Smart home devices are becoming increasingly prominent in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Six million smart devices are now integrated into the lives of Alexa customers. These users enjoy the benefits of a connected smart home.
Customers rely on Alexa to control lighting, air conditioners, TVs, and cameras. In 2023 alone, Alexa customers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia initiated nearly 130 million smart home actions. They also made over 100 million requests to listen to music, the Quran, and podcasts, totalling more than 70 million hours of listening.
Throughout 2023, Alexa turned lights on and off over 24 million times in homes across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Customers in these countries used Alexa nearly nine million times to control their air conditioners, making it the second-most frequently used device category.
Smart people on Smart devices
People in the Middle East often have multiple devices connected to Alexa. This demonstrates the growing adoption of voice-enabled home automation. There was a more than 50 per cent year-on-year increase in smart home customers in 2023 compared to 2022. Additionally, the number of smart home devices connected to Alexa increased by more than 90 per cent year-on-year. Alexa even heard “I love you” over two million times in 2023 and received 60,000 marriage proposals.
Dr. Raf Fatani, regional general manager of Alexa, Amazon Mena, said, “The UAE and Saudi Arabia are embracing cutting-edge technologies with palpable excitement. We’re humbled by the adoption pace of Alexa and our smart home devices, welcoming ambient intelligence into daily lives across the region.” Further, Alexa integrates with a wide range of smart home devices, simplifying and automating customers’ lives. Amazon recently added a new multi-view feature for customers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, this allows users to see live feeds from up to four cameras, including Ring, on their multimodal devices.
Mohammad Meraj Hoda, VP of business development for MEA at Ring, said, “Ring is driven by the goal to provide our customers with peace of mind. We continue to focus on making homes more intuitive and ensuring everything works together effortlessly.” Accordingly, Alexa’s customers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are utilizing integrated smart home hubs in Echo devices. These hubs support a variety of standards, enabling easy control of compatible lights, locks, and sensors.
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