Two years since its launch, Amazon Alexa has offered homes around the Middle East seamless, hyper-localised experiences in Khaleeji Arabic, catering to the unique lifestyles, preferences and needs.
Middle East customers rank among the most engaged users worldwide, for the second year in a row, with 14 interactions a day per customer. In 2023, Alexa’s monthly active customers in the region increased by an impressive 40%. This surge in engagement is also reflected in the number of Alexa interactions, which grew by 30% YoY in comparison to 2022.
Smart Homestake centre stage
Smart Home automation emerged as the most used segment for Alexa usage in the Middle East, with customers increasingly relying on Alexa to control their connected devices. In 2023 alone, Alexa has turned lights on and off over 24 million times in homes across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Air conditioners rank as the second-most frequently used smart appliances, with over 8.9 million actions recorded year-to-date in these two countries. On average, Middle East customers have 11 smart appliances connected to Alexa, demonstrating the growing adoption of voice-enabled home automation.
Entertainment and spirituality, delivered daily
Beyond Smart Home control, Middle East customers turn to Alexa for a variety of entertainment and spiritual needs. Audio streaming – including music, Quran recitations, radio, and podcasts – ranks as the second-most popular domain. Surat Al Baqarawas the most requested Surah in 2023, with Maher Al-Muaiqly being the most sought-after Qari.
In the realm of entertainment, Khaleeji hearts beat for Arabic artists. Mohammed Abdo reigns as the most popular artist, followed by Fairuz, Khalid Abdulrahman, Amr Diab and Abdulmajid Abdullah.
Relaxing music, or “الموسيقى الهادئة” (calm music) emerged as the most requested genre. Additionally, Akinator, also known as "المارد الأزرق" (The Blue Genie)captivated users as the most popular game requested on Alexa.
New features and products
In November 2023, Amazon introduced its Echo Show 8 (3rd Generation) in the UAE and KSA. Designed for even more personalized, proactive, and intuitive Alexa experiences at home, it features a new industrial design, intuitive home screen experience, upgraded processor, spatial audio, and a built-in smart home hub. The improved processor and enhanced audio with more powerful cameras will make for better and clearer video interactions. The Adaptive Content feature adjusts on-screen content based on proximity to the device, making it even easier to seamlessly integrate the new Echo Show 8 into customers’ daily lifestyles.
Additionally, Amazon launched the all-new Echo Pop in July 2023 in the UAE and KSA. Echo Pop is a new addition to the Echo family with a loveable semi-sphere form factor and comes with the new Lavender Bloom and Midnight Teal color options, and the standard Glacier White and Charcoal color options. It features a custom-designed front-facing directional speaker to deliver full sound that’s great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, apartments, or any small space in a home.
Alexa has also introduced a suite of new features designed to enhance user experience and cater to diverse preferences. Dynamic Language Switching (DLS) enables Alexa to respond to Arabic or English commands without the need to change device settings. The Smart Home Dashboard provides a centralized control panel for managing smart home appliances directly from Echo Show displays. Customers who prefer text-based interaction can chat with Alexa via the mobile app, Type with Alexa. Enhancing spiritual engagement, the Quran On-Screen CX enables users to follow along with Quran recitations on Echo Show displays. Additionally, Smart Home Timed Actions empower users to schedule device activation or deactivation at specific times or after a set duration, with the added flexibility to view and cancel these actions as needed.
Localization wins over Middle East customers
Alexa’s increasing engagement in the Middle East is attributed to its deep localization efforts, ensuring that the voice service seamlessly integrates into the lives of regional users. Alexa supports Khaleeji Arabic, a dialect spoken in the Arabian Peninsula, and provides access to a vast array of localized content, including news, music, and skills.
Dr. Raf Bin Ameen Fatani, Regional General Manager, Alexa, MENA: “We are humbled with the feedback received from our customers in the Middle East region, and remain committed to delivering innovative, localized experiences that positively impact customers’ lives across the region. We are deeply grateful for the enthusiastic embrace of Alexa by our customers and look forward to continuing to innovate and deliver even more delightful experiences.”