ALKHOBAR: For many Saudis, discovering somewhere new no longer begins with chance. Increasingly, it begins with a recommendation.
Whether it is a restaurant spotted while driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood, a book picked up because the cover caught the eye, or a song playing on the radio that unexpectedly becomes a favorite, the mechanics of everyday discovery have fundamentally shifted to digital spaces.
Today, choices are dictated by Google reviews, TikTok videos, ChatGPT prompts, Spotify playlists, and WhatsApp messages. This reliance on recommendations has quietly become the starting point for everyday decisions, reshaping how people discover new experiences.
The trend reflects a broader evolution in consumer behavior. BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey found that 74 percent of consumers consult at least two review sources before choosing a local business, highlighting how online recommendations have become central to commerce.
In Saudi Arabia, where digital adoption ranks among the highest globally and artificial intelligence integration continues to expand, this shift is increasingly visible.
For 50-year-old Abdullah Al-Almai, the primary change is not the technology itself, but the loss of serendipity.
“When I was younger, discovering somewhere new was part of going out,” he said. “We’d drive around until we found a restaurant that looked interesting or walk into a bookstore without knowing what we’d leave with.”
He noted that these unplanned moments often yielded the best results.
“But sometimes, you’d discover a place you’d return to for years,” he said. “The uncertainty was part of the experience.”
Despite the rise of digital recommendations, some readers still discover books and music by browsing shelves and choosing titles that catch their attention. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
Today, he observes a completely different approach among the younger generation.
“My children won’t go anywhere before checking reviews,” he said. “I understand why, because it saves time, but I think we’ve become less willing to take chances.”
However, younger consumers do not necessarily view this transition as a loss. For 25-year-old Layan Al-Mufleh, curated recommendations serve as a modern medium for shared experiences.
“It’s all about recommendations now,” she said. “Sometimes, you still discover something by accident, like picking up a book you weren’t planning to buy and ending up loving it. But honestly, that doesn’t happen very often anymore.”
She believes the phenomenon fosters social proximity rather than eliminating genuine discovery.
“If someone I care about recommends a restaurant, a book, or even a song, trying it makes me feel connected to them,” she said. “Recommendations aren’t replacing discovery. They’re becoming the way people discover things together.”
For 43-year-old Bayan Al-Rudaini, peer-to-peer suggestions are nothing new, but the source of the authority has changed.
“People have always asked family, friends, or colleagues where to eat or what to watch,” she said. “What’s different today is that those recommendations often come from complete strangers or from platforms that already know what we like.”
Rather than viewing the shift negatively, Al-Rudaini believes consumers have simply reallocated their trust.
Restaurants and cafes are often discovered through reviews, shared locations and social media long before customers walk through the door. (AN photo by Waad Hussain)
“I don’t think recommendations have replaced discovery,” she said. “They’ve replaced the people we used to ask.”
This distributed trust creates a complex digital ecosystem. Data shows that consumers increasingly synthesize reviews, short-form videos, and multiple online channels before spending money.
However, this algorithmic homogeneity raises concerns about cultural conformity. Mohammed Al-Qarni, 36, argued that the sheer volume of choices has paradoxically made options look identical.
“Sometimes, it feels like we’re all following the same map,” said Al-Qarni.
He notices the lack of variety most acutely when traveling.
“Years ago, you’d ask locals where they eat or simply walk around until you found somewhere interesting,” he said. “Now, almost everyone arrives with the same cafés, restaurants, and attractions already saved on their phones.”
While platforms streamline navigation, Al-Qarni notes they dilute the element of surprise.
“We have more choices than ever,” he said. “Yet, somehow, we all end up choosing the same ones.”
This predictability is expected to accelerate with the integration of generative AI. Industrial data reveals that 45 percent of consumers use AI tools like ChatGPT to discover local businesses, up from just 6 percent a year prior. Even so, 88 percent of users still cross-verify AI-generated suggestions before making a final decision, indicating that consumers treat AI as a discovery aid rather than a definitive substitute for judgment.
For Al-Almai, the psychological impact remains clear: The experience now begins long before the physical arrival.
“The best discoveries were the ones you never planned,” he said. “You’d stumble across a place by accident and remember it for years.”
He added: “They’ve already seen the menu, the reviews, the photos, and the videos. In many cases, they’ve already decided what they think before they walk through the door.”
Two decades ago, finding a new favorite spot meant taking a wrong turn, following an intimate tip, or exploring an unfamiliar street. Today, it begins with a search query. Discovery has not vanished in the Kingdom, but for many Saudis, the journey is fully mapped out before they even leave the house.
