Analysis of Demographic Factors, Internet Usage and Online Shopping for Social Media Users in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Internet usage across the world has increased manifold in the last decade. The trend is the same for the Arab world including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country with its own social and cultural inclinations and heritage. Recent statistics put the number of the Internet users in the kingdom at more than 18 million and the Internet penetration at more than 65% of the population in 2014. This study aims to identify the pattern of the Internet usage in the country. Based on a sample size of 990 respondents recruited through social media across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the study explores the relationship between the Internet usage and various demographic, social, economic, and behavioral factors. The results indicate that the average daily use of the Internet by social media users is significantly correlated to gender, age, marital status, employment and income but no significant relationship is found with the education level of users. Further, it was also investigated if there is any significant relationship between the average daily use of the Internet and online buying behavior. The results confirm that there is a significant relationship between the Internet usage and the online shopping habit of the users. The findings on the usage of the Internet by social media users are of commercial importance to the firms which provide products through online medium. Indeed, the E-Commerce is expected to foster economic growth, productivity, and competitiveness of the firms in the country. Additionally, the research will contribute to the existing literature on E-commerce and attract the interest of researchers mainly in the disciplines of Marketing and Social Sciences.