Digital 2022: The United Arab Emirates
This page contains all the data, insights, and trends you need to help you understand how people in the United Arab Emirates use connected devices and services in 2022.
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022 report on the United Arab Emirates in the “full report” section below, but let’s start by taking a look at the essential headlines for digital adoption and use in the UAE this year.
The United Arab Emirates’s population in 2022
The United Arab Emirates’s total population was 10.04 million in January 2022.
Data show that the UAE’s population increased by 96 thousand (+1.0 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
31.1 percent of the United Arab Emirates’s population is female, while 68.9 percent of the population is male.
At the start of 2022, 87.5 percent of the United Arab Emirates’s population lived in urban centres, while 12.5 percent lived in rural areas.
Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.
The United Arab Emirates’s population by age
The median age of the population in the United Arab Emirates is 32.7.
For additional context, here’s a look at how the population in the United Arab Emirates breaks down by age group:
4.9 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 0 and 4.
8.2 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 5 and 12.
4.6 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 13 and 17.
9.5 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 18 and 24.
30.2 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 25 and 34.
22.7 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 35 and 44.
12.1 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 45 and 54.
6.2 percent of the UAE’s population is between the ages of 55 and 64.
1.7 percent of the UAE’s population is aged 65 and above.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
Internet use in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
There were 9.94 million internet users in the United Arab Emirates in January 2022.
The United Arab Emirates’s internet penetration rate stood at 99.0 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in the UAE increased by 95 thousand (+1.0 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
For perspective, these user figures reveal that 100.4 thousand people in the UAE did not use the internet at the start of 2022, meaning that 1.0 percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.
However, issues relating to COVID-19 continue to impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be higher than these published numbers suggest (see here for further details).
For the latest insights into internet adoption and use around the world, follow our regular Global Statshot reports.
Internet connection speeds in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in the UAE could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2022:
Median mobile internet connection speed via cellular networks: 136.42 Mbps.
Median fixed internet connection speed: 103.71 Mbps.
Ookla’s data reveals that the median mobile internet connection speed in the United Arab Emirates increased by 29.55 Mbps (+27.7 percent) in the twelve months to the start of 2022.
Meanwhile, Ookla’s data shows that fixed internet connection speeds in the UAE increased by 26.98 Mbps (+35.2 percent) during the same period.
Social media statistics for the United Arab Emirates in 2022
There were 10.65 million social media users in the United Arab Emirates in January 2022.
The number of social media users in the UAE at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 106 percent of the total population, but it’s important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).
Kepios analysis reveals that social media users in the United Arab Emirates increased by 810 thousand (+8.2 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
Facebook users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 7.20 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience figures mean that Facebook’s ad reach in the UAE was equivalent to 71.7 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
However, Facebook restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s also worth highlighting that 82.5 percent of the “eligible” audience in the UAE uses Facebook in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates was equivalent to 72.5 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2022.
At the start of 2022, 27.3 percent of Facebook’s ad audience in the UAE was female, while 72.7 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Facebook stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook data for every country in the world.
YouTube users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Updates to Google’s advertising resources indicate that YouTube had 9.06 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
This figure means that YouTube’s 2022 ad reach was equivalent to 90.3 percent of the United Arab Emirates’s total population at the start of the year.
To put those figures in perspective, YouTube ads reached 91.2 percent of the UAE’s total internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2022.
At that time, 27.8 percent of YouTube’s ad audience in the UAE was female, while 72.2 percent was male.
Note: Google’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Instagram users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Numbers published in Meta’s advertising tools indicate that Instagram had 5.25 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
This figure suggests that Instagram’s ad reach in the UAE was equivalent to 52.3 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Instagram restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s helpful to know that 60.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Arab Emirates uses Instagram in 2022.
It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in the UAE at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 52.8 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
In early 2022, 38.1 percent of Instagram’s ad audience in the United Arab Emirates was female, while 61.9 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Instagram stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Instagram data for every country in the world.
TikTok users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Figures published in ByteDance’s advertising resources indicate that TikTok had 6.72 million users aged 18 and above in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
Note that ByteDance allows marketers to target TikTok ads to users aged 13 and above via its advertising tools, but these tools only show audience data for users aged 18 and above.
For context, ByteDance’s figures indicate that TikTok ads reached 81.3 percent of all adults aged 18 and above in the UAE at the start of 2022.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates was equivalent to 67.6 percent of the local internet user base at the beginning of the year, regardless of age.
In early 2022, 29.4 percent of TikTok’s ad audience in the UAE was female, while 70.6 percent was male.
Note: ByteDance’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more TikTok stats? Click here to explore our in-depth TikTok data for every country in the world.
Facebook Messenger users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 4.85 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook Messenger – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates was equivalent to 48.3 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above though, so it’s also worth highlighting that ads reach 55.6 percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in the UAE in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates is equivalent to 48.8 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
At the start of 2022, 29.2 percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in the UAE was female, while 70.8 percent was male.
Notes: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Facebook Messenger stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook Messenger data for every country in the world.
LinkedIn users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 5.70 million “members” in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users that form the basis of the ad reach figures published by most other social media platforms.
As a result, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms published on this page, or in our Digital 2022 reports.
The company’s advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in the UAE was equivalent to 56.8 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
LinkedIn restricts the use of its platform to people aged 18 and above though, so it’s also helpful to know that 69.0 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Arab Emirates uses LinkedIn in 2022.
For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in the UAE was equivalent to 57.4 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2022, 29.8 percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in the United Arab Emirates was female, while 70.2 percent was male.
Note: LinkedIn’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more LinkedIn stats? Click here to explore our in-depth LinkedIn data for every country in the world.
Snapchat users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Data published in Snap’s advertising resources indicate that Snapchat had 3.25 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
This figure means that Snapchat’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates was equivalent to 32.4 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Snapchat restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s also worth noting that 37.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in the UAE uses Snapchat in 2022.
For additional context, Snapchat’s ad reach in the United Arab Emirates was equivalent to 32.7 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2022, 49.0 percent of Snapchat’s ad audience in the UAE was female, while 50.5 percent was male.
Snap’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users, but the figures published for these demographics don’t always add up to the total user figure, so percentages shown here may not sum to 100 percent.
Looking for more Snapchat stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Snapchat data for every country in the world.
Twitter users in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Numbers published in Twitter’s advertising resources indicate that Twitter had 2.45 million users in the United Arab Emirates in early 2022.
This figure means that Twitter’s ad reach in the UAE was equivalent to 24.4 percent of the total population at the time.
However, Twitter restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it may be helpful to know that 28.1 percent of the “eligible” audience in the United Arab Emirates uses Twitter in 2022.
For additional context, Twitter’s ad reach in the UAE was equivalent to 24.7 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
Note: due to anomalies in the source data, we regret that we’re currently unable to provide insights into Twitter’s ad audience by gender.
Looking for more Twitter stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Twitter data for every country in the world.
Mobile connections in the United Arab Emirates in 2022
Data from GSMA Intelligence shows that there were 17.00 million cellular mobile connections in the United Arab Emirates at the start of 2022.
However, note that many people around the world make use of more than one mobile connection – for example, they might have one connection for personal use, and another one for work – so it’s not unusual for mobile connection figures to significantly exceed figures for total population.
GSMA Intelligence’s numbers indicate that mobile connections in the UAE were equivalent to 169 percent of the total population in January 2022.
The number of mobile connections in the United Arab Emirates decreased by 18 thousand (-0.1 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
Additional resources
Just before we get to the full report, here are some suggestions for further reading, which will provide additional context for our full set of Digital 2022 numbers for the United Arab Emirates:
Read our complete Digital 2022 Global Overview Report to get a comprehensive overview of the “state of digital” around the world in 2022.
Click here to see all of the Global Digital Reports we’ve published on the United Arab Emirates over the past decade.
Explore all of our reports on countries in Western Asia by clicking here.
Visit our complete online reports library to find all of the (free!) reports in the Global Digital Reports series.
If you’d like to receive updates when we publish new reports, click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Full report
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022: The United Arab Emirates report in the SlideShare embed below (click here if that’s not working for you).