Up to 40% Of UAE YouTube Users Come From Mobile

A growing number of YouTube users in the UAE are now logging onto the video sharing website via their mobile devices, in line with increasing smartphone penetration in the country.

According to the latest research by Google, YouTube’s parent company, 40 per cent of views on YouTube in the UAE come from mobile.

The study also found that 90 per cent of smartphone users in the UAE are online daily on their devices, while 80 per cent use their smartphones to watch videos online.

YouTube’s app ranks second in the UAE in terms of time spent, the company revealed during its first ‘Pulse’ event in Dubai this week.

Robert Kyncl, head of Content and Operations at YouTube said: “Viewership is growing at 50 per cent year on year, both globally and in the region, with more than one billion users visiting YouTube every month.

“And in MENA, a majority of that viewership is happening on mobile — a first for any region on YouTube. That kind of engagement has led to the emergence of a number of digital content companies built on YouTube – companies like UTURN and Kharabeesh,” he said.

YouTube also said it is seeing increased content creation locally.

Saudi fashion designer Alanoud Badr announced this week that she will be producing her first show on YouTube, called Fozaza TV.

The first ‘reality fashion’ channel in the region, it will deliver recurring shows and episodes of ‘behind the scenes’ content from the designer’s professional life.

Other channels that are seeing increased interest on the video platform include Eysh Elly and Sa7i from Saudi, Momo Bousfiha in Morocco, DIY channel E-Keif in Jordan and beauty channel Duniati in the UAE.

“Advertisers and content creators are using YouTube to entertain, inspire and inform their most valuable audiences,” said Kyncl.

“The MENA region has amazing talent and the content that is being created on YouTube is getting better every single year.”

YouTube has seen a sharp growth in the MENA region and globally. Currently, up to six billion hours of video a month are watched on the site by more than one billion viewers around the world.