People in the Middle East spend 57.6m extra hours on Facebook during Ramazan: study

Online usage is expected to peak at 3am in MENA region during holy month, reveals Facebook survey

Ramazan, the Muslim holy month of fasting is just around the corner. Muslims across the world abstain themselves from eating or drinking from sunrise till sunset during the whole month.

As simmering hot weather in a 15-hour long fast forces the believers to stay indoors, many find it easier to connect with their relatives and friends online to talk about how their days are going.

A recent Facebook survey has revealed that people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region spend 57.6 million hours extra on the social media platform during the holy month.



Released on Sunday, the survey said Facebook IQ research also discovered that online usage is expected to peak at 3am during Ramazan among 152 million users of the region.

According to the research, there are three main phases consumers go through when planning for the holy month.

Phase 1 – Discovery and Inspiration (4 weeks pre-Ramazan)

The pre-Ramazan phase is all about discovery, which is hugely important in a world where people are spending more time on mobile apps than browsers. Fashion is one area where people start planning early.

As many as 47 per cent of residents surveyed in the UAE begin planning their clothing purchases in Shaban, the month preceding Ramazan. Clothing purchases are 1.63 times more likely to be planned than impulse buys. Residents also talked about fashion seven times more on Instagram than on Facebook.

Phase 2 – Mobile and Visual (3-4 weeks of Ramazan)

The second phase is about connecting via mobile and visual. During Ramazan, residents are most often found surfing on their smartphones, posting and sharing images and videos.

Ramazan is a mobile-first month in the UAE, especially for young people, with people sharing Ramazan experiences via mobile, images and video. The survey found that there are 4.84 times more mobile conversations in the Mena region during Ramazan as compared to other months of the year.



Watching television is among the most popular pastimes during the month, as families gather together to watch specially commissioned shows. But the television is no longer the only screen people are viewing as 71 per cent of users in the UAE say they log on to Facebook while watching TV, with that number rising to 77 per cent for Instagram.

Phase 3 – Shopping decisions for Eid (1 week)

The final phase is all about last minute opportunities at Eid, as residents hunt for shopping deals and travel opportunities. Up to 70 per cent of residents in the UAE say they rely on Facebook for gift ideas.

This article originally appeared on Gulf News