Media content spending
Millennials in the Middle East will spend around $37 billion on media content in 2015 ($300 per millennial, in purchasing power parity terms). High rates of smartphone adoption, broadband, technological advancements and increasing literacy rates play a key role in the growth of media consumption in the Middle East in 2015 and beyond. Despite these advancements however, media spending by millennials in the region is quite low in comparison to more developed markets such as North America.
A milestone for smartphone upgrades
Sales from smartphone upgrades in the Middle East region could reach up to 70-100 million units in 2015, potentially generating $18-28 billion in revenues. The majority of upgrades will take place in the GCC, which has the highest penetration levels, whereas in large parts of North Africa, with much lower smartphone penetration, many will be new adopters, buying a smartphone for the first time.
Internet and broadband penetration
Total internet penetration in the Middle East will reach around 38 percent in 2015, over approximately 25 million homes. Fixed broadband penetration however, is expected to reach just over 25 percent of Middle East households (around 14 million households). Fixed broadband penetration rates vary significantly across the region due to high economic disparity – particularly when comparing GCC countries with significantly higher penetration rates to those in North Africa where dial-up connections are more common.
