Saudi Arabia is the largest digital economy in the MENA region. With over 36 million internet users, 98% smartphone penetration, and a young, tech-savvy population, it is one of the most exciting markets in the world for digital products.
But launching a product in Saudi Arabia without testing it with Saudi users is like opening a restaurant without tasting the food. The kingdom has unique cultural, linguistic, and behavioral patterns that require local validation.
Remote user testing lets you reach Saudi participants quickly, affordably, and at scale — without the logistical headaches of in-person research.
Saudi Arabia spans 2.15 million square kilometers. Your users are spread across Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca, Medina, and dozens of smaller cities. In-person testing limits you to one city at a time. Remote testing removes that barrier.
- 98% smartphone penetration — mobile is the dominant platform
- 83% social media penetration — users are comfortable with digital interactions
- Average 7+ hours daily screen time — one of the highest globally
- Strong e-commerce adoption — accelerated by Vision 2030 initiatives
These habits make remote testing a natural fit. Saudi users are comfortable with video calls, screen sharing, and digital surveys.
Flying a researcher from Dubai or London to Riyadh for a week of in-person testing costs thousands of dollars. Remote testing delivers the same quality of insights at a fraction of the cost — and results come back in days, not weeks.
Be specific about what you want to learn:
- Discovery: "What frustrations do Saudi users have with current banking apps?"
- Validation: "Can users complete our checkout flow in under 3 minutes?"
- Optimization: "Which onboarding flow leads to higher activation in the first week?"
| Method |
Saudi Use Case |
Participants |
| Usability Test |
Validate Arabic interface flows |
5-8 |
| Survey |
Measure NPS across Saudi regions |
100+ |
| Card Sort |
Organize Arabic navigation labels |
15-20 |
| Prototype Test |
Test new feature concepts |
5-8 |
| Interview |
Deep dive into Saudi user needs |
8-12 |
Participant quality determines research quality. For Saudi-specific testing:
Demographics to Consider:
- Age: Saudi Arabia has a young population — 65% are under 35
- Gender: Test with both male and female participants (gender-segregated sessions may be preferred)
- City: Include participants from different cities — Riyadh users behave differently from Jeddah users
- Language: Determine if you need Arabic speakers, English speakers, or bilingual participants
- Tech proficiency: Match your target user's comfort level with technology
Where to Find Participants:
- Research platforms — Afkar maintains a pre-screened panel of Saudi participants across all demographics
- Social media — Saudi Arabia has very high social media usage; LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Snapchat are effective recruiting channels
- Customer base — if you already have Saudi users, invite them to participate
- University partnerships — Saudi universities have large, diverse student populations
Most Saudi products need to work in both Arabic and English. Your test materials should reflect this:
- Test scripts in both languages — do not just translate; localize the context
- Arabic task scenarios should use local references (SAR, Saudi brands, local addresses)
- English task scenarios for expat or English-preferred users
- Neutral language — avoid leading questions in both languages
Saudi Arabia follows AST (UTC+3). Key scheduling considerations:
- Business hours: Sunday–Thursday, 9 AM–5 PM (some operate Saturday–Wednesday)
- Prayer times: Schedule around the five daily prayer times, especially Dhuhr (midday) and Asr (afternoon)
- Ramadan: Adjust session lengths and timing during the holy month; evening sessions after Iftar work well
- Weekend: Friday and Saturday are the weekend
Pro tip: Evening sessions (8-10 PM) often get the highest participation rates in Saudi Arabia, as users are relaxed and available after dinner.
- Saudi participants tend to be polite and agreeable — you may need to probe deeper to uncover true frustrations
- Build rapport before jumping into tasks — a 2-3 minute warm-up conversation goes a long way
- Indirect feedback is common — watch for hesitations and non-verbal cues, not just verbal responses
- Some female participants may prefer female moderators
- Camera-off sessions may be more comfortable for some participants
- Offer flexibility — let participants choose their comfort level
- Saudi Arabic (Gulf dialect) differs from Egyptian or Levantine Arabic
- Use modern Saudi vocabulary in test scenarios — avoid formal/classical Arabic (فصحى)
- Many Saudi users code-switch between Arabic and English — this is natural, do not force one language
- RTL layout must be tested separately — mirrored layouts sometimes break
- Green is a culturally significant color in Saudi Arabia (associated with Islam and the national flag)
- Imagery should be culturally appropriate and reflect Saudi diversity
Afkar is built specifically for the MENA market:
- Arabic-first interface with full RTL support
- Pre-screened Saudi participant panel across all demographics
- Support for 8 study types: surveys, usability tests, card sorts, tree tests, prototype testing, interviews, preference tests, and first impression tests
- Fair compensation for participants (SAR 60/hr)
- Results dashboard with built-in analysis
View Afkar pricing →
| Tool |
Purpose |
| Figma |
Create interactive prototypes for testing |
| Loom |
Record video explanations for unmoderated tests |
| Google Meet / Zoom |
Host moderated sessions with screen sharing |
| Notion |
Document research plans and findings |
| Miro |
Collaborative analysis and affinity mapping |
When testing in both Arabic and English, analyze each language separately first, then compare:
- Separate analysis — identify issues specific to each language version
- Comparative analysis — find issues that appear in both languages
- RTL-specific issues — document layout and navigation problems unique to the Arabic version
| Severity |
Description |
Action |
| Critical |
User cannot complete the task |
Fix before launch |
| Major |
User completes with significant difficulty |
Fix in next sprint |
| Minor |
User notices but works around it |
Add to backlog |
| Cosmetic |
Minor visual inconsistency |
Low priority |
- Lead with business impact — Saudi stakeholders often prioritize ROI and market opportunity
- Include user quotes in Arabic — they resonate more than translated feedback
- Reference Vision 2030 alignment where relevant — digital transformation is a national priority
- Highlight competitive gaps — show how your product compares to local and international alternatives
A leading Saudi e-commerce platform used remote testing to optimize their checkout flow:
Challenge: Cart abandonment rate of 73% — significantly above the 60% industry average
Approach:
- Recruited 12 Saudi participants through Afkar (6 Arabic-primary, 6 English-primary)
- Ran moderated usability tests on the checkout flow
- Conducted follow-up surveys to quantify pain points
Key Findings:
- Arabic checkout flow had a critical translation error in the payment step
- Users expected Mada (Saudi debit card network) as the first payment option
- Address entry form did not support Saudi address format
- Mobile checkout buttons were too small for comfortable thumb interaction
Results after fixes:
- Cart abandonment dropped from 73% to 58%
- Mobile conversion increased by 28%
- Customer satisfaction (CSAT) improved by 15 points
Fair compensation is essential for quality research. In Saudi Arabia:
- Standard rate: SAR 60/hour is competitive and fair
- Payment methods: Bank transfer, digital wallets (STC Pay, Apple Pay)
- Timing: Pay within 48 hours of session completion
- Transparency: Clearly communicate compensation before the session
Afkar handles participant compensation automatically, ensuring fair and prompt payment for all participants.
- Define your research question — what do you need to learn from Saudi users?
- Choose a method — usability test, survey, or interview
- Set up on Afkar — create your study in minutes with bilingual support
- Recruit participants — access Afkar's Saudi participant panel or bring your own
- Analyze and act — turn insights into product improvements
The Saudi digital market is growing fast. Companies that invest in understanding their Saudi users now will build lasting competitive advantages.
Start your first Saudi user test on Afkar →
