Saudi Arabia sees rapid IoT adoption: report

Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East are rapidly adopting the Internet of Things (IoT), with a growing number of people investing in smart devices for their home, according to a study by Linksys on consumer Wi-Fi usage trends. 

IoT is a network of physical objects – vehicles, machines, home appliances, and more – that use sensors and application programming interfaces (APIs) to connect and exchange data over the Internet. 

The possibilities of IoT in the home are endless, from smart lighting and thermostats to smart fridges to machine learning devices. Linksys’ study shows there is growing use of voice assistants and TV signals that are primarily internet based.

According to the Linksys study, 84.2 percent respondents in Saudi Arabia own at least one smart TV. For the overall Middle East, this percentage is 85.4, out of which 27.9 percent respondents own multiple smart TVs.

Watching TV through the Internet is also very popular in the Kingdom, with internet-based entertainment being the primary source of TV for 17.8 percent of respondents in Saudi Arabia, compared to 22.3 percent in the Middle East, the study said.

The use of chatbots and virtual assistants, commonly called voice assistants, is also rapidly increasing. The use of voice assistants such as Amazon Echo, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home is on the rise, with 35.7 percent ownership amongst respondents in the region.

In Saudi Arabia, 38 percent respondents are most likely to be classified as extreme smart home adopters, the study noted.

Living in the digital age, the Internet is increasing a part of our daily lives and a new normal for all. Linksys’ study forecasts that 62 percent of Saudi respondents who don’t own any smart home devices are keen to adopt IoT in their homes.