95% of Saudi Online Shoppers Buy From Local Retailers

Local retailers accounted for 95.3% of online purchases in Saudi Arabia, according to the latest Saudi Internet Report published by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST).

The report's fifth edition found that 76.9% of consumers purchased products or services online, while 55.4% also shopped through international websites. Women recorded higher levels of online shopping than men, with 85.6% making online purchases compared with 70.2% of men.

Clothing and footwear were the most popular online purchases, bought by 87.7% of online shoppers. They were followed by cosmetics (46.2%), groceries (41.8%), computers and smartphones (36.9%), and travel services (36.5%). The Eastern Province recorded the Kingdom's highest rate of online shopping at 85.2%.

The report also found widespread adoption of digital public services, with 96% of consumers using government digital platforms. Usage reached 96.2% among men and 95.6% among women, while Tabuk and Qassim recorded the highest adoption rates at 98.6% each. Digital banking services were used by 85.9% of consumers, with the Eastern Province again recording the highest usage at 89.6%.

According to the report, Saudi Arabia's communications and information technology market reached SAR 199 billion by the end of 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of 8% over the past five years. The CST said the Kingdom remained the largest and fastest-growing ICT market in the Middle East and North Africa.