 2018 (Infographics)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These are the latest UAE digital media statistics 2018 showing the numbers about the digital growth in UAE. Internet users are increased massively compared to last year. Time spent on social media has been growing in UAE. Smartphones usage have outpassed the numbers of total population

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Computerising public administration

In May 2013, the UAE initiated an ambitious journey to move from eGovernment to mGovernment within two years. A new government vision was announced following a meeting of the government officials. The target was set at 100 per cent to make priority services available online through two channels: websites and mobile phone applications.

In 2015, the UAE had achieved a remarkable rate of mobile governance. 96.3 per cent of the UAE government's most used 337 services made the transition to mGovernment and mServices within 730 days and with the support of 41 government departments. The most important change that was taking place over those two years was the change of mentality and the culture of the government services' management. Today, delivery of services no longer relies on physical offices and thousands of employees, but on advanced systems and innovative minds because of which, the rate of smart transformation increased dramatically as 98.18 per cent of the federal government services are available online.

Adoption of eServices

The rate of adoption of eServices in the public administration increased in the last three years. It was a big challenge for the government to get the public to shift from using manual services to online services. All departments worked very hard to simplify the eServices so that everyone could use them easily. Government entities used different tools like marketing and gamification and offered round-the-clock customer support, which helped to increase the adoption rate.
The adoption rate of eServices for 2015, 2016 and 2017
Content for people of determination

TRA launched the Read the Federal Websites Guidelines (version 2020), which gives clear instructions and set valid rules for writing web content. According to that guideline, the website content has to be in two languages (Arabic and English), free of grammatical and spelling mistakes and properly segmented (that is no English text in the Arabic version and vice versa). The guidelines also cover domain and hosting, site architecture and design, user experience and usability, accessibility, eParticipation, social media and open data among others. Summary of Web Content Guidelines for UAE Government Entities.

According to Federal Websites Guidelines, a government website should have a software to read texts and alternative texts for the visually impaired people. In addition, all audio and video files on the website should have descriptive captions to assist those with hearing problems. The TRA website is one of the federal websites using such language to help the people of determination (special needs' people) to browse its pages easily.

The National Policy for Empowering People of Special Needs aims to provide people of determination (people with special needs) with easy access to various information, depending on their individual abilities. According to the policy, entities are required to provide information about services to people of determination and their families in all the emirates, ensuring that all services are easily accessible. The entities are also required to make information accessible using modern technology to people who suffer visual and hearing disabilities.

The UAE's Ministry of Community Development launched the 'With Sign' initiative under the theme 'towards an open world with sign language', targeting people of determination especially those who with hearing impairment, to help them communicate with community members through text interpretation with sign language. The text translation is performed by a smart 3D character on the entity's website. The service enables the hearing impairment categories to ask questions through the website and record their messages through the computer's camera to be translated.

Smart phones and useful usage
Smart phones
According to TRA's report for the second quarter of 2017 on the use of smartphones in the UAE, it is revealed that 81.5 per cent of phones registered on the UAE's networks were smartphones.
Useful usage
More than 90 per cent of the UAE federal government services are available online. Every government entity in the UAE has a website with electronic services section. This portal is a one-stop shop for federal and local government services. This encourages the UAE's population to visit the government entity websites and take full advantage of ICTs to complete their government transactions online.

Another aspect where ICT is applied is the eParticipation. The UAE national portal has a large section for eParticipation under the name ( Sharik). Sharik provides several eParticipation channels which include consultations, forum, blogs, etc. In addition, each federal government entity has such eParticipation section, where users can participate in government decision and policy-making online.

The official portal of the UAE is also a handy resource for information about the UAE's government, future, history, culture, economy, touristic sites or geography of the UAE and much more. Some of the other UAE government websites include:
Federal government websites:
Education

Illiteracy is not an obstacle to internet use in the UAE, as it is less than 1 per cent according to the UAE's Ministry of Education. Emirati schools are increasingly being connected to the internet and equipped with eLearning facilities, and many of them encourage tablet computers for student use. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme was launched to establish a unique learning environment in schools through the introduction of 'smart' classes.

Access and Affordability

The UAE is one of the world's most connected countries. According to the ITU's latest ' Measuring the Information Society Report', internet penetration in the UAE was at 95 percent in 2017, up from 91 percent in 2016. As of November 2018, there were over 1,300,000 internet subscribers in the country, more than 99 per cent of whom had broadband connections. The UAE has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the region. According to the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), mobile penetration in 2018 reached 19.4 million subscriptions.

Prices for high-speed broadband in the UAE are the second cheapest in the GCC after Bahrain. Broadband is affordable for most users, given the UAE's high per capita income. In April 2017, the UAE's TRA directed mobile operators to reduce the roaming rates within the Gulf region, resulting in an average 18 percent drop in prices for consumers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bridging digital divide - The Official Portal of the UAE Government

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To make mTransformation of a country successful, it is important that there is no digital divide there. The UAE aims to achieve 100 per cent mTransformation and promote an electronic lifestyle in the UAE. Following are the UAE's efforts in bridging digital divide.