The general marriage rate of the administrative area Al-Jouf was ***** per one thousand Saudi population in 2020. Al-Jouf had the highest general marriage rate per one thousand Saudi population in 2020. In comparison, the Eastern Region had the lowest general marriage rate of **** per one thousand Saudi population in 2020.

The crude marriage rate for Saudi citizens in the administrative area Al-Jouf was ***** per one thousand Saudi population in 2020. Al-Jouf had the highest crude marriage rate per one thousand Saudi population in that year. By way of comparison, the Eastern Region, were the areas with the lowest crude marriage rate, at *** per one thousand Saudi population in that year.

In 2030, the number of mobile internet users in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was forecast to reach around *** million, up from *** million in 2023. The mobile internet penetration rate in the region was projected to reach around ** percent of the population by 2030. GCC technology adoption   Investments in technological innovation, notably in 5G technology, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, have risen dramatically in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. 5G solutions were introduced in the region in 2019 and will be the primary focus of smartphone users and gaming companies in 2020. In 2019, the majority of the population in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia reported a willingness to adopt 5G connections as soon as they become available in the market, but only around ******* expected positive response after installation. The Middle East outperforms the rest of the world in terms of the rate at which new technologies are adopted, aided by the strong top-down attitude of local governments. Technology sector post COVID-19 in MENA     COVID-19 caused the suspension or cancellation of IT projects in the MENA region. IT investment will likely recover to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 as the region's situation improves and firms realize the full benefits of a strong digital environment. Cloud management and security services in the MENA area are expected to be valued at *** million U.S. dollars in 2020. People were more likely to use online choices for shopping, communication, and remote working during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, which resulted in lockdowns and the closure of businesses, restaurants, and supermarkets. Every nation in the area has seen a significant surge in the usage of mobile applications, notably Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. In 2022, the region's spending on communication services in the information technology industry was estimated to exceed *** billion U.S. dollars.

For 2019, the number of smartphone users in Saudi Arabia is estimated to reach **** million. This number has steadily increased in the past couple of years. Smartphone users in Saudi Arabia – additional information The number of smartphone users in the MEA region is expected to be on the rise in the coming years. In Saudi Arabia, for example, the number is projected to grow to almost ** million by 2019. Although affordability led to a smartphone boom in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in the past few years, its smartphone market growth has been slowing down, mirroring the global trend.Smartphone sales in Middle East and Africa had a worth of more than ** billion U.S. dollars in 2015, up less than * billion U.S. dollars from the previous year. This figure is forecast to increase by about * billion U.S. dollars in 2016. The annual growth rate of smartphone unit shipments in the region is projected to remain in the double digits through 2016 to reach more than *** million units in 2016. Smartphone penetration continues to rise across the MEA region in 2016, in parts due to its functionalities. By 2019, half of the population is forecast to be mobile internet users. The growth of the mobile payment industry also influenced the increasing number of smartphone users. The share of mobile users who have made a mobile payment in Middle East & Africa is expected to grow in the future, albeit at a slower rate than other countries. In 2015, Saudi Arabia was home to the second largest mobile online shopping user base out of the Middle East countries. Almost a quarter of the population made an online purchase via phone that year.