Two years since its launch, Amazon Alexa has offered homes around the Middle East seamless, hyper-localized experiences in Khaleeji Arabic, catering to the unique lifestyles, preferences and needs.
Middle East customers rank among the most engaged users worldwide, for the second year in a row, with 14 interactions a day per customer. In 2023, Alexa’s monthly active customers in the region increased by 40 percent. This surge in engagement is also reflected in the number of Alexa interactions, which grew by 30 percent year over year in comparison to 2022.
Smart Home automation emerged as the most used segment for Alexa in the Middle East, with customers increasingly relying on Alexa to control their connected devices. In 2023 alone, Alexa has turned lights on and off more than 24 million times in homes across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Air conditioners rank as the second-most frequently used smart appliances, with over 8.9 million actions recorded year-to-date in these two countries. On average, Middle East customers have 11 smart appliances connected to Alexa, demonstrating the growing adoption of voice-enabled home automation.
Beyond Smart Home control, Middle East customers turn to Alexa for a variety of entertainment and spiritual needs. Audio streaming — including music, Qur’an recitations, radio, and podcasts — ranks as the second-most popular domain. Surat Al-Baqara was the most requested surah in 2023, with Maher Al-Muaiqly being the most sought-after reciter.
In the realm of entertainment, Khaleeji hearts beat for Arabic artists. Mohammed Abdo reigns as the most popular artist, followed by Fairuz, Khalid Abdulrahman, Amr Diab and Abdulmajid Abdullah.
Relaxing music emerged as the most requested genre. Additionally, Akinator, also known as “The Blue Genie,” captivated users as the most popular game requested on Alexa.
In November 2023, Amazon introduced its Echo Show 8 (3rd Generation) in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Designed for even more personalized, proactive, and intuitive Alexa experiences at home, it features a new industrial design, intuitive home screen experience, upgraded processor, spatial audio, and a built-in smart home hub.
Additionally, Amazon launched the Echo Pop in July 2023 in the two countries. Echo Pop is a new addition to the Echo family with a lovable semi-sphere form factor and comes with the new Lavender Bloom and Midnight Teal color options, and the standard Glacier White and Charcoal color options. It features a custom-designed front-facing directional speaker to deliver full sound that is great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, apartments, or any small space in a home.
Alexa has also introduced a suite of new features designed to enhance user experience and cater to diverse preferences. Dynamic Language Switching enables Alexa to respond to Arabic or English commands without the need to change device settings.
Alexa’s increasing engagement in the Middle East is attributed to its deep localization efforts, ensuring that the voice service seamlessly integrates into the lives of regional users. Alexa supports Khaleeji Arabic, a dialect spoken in the Arabian Peninsula, and provides access to a vast array of localized content, including news, music, and skills.
Dr. Raf bin Ameen Fatani, regional general manager, Alexa, MENA, said: “We are humbled with the feedback received from our customers in the Middle East region, and remain committed to delivering innovative, localized experiences that positively impact customers’ lives across the region. We are deeply grateful for the enthusiastic embrace of Alexa by our customers and look forward to continuing to innovate and deliver even more delightful experiences.”
