AI adoption more than doubles in Saudi Arabia, reaching 45.2% of internet users

Artificial intelligence adoption in Saudi Arabia has more than doubled over the past year, with 45.2% of internet users now using AI tools, according to the fifth edition of the Saudi Internet Report issued by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST).

The sharp increase comes as Saudi Arabia marks the “Year of Artificial Intelligence 2026” and accelerates efforts to expand the use of emerging technologies across society and the economy.

The report found notable differences in AI usage across demographic groups. Female internet users recorded a higher adoption rate at 52.8%, compared with 39.4% among male users.

Younger users were also significantly more likely to use AI tools. Adoption was highest among those aged 20 to 29, at 55.7%, followed by users aged 10 to 19 at 53.4%. Usage declined across older age groups, falling to 27.4% among those aged 50 to 59 and 14.8% among those aged 60 to 74.

Regional differences were also evident. Tabuk recorded the highest AI adoption rate at 58.5%, followed by the Eastern Province at 53.8%. Jazan had the lowest rate among the regions, at 30.7%.

Information search was by far the most common use of AI tools, cited by 80.8% of users. Generating ideas followed at 40.1%, while 37.7% used AI for study and education.

Other applications included creating images, videos and presentations at 25.7%, language translation at 25.1% and work-related tasks at 17.3%.

ChatGPT was the most downloaded AI application in Saudi Arabia, followed by Google Gemini and DeepSeek. The list also included Saudi AI platform HUMAIN.

The report also highlighted continued growth in internet usage among older residents. Internet penetration among people aged 60 to 74 rose from 88.9% in 2024 to 92.8% in 2025, an increase of 3.9 percentage points.

The rise in AI adoption comes amid Saudi Arabia’s broader digital transformation agenda and efforts to strengthen the country’s technological readiness. Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the International Telecommunication Union’s 2025 Digital Readiness Index.

The latest figures point to the rapid mainstreaming of AI among Saudi internet users, while also highlighting significant differences in adoption by age, gender, region and use case.