Local Retailers Account for 95. 3% of Online Purchases in Saudi Arabia - Business Today Middle East
Local retailers accounted for95. 3% of all online purchasesin Saudi Arabia, underscoring the continued strength of the Kingdom’s domestic e-commerce sector, according to the fifth edition of theSaudi Internet. . .
Local retailers accounted for95. 3% of all online purchasesin Saudi Arabia, underscoring the continued strength of the Kingdom’s domestic e-commerce sector, according to the fifth edition of theSaudi Internet Reportpublished by theCommunications, Space and Technology Commission (CST). The report found that76. 9% of consumerspurchased products or services online, with digital shopping more prevalent among women at85. 6%, compared with70. 2%of men. Meanwhile,55. 4%of shoppers also made purchases through international e-commerce websites. Clothing and footwear were the most popular online shopping category, purchased by87. 7%of consumers. Cosmetics ranked second at46. 2%, followed by groceries (41. 8%), computers and smartphones (36. 9%), and travel services (36. 5%). Regionally, theEastern Regionrecorded the highest rate of online shopping, with85. 2%of consumers making digital purchases. The report also highlighted the widespread adoption of digital government services, with96%of consumers using online government platforms. Usage was slightly higher among men (96. 2%) than women (95. 6%). TabukandQassimrecorded the highest adoption rates at98. 6%, whileAl-Bahareported the lowest at92. 4%. Digital banking services also continued to gain traction, with85. 9%of consumers using online banking platforms. Adoption reached86. 2%among women and85. 7%among men. TheEastern Regionagain led usage at89. 6%, whileNajranrecorded the lowest rate at78. 1%. The findings reflect the continued expansion of Saudi Arabia’s digital economy. By the end of2025, the Kingdom’s communications and information technology market had grown toSAR199 billion, achieving a compound annual growth rate of8%over the past five years and reinforcing its position as the largest and fastest-growing ICT market in the Middle East and North Africa.