34.3% of Internet users in Saudi utilize WiFi hotspots

The survey report, Saudi Arabia Internet users and e-commerce survey December 2007, provides the results of a major comprehensive online survey of Internet users in Saudi Arabia. The survey covered the Internet usage, e commerce and cellular usage and habits of the Internet users in Saudi Arabia. The survey field work was conducted between October and November 2007. The final survey report and cross analysis will be delivered on or before Dec 28, 2007.

According to the survey results, 46.4% of Internet users in Saudi have Internet access at work, while 36.6% use Internet cafes and 34.3% use WiFi hot spots. A full 23.7% only access the Internet from home. Naturally, access methods overlapped.

While the survey covered Internet users, it also probed the reasons behind why other members of the same households surveyed do not use the Internet. Based on the feedback of Internet users, computer illiteracy, lack of interest, lack of a perceived need to use the Internet and being too young to use the Internet are the main reasons for keeping non-Internet users in Saudi from using the Internet.

The survey also revealed that the vast majority of Internet users in Saudi use Hotmail, Yahoo! mail and Gmail for their personal email service. Regional Arabic-focused email providers have less than a 10% share of the Internet users in Saudi Arabia. There is also plenty of service provider overlap (when users use more than one email service).

Respondents were randomly targeted by receiving an email shot in their inbox to ask them to fill the survey in cooperation with major online portals in the region. The survey received online replies from 1,919 respondents who answered the survey questions online. Quality control checks and personal validation were conducted by Arab Advisors Group's team. The survey was conducted on the general Internet population, including both genders and all age groups across Saudi Arabia. The online survey yields a confidence level of 99% with a margin of error of less than 2%.

The Arab Advisors Group divided the survey questionnaire into two main sections: Telecommunications and Internet

The sections provide a balanced focus on the following areas:

Telecommunications

• Cellular subscriptions

• 3G Cellular services

Internet


• Internet usage trends

• Internet subscription types and ISPs used

• Internet usage

• Internet access methods and costs

• Use of social networking tools on the Internet

• E-commerce and m-commerce

• E-Banking and mobile banking services