App Annie: Top 10 Social Apps with the Highest User Spending in Saudi Arabia

As one of the largest markets in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has always been a top priority for Chinese app publishers to expand overseas. According to App Annie data, in the first half of 2018, the revenue of iOS and Google Play comprehensive Social apps in Saudi Arabia increased by 68% compared with the second half of 2017, far higher than the global growth rate of 14%.

Which social apps are driving market growth?

Looking at the top 10 social apps in Saudi Arabia’s Google Play in the first half of the year, 6 of them are directly from Chinese app publishers. The No. 1 BIGO LIVE is also a typical Chinese publisher’s overseas app affiliated with YY. It is worth mentioning that BIGO LIVE is also the non-game app with the highest combined revenue on iOS and Google Play in Saudi Arabia in the first half of the year.

The list includes apps like BIGO LIVE, UpLive and Live.me that specialize in live streaming, as well as apps like Mico and ZAKZAK that focus on making friends with strangers.

BIGO LIVE ranked first, and I believe everyone is familiar with it. As a live broadcast platform founded by YY co-founder, BIGO LIVE has begun to enter other markets after successfully conquering the Southeast Asian market. In the first half of 2018, the two markets with the highest combined downloads of BIGO LIVE iOS and Google Play were India and Pakistan, while Saudi Arabia was the market with the highest combined revenue in the first half of the year.

Meanwhile, Mico, 7Nujoom, Say Hi and ZAKZAK are all social apps from Chinese app publishers, and Saudi Arabia was the market with the highest share of these apps’ combined revenue in the first half of 2018.

As the Middle East, represented by Saudi Arabia, gradually develops into one of the most important emerging markets in the App industry, App Annie will continue to pay attention to the achievements of Chinese developers in these markets.