Social media is where people are: connecting with friends and family, job seeking and building a professional profile, or learning about new brands. According to a recent Proxyrack survey, the UAE is the highest social media user in the world, with a score of 9.5 on 10, despite having the highest internet cost at $100. 

The study found that UAE has the highest percentage of people using Facebook, and on average, uses 8.2 social media platforms, the third highest globally. UAE was also found to be the most connected country in the world, with a score of 7.53 on 10, with users spending 7 hours and 29 minutes on the internet every day, making it the 13th highest in the world. 

Saudi Arabia came in third with a score of 8.41 on 10 and average use of 8 social media platforms, with 71% of the population using Facebook. Saudi Arabia secured the 6th position with a score of 6.2 in being connected and an average internet cost of $72. Users here spend 7 hours and 20 minutes daily online, the 15th highest globally.

The study by the proxy provider platform gauged the ranking of countries based on the average number of social media platforms used and the percentage of the population that uses Facebook. 

The score in other categories is based on the average time spent using the internet daily, the average number of social platforms used, fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 people, the population using the internet, the population using Facebook, and average internet cost.