Key UAE social media statistics for 2026
- Social media user identities were equal to 110% of the UAE's total population at the end of 2025. (DataReportal (Kepios), Nov 2025)
- WhatsApp is the UAE's most used platform: 89.0% of internet users aged 16+ used it in the past month. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- WhatsApp is the favourite social platform of 24.8% of UAE social media users aged 16+. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- Facebook drove 78.4% of social media referral traffic to websites in the UAE in September 2026. (Statcounter, Sep 2026)
- Instagram's ads could reach 8.05 million users in the UAE in late 2025. (Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- TikTok's ads could reach 12.5 million users aged 18 and above in the UAE in late 2025. (TikTok ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- Facebook's ads could reach 9.70 million users in the UAE in late 2025. (Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- 98.5% of UAE internet users aged 16+ use chat and messaging apps each month. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- UAE internet users spend 24 hours 29 minutes a week on social platforms, including video platforms. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
- The UAE Media Council granted 600 social media licences to individuals and companies in 2024. (UAE Media Council, Feb 2025)
- The UAE has set 15 as the minimum age for using social media; under-15s may not create or use personal accounts. (UAE Cabinet, Jun 2026)
- Reddit's UAE ad reach nearly tripled in 2025, up 1.60 million (+188%). (Reddit ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
How to cite this page. Use any figure here, credit the original source shown next to it, and link to this page: "UAE Social Media Statistics 2026, Adjoltz, updated 15 October 2026, https://adjoltz.com/blog/uae-social-media-statistics/".
How many people in the UAE use social media?
Social media user identities were equal to 110% of the UAE's total population at the end of 2025. (DataReportal (Kepios), Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Social media user identities in the UAE grew by 1.8 million (+16.7%) between late 2024 and the end of 2025. | DataReportal (Kepios), Nov 2025 |
| 99.6% of UAE internet users aged 16+ use social networks each month. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| UAE social media users are active on an average of 8.7 social platforms each month. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Worldwide, social media user identities reached 5.66 billion in October 2025, 68.7% of the global population. | DataReportal (Kepios), Oct 2025 |
| Global social media user identities grew 4.8% in the 12 months to October 2025. | DataReportal (Kepios), Oct 2025 |
| Globally, 96.9% of internet users aged 16+ use at least one social platform each month. | GWI via DataReportal, Oct 2025 |
"User identities" count accounts, not unique people, which is why the UAE figure passes 100% of the population. DataReportal bases it on the biggest platform's audience, TikTok's adult ad reach (below).
Which social media platforms are most used in the UAE?
WhatsApp is the UAE's most used platform: 89.0% of internet users aged 16+ used it in the past month. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Facebook (82.2%) and Instagram (82.0%) are almost level as the UAE's next most used platforms. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| 79.8% of UAE internet users aged 16+ used YouTube in the past month, and 78.2% used TikTok. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| LinkedIn (48.7%) edges X (47.7%) in monthly use among UAE internet users aged 16+. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| WhatsApp is the favourite social platform of 24.8% of UAE social media users aged 16+. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| TikTok (21.0%) narrowly beats Instagram (20.0%) as the UAE's second favourite platform. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Globally, 17.4% of social media users name WhatsApp as their favourite platform. | GWI via DataReportal, Oct 2025 |
Which platforms send the most traffic to UAE websites?
Facebook drove 78.4% of social media referral traffic to websites in the UAE in September 2026. (Statcounter, Sep 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Instagram referred 8.27% of UAE social media web traffic in September 2026, ahead of X (Twitter) at 6.63%. | Statcounter, Sep 2026 |
| On desktop, Pinterest (24.41%) out-referred Facebook (22.02%) in the UAE in September 2026. | Statcounter, Sep 2026 |
| A year earlier, in September 2025, Facebook's share of UAE social media referral traffic was 67.72%. | Statcounter, Sep 2025 |
Statcounter measures clicks from social platforms to websites, not users, and it excludes messaging apps.
How many people use Instagram in the UAE?
Instagram's ads could reach 8.05 million users in the UAE in late 2025. (Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Instagram's UAE ad reach grew by 1.15 million (+16.7%) between October 2024 and October 2025. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| NapoleonCat counted 10,963,300 Instagram users in the UAE in September 2026. | NapoleonCat, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| People aged 25 to 34 are the UAE's biggest Instagram group, at 4.9 million users. | NapoleonCat, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| Men make up 67.6% of the UAE's Instagram users, and women 32.4%. | NapoleonCat, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
Ad-tool reach counts accounts advertisers can target. NapoleonCat counts accounts too, which is why its totals run higher.
How many people use TikTok in the UAE?
TikTok's ads could reach 12.5 million users aged 18 and above in the UAE in late 2025. (TikTok ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| TikTok's UAE ad reach grew by 1.79 million between the end of 2024 and late 2025. | TikTok ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| TikTok's UAE ad reach jumped by 1.20 million (+10.6%) in just three months, July to October 2025. | TikTok ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Sensor Tower estimates TikTok had around 6.4 million active users in the UAE by the end of Q4 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| 65% of UAE TikTok users say they use it for reasons other than entertainment. | Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, Feb 2026 (commissioned) |
How many people use Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat and X in the UAE?
Facebook's ads could reach 9.70 million users in the UAE in late 2025. (Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Facebook's ad reach covers 98.9% of the UAE's 'eligible' population aged 13 and over. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Facebook's UAE ad reach grew by 650,000 (+7.2%) between October 2024 and October 2025. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| NapoleonCat counted 18,075,200 Facebook users in the UAE in September 2026, more than the country's population. | NapoleonCat, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
| YouTube's ads could reach 8.37 million users in the UAE in late 2025. | Google ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| LinkedIn had 10.0 million registered members in the UAE in late 2025. | LinkedIn via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| LinkedIn added 1.00 million UAE members (+11.1%) during 2025. | LinkedIn via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Snapchat's ads could reach 5.13 million users in the UAE in late 2025. | Snap ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| X's ads could reach 2.85 million users in the UAE in late 2025. | X ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| X's UAE ad reach fell by 183,000 (-6.0%) between the end of 2024 and late 2025. | X ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Reddit's ads could reach 2.45 million users in the UAE in late 2025. | Reddit ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Reddit's UAE ad reach nearly tripled in 2025, up 1.60 million (+188%). | Reddit ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Threads' ads could reach 893,000 users in the UAE in late 2025. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
How do people in the UAE use WhatsApp and messaging apps?
98.5% of UAE internet users aged 16+ use chat and messaging apps each month. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Telegram was used by 58.5% of UAE internet users aged 16+ in the past month, behind Messenger at 65.0%. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Sensor Tower estimates WhatsApp Messenger had over 7.1 million active users in the UAE in late December 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| Sensor Tower estimates the WhatsApp Business app held at around 4.8 million active users in the UAE in Q4 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| Sensor Tower estimates the calling and messaging app botim passed 5.5 million active users in the UAE in early December 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| Sensor Tower estimates Telegram had around 3.5 million active users in the UAE in Q4 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| Sensor Tower estimates imo, the video-calling app, reached 2.7 million active users in the UAE by the end of December 2025. | Sensor Tower, Jan 2026 (estimate) |
| Messenger's ads could reach 5.65 million users in the UAE in late 2025, unchanged on a year earlier. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| 'WhatsApp' was the fourth biggest Google search in the UAE between July 2024 and June 2025, after 'Dubai', 'UAE' and 'Google'. | Google Trends via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| whatsapp.com was the UAE's fourth most visited website, with 30.6 million visits a month in June to August 2025. | Similarweb via DataReportal, Nov 2025 (estimate) |
Who uses social media in the UAE?
67.1% of UAE social media user identities are male and 32.9% female. (DataReportal (Kepios), Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 73.2% of Facebook's adult ad audience in the UAE is male, against 25.8% female. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Instagram's ads reach 87.6% of UAE women aged 18+ but 84.4% of men aged 18+. | Meta ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| Snapchat's ads reach 56.7% of UAE women aged 18+ against 45.3% of men. | Snap ad tools via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| People aged 25 to 34 are Facebook's largest UAE user group, at 7.9 million. | NapoleonCat, Sep 2026 (estimate) |
How much time do people in the UAE spend on social media?
UAE internet users spend 24 hours 29 minutes a week on social platforms, including video platforms. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Android users in the UAE spend 1 hour 16 minutes a day in WhatsApp, more than in any other social app. | Similarweb via DataReportal, Nov 2025 (estimate) |
| UAE Android users spend 1 hour 10 minutes a day on Instagram and 1 hour 8 minutes on TikTok. | Similarweb via DataReportal, Nov 2025 (estimate) |
| Keeping in touch with friends and family is the top reason for using social media in the UAE, cited by 52.4%. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| The world's online adults spend 18 hours 36 minutes a week on social and video platforms. | GWI via DataReportal, Oct 2025 |
| Worldwide, WhatsApp users spend 59 minutes a day in the Android app. | Similarweb via DataReportal, Oct 2025 (estimate) |
How do businesses and shoppers use social media in the UAE?
30.8% of UAE social media users go there for inspiration for things to do and buy, and 30.0% to find products to purchase. (GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 29% of UAE residents used Facebook to contact a business in the past year, and 20% used Instagram. | YouGov for Zbooni, Feb 2024 (commissioned) |
| 28% of UAE residents prefer to get marketing and sales messages on Facebook, and 21% on Instagram. | YouGov for Zbooni, Feb 2024 (commissioned) |
| More than 70,000 UAE small and medium businesses actively advertise on TikTok. | Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, Feb 2026 (commissioned) |
| Redseer estimates TikTok enabled more than 10,000 UAE small businesses to start up. | Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, Feb 2026 (commissioned) |
| Small-business activity on TikTok added AED 1.1 billion in gross value to the UAE economy in 2024. | Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, Feb 2026 (commissioned) |
How big is the UAE's creator and influencer economy?
The UAE Media Council granted 600 social media licences to individuals and companies in 2024. (UAE Media Council, Feb 2025)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| 24.3% of UAE social media users say following celebrities or influencers is a main reason they use social media. | GWI via DataReportal, Nov 2025 |
| The UAE Media Council issued 235 social media (digital media) licences in the first half of 2025. | UAE Media Council, Jul 2025 |
| The UAE's mandatory Advertiser Permit for people who post promotional content is free for its first three years. | UAE Media Council, Jul 2025 |
| Applications for the UAE's 'Financial Influencer' accreditation surged by 1,100%. | UAE Securities and Commodities Authority, Oct 2025 |
| Creators HQ, the UAE's government-backed hub for content creators, signed up 2,415 active members from 147 countries in its first six months. | Creators HQ, Aug 2025 |
| The 2026 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai hosted more than 15,000 content creators and influencers. | 1 Billion Followers Summit, Jan 2026 |
| One in four UAE creators names TikTok as the main reason they began creating content. | Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, Feb 2026 (commissioned) |
What are the UAE's social media rules in 2026?
The UAE has set 15 as the minimum age for using social media; under-15s may not create or use personal accounts. (UAE Cabinet, Jun 2026)
| Statistic | Source |
|---|---|
| Children aged 15 to 16 may use social media in the UAE, but only with enhanced protective measures on their accounts. | UAE Cabinet, Jun 2026 |
| Social media platforms have up to 12 months to comply with the UAE's under-15 rules. | UAE Cabinet, Jun 2026 |
| The UAE Cybersecurity Council found more than 1,200 cases of internet begging in 2024, many run through social media. | UAE Cybersecurity Council, Mar 2025 |
| UAE authorities shut down 77 social media accounts for unlicensed domestic-worker recruitment in the first half of 2025. | MoHRE and TDRA, Jul 2025 |
How we built this page
Every figure comes from the organisation that produced it: government bodies and regulators, company filings and official documents, and original research by the organisation that ran it. We opened each source, confirmed the number on the page and kept the exact wording in a verification sheet, checked on 15 October 2026. Platform audiences come from the platforms' own ad tools as published by DataReportal; they count accounts, not people. Usage shares come from GWI's survey of internet users aged 16 and over. Research paid for by a company with an interest in the result is labelled "commissioned", and modelled figures are labelled "estimate". We check every source link monthly and refresh the numbers each quarter.
Sources
- 1 Billion Followers Summit (via WAM), Snapchat launches Accelerator Program; hosts over 20 sessions, workshops at 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 (2026-01-10)
- Creators HQ / 1 Billion Followers Summit (via WAM), Creators HQ attracts 2,415 active members from 147 countries with combined following of over 2 billion (2025-08-24)
- Kepios (DataReportal), Digital 2026 Global Overview Report (2025-10-15)
- Kepios (DataReportal), Digital 2026: The United Arab Emirates (2025-11-05)
- MoHRE and TDRA (via WAM), MoHRE, TDRA shut down 77 social media accounts for unlicensed domestic worker recruitment (2025-07-23)
- NapoleonCat, Instagram users in United Arab Emirates, September 2026 (2026-09)
- NapoleonCat, Facebook users in United Arab Emirates, September 2026 (2026-09)
- Redseer Strategy Consultants for TikTok, The TikTok Effect: Enabling the UAE’s Dynamic Digital Economy (2026-02)
- Securities and Commodities Authority (via WAM), SCA reports 1,100% surge in 'Financial Influencer' accreditation applications (2025-10-08)
- Sensor Tower, Top Social Apps Performance in UAE Q4 2025 (2026-01)
- Sensor Tower, Top 5 Communication Apps in UAE: Q4 2025 Performance Overview (2026-01)
- Sensor Tower, Top 5 Social Networking Apps in UAE: Q4 2025 Performance Overview (2026-01)
- Statcounter, Social Media Stats United Arab Emirates, monthly (CSV download) (2025-09)
- Statcounter, Social Media Stats in United Arab Emirates - September 2026 (2026-09)
- Statcounter, Desktop Social Media Stats in United Arab Emirates - September 2026 (2026-09)
- UAE Cabinet (via WAM), UAE Cabinet issues resolution regulating children's access to social media platforms (2026-06-18)
- UAE Cybersecurity Council (via WAM), UAE Cybersecurity Council detects 1,200 cases of internet begging in 2024 (2025-03-17)
- UAE Media Council (via WAM), UAE Media Council reviews media sector performance for 2024 (2025-02-27)
- UAE Media Council (via WAM), UAE Media Council board reviews 2025 performance (2025-07-23)
- UAE Media Council (via WAM), UAE Media Council launches Advertiser Permit to regulate individual promotional content (2025-07-30)
- Zbooni (survey by YouGov, n=1,000), The MENA cCommerce Report 2024 (2024-02-06)
