Social Media Becomes the Newsroom in the Gulf.
Deloitte’s 2025 survey shows KSA and UAE consumers now turn to platforms over publishers.
The Shift in News Consumption
Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends 2025 shows how quickly the information environment in the Gulf is being redefined. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, 56% of consumers report using social media as their primary news source, compared with 30% for television and 22% for online news websites.
This redistribution of attention moves the center of influence away from publishers and broadcasters and into the hands of platforms, where algorithms and user networks set the agenda.
Platforms as Gatekeepers of Credibility
The change in distribution reshapes the way credibility is assigned. Traditional outlets had visible accountability through editorial processes. Social platforms elevate stories according to engagement, which often means that popularity drives reach more than accuracy.
Deloitte’s survey also found 54% of Gulf consumers trust emails less if AI-written and 58% distrust AI chatbots, a signal that audiences already associate digital mediation with weaker reliability. The same skepticism applies to news delivered through feeds, yet consumers continue to use them because of speed, accessibility, and habit.
Regional Dynamics Driving Adoption
Demographics and infrastructure accelerate this trend. The Gulf’s younger population, near-universal smartphone penetration, and mobile-first internet use mean that social platforms are the easiest gateway to information.
Limited fixed broadband reinforces this dependency: only 33% of households in the UAE and 21% in Saudi Arabia use fixed broadband, compared with 75% in the UK. With most consumption routed through mobile devices, feeds become the default entry point for news as well as entertainment and commerce.
Risks for Public Discourse
When news discovery depends on feeds designed for engagement, the nature of public discussion changes. Algorithms elevate content that provokes interaction, which often advantages material that is sensational or polarizing. In the Gulf, where platforms already concentrate retail, entertainment, and social life, the addition of news creates a blended environment where the boundaries between reporting, promotion, and opinion are unclear.
This environment weakens editorial authority and disperses accountability, leaving consumers to navigate information with fewer reliable signals of accuracy.
Bottom Line
The Deloitte 2025 data confirms that in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, social media has overtaken traditional outlets as the main source of news. The convenience and reach of feeds give them unmatched power, but they also reduce visibility of editorial oversight and increase exposure to content shaped by opaque algorithms. For media organizations, policymakers, and brands, the strategic challenge is to adapt to an environment where platforms dominate attention and credibility must be rebuilt under new conditions.
Source
Deloitte, Digital Consumer Trends 2025 — UAE & KSA.