Fusion5 has launched the Outliers 2026 report, a UAE-focused synthesis of the Digital 2026 Global Overview Report., produced by We Are Social in partnership with Meltwater.
The global study examines digital, e-commerce, mobile, platform and marketing trends worldwide, drawing on datasets from GWI, GSMA Intelligence, the ITU, Kepios, UN population data, national regulators and platform-reported audience insights.
Fusion5 distilled UAE-specific data points across the sources and compared them with global benchmarks and interpreted what the divergences mean for paid media behaviour heading into 2026.
The outliers report found that TikTok has the highest reach in the UAE, netting a total reach of 15.5 million, compared to other platforms.
The short-form video platform is followed by LinkedIn (10 million), Facebook (9.7 million), YouTube (8.37 million) and Instagram (8.05 million), rounding off the top five platforms by reach.
When compared on a global scale, UAE residents rank at the top for the average number of social media platforms (8.69) used actively each month by internet users aged 16+.
The UAE’s audience behaviour and consumption are supported by the UAE’s mobile internet connection speeds, ranking at the top with a speed of 614.42 Mbps compared to the second position, Brazil, which features a speed of 239.43 Mbps.
In terms of watching videos, the UAE ranks number 7 globally, with residents watching 15 hours and 8 minutes’ worth of video content of any length in a week, compared to the global first of 21 hours and 58 minutes in Kenya.
Methodology
The underlying data sources apply their own established methodologies.
Survey-based metrics – including time spent, social behaviour and trust – were drawn from nationally representative samples of UAE residents aged 16+, weighted by age, gender and region. GWI’s UAE samples typically range from approximately 1,000 to 2,000 respondents per wave, with multiple waves conducted annually.
Platform reach figures were based on first-party reporting rather than consumer surveys.
