Young Saudis play in an electronic entertainment house now accessible to men and women during the holy month of Ramadan in the Saudi resort town of Jeddah. (File photo: AFP)
Sila Insights, the Dubai-based, AI-powered consumer intelligence firm, on Wednesday unveiled findings from The Ramadan Shift, a thought-provoking study that examined the changing lifestyle priorities of Gen Z and millennials during the holy month.
According to the study, Ramadan activities are becoming increasingly individualistic, reflecting changing demographics, media consumption habits and lifestyle choices. This is supported by the finding that young Arabs now prioritize friendships over family gatherings and prefer games, sports and TikTok, to traditional habits such as watching movies and TV series.
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Using proprietary AI-powered Arabic language processing, Sila Insights analyzed Arabic tweets, Instagram posts, and TikTok videos from across the Arab world, from Ramadan 2022 to date. In total, the sentiment, emotion and dialect (considered a proxy for country of origin) of nearly 2 million online conversations using the word “Ramadan”, in Arabic or English, were tracked. The posts had an estimated reach of over 22 million people and 6.2 billion views.
Paul Kelly, CEO and Founder of Sila, said the study is one of the company’s thought leadership initiatives that highlights how its proprietary AI-powered intelligence is disrupting traditional market research. “Our goal is to make ideas and marketing in the Arab world more effective through deep intelligence and influence from Arab consumers. This will bring real value to Big Data and support brands with actionable insights to drive their growth in the region and beyond.
Paul Kelly, CEO and Founder of Sila, the Dubai-based, AI-powered consumer intelligence company. (Provided)
He added, “The results of our new study will help organizations and businesses connect more closely with Gen Z during the Ramadan season and guide tactical decisions such as media spend. As for Millennials, they can take on the financial responsibilities of celebrating Ramadan. But what really stands out is the need to prioritize the quality of the Ramadan experience for all.
The research also found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of post-millennials seem increasingly nostalgic for past Ramadan experiences. They yearn for a stronger sense of community and to return to Ramadan traditions.
Meanwhile, a majority (79%) of Millennials (over the age of 30) worry about the financial pressures of celebrating Ramadan, such as the cost of restaurant meals and gifts. Just over one in four (29%) of this cohort are likely to be nostalgic for the Ramadan of yesteryear.
Although their priorities for Ramadan differ, Gen Zers and Millennials share the same passion for the values of Ramadan. More than two-thirds (69%) of their online conversations are about spirituality, with the rest about stronger community bonds during the holy month.
The most popular topics in the context of spirituality are practices such as dua’a (the offering of informal prayers and supplications), followed by religious obligations, such as the profession of faith, the five obligatory prayers, the performance of zakat (almsgiving), fasting and Hajj pilgrimage.
Specific to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Gen Zers (young people under 30) prefer to spend more time with friends than at family gatherings, and increasingly enjoy video games, sports and TikTok. Over the study period, consumption of TikTok Ramadan posts soared to 5.17 billion, with each post generating more than 707,497 engagements.
Reflecting the growing popularity of TikTok, online conversations about watching TV series – a traditional Ramadan activity – are declining, especially among Gen Zers. TV is now the most popular topic of conversation for Millennials in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In all Ramadan messages, the predominant emotion was “excitement”, which was particularly strong in the Emirati, Bahraini and Yemeni dialects. The study also found that conversations about Ramadan begin long before the holy month, although the peak in views on TikTok occurs during the first week.
The Sila Insights study agrees with the conclusions of the 14th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Surveythe largest study of its kind on the largest demographic group in the Arab world, its more than 200 million young people.
Last year’s survey found that almost half (41%) of young Arabs aged 18-24 see religion as central to their identity, while nearly two-thirds (65%) think that preserving the region’s religious and cultural identity is more important than creating a more globalized society. The research also highlighted the growing popularity of TikTok, with the number of young Arabs saying they use the platform for short form video content more than doubling in three years.
Learn more:
Jeddah in Saudi Arabia comes alive with vibrant decorations and bustling markets during Ramadan
Global Flavors of Ramadan: Iftar Meals from Around the World
Saudi security forces ready to welcome pilgrims and worshipers during the last days of Ramadan
