7 in 10 MENA residents surf the web while watching TV

Digital media is becoming more pervasive in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with one in five people saying they trust online sources more than traditional media, and seven in ten watching TV at the same time as surfing the internet. The new digital survey from market researchers YouGov, which questioned 30,000 adults in the MENA region, also found that overall 8% used a tablet computer to access digital media, with this percentage rising to 16 in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Digital media was accessed by mobile phone by 45% of respondents. Thirty two per cent of MENA respondents indicated they would buy a TV recording device during the next year, with one in ten already claiming ownership. Almost half (47%) of those surveyed said they use the internet to source new TV programmes, and in Saudi Arabia one in five respondents said they watch TV online. Social networks have a strong grasp on the region, with 87% of MENA respondents on Facebook, with 53% visiting the site daily. Of those surveyed in Egypt alone, 42% call themselves active Twitter users, with one in five tweeting at least once a day.