A new report has revealed shifts in digital behaviour across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with consumers increasingly embracing generative AI, social commerce, and connected devices.
Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends 2025 survey of 2,000 respondents aged 18–50 showed that 58% have used AI tools such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, a higher rate than in the UK or the rest of Europe.
Smartphones remain the dominant device, with 96% of respondents using them daily. Nearly nine in ten plan to purchase a new connected device in the next year. Meanwhile, social media has overtaken traditional outlets as the main source of news, relied upon by 56% of consumers. It is also transforming shopping habits, with 73% of respondents making purchases via social platforms.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer