DOHA: Facebook penetration continues to fall among nationals in seven Arab countries and Qatar has the lowest known figure in any high-income country in this category, the Northwestern University in Qatar’s sixth annual Media Use in the Middle East survey has found.
The participating countries in the survey — Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Tunisia, UAE, and Saudi Arabia — represent a cultural and geopolitical cross-section of the MENA region.
The 155-page report, published in English and Arabic, offers chapters covering cultural attitudes, censorship and digital privacy, media use by platform, online and social media, film, TV, music and podcasts, games, sports, and news, as well as one section focusing just on Qatar.
“In 2013, 88 percent or more of internet users in these Arab countries used Facebook. In 2018, three countries reported Facebook penetration rates lower than 50 percent, including just nine percent in Qatar, the lowest known figure in any high-income country. In addition, Twitter penetration in Arab countries has plummeted dramatically”
The survey also found that fewer nationals now than in 2014 say films and TV content from the Arab region are good for morality, while more nationals say such content from the U.S./Hollywood is good for morality.
Another key finding of the survey is that the percentage of nationals who watch films in a cinema has increased in several countries since 2014 (UAE, Qatar, and Tunisia). Even in Saudi Arabia, where cinemas were only reintroduced to the public in April 2018, 42 percent of Saudis say they had recently seen a film in a cinema.
In five countries, including 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar, more nationals prefer to watch a sporting event on TV/online rather than attend the same event.
“Majorities of nationals in most countries support online freedom of expression generally; yet minorities of nationals in three countries — Qatar, Tunisia, and UAE — say people should be free to criticize governments online, whereas majorities of nationals only in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon say the same,” the survey says.
“NU-Q’s Media Use in the Middle East 2018: A Seven-Nation Survey is a comprehensive resource for scholars, as well as business, government and other thought leaders seeking to better understand and engage with the region,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q.
“Since 2013, NU-Q has selected six to eight countries to approximate a reasonable representation of public opinion on media use and related topics in a turbulent and complex region.
Six years of feedback suggests that our research has generated useful and discerning findings.”
The sixth annual media use survey was conducted face-to-face (phone in Qatar) among 7,635 respondents across seven countries. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll from July 10 to December 30, 2018.
The complete results of NU-Q’s sixth annual Middle East media use survey are also available on the interactive website, mideastmedia.org.