Saudi Arabia stays up far later during Ramadan than the UAE, study reveals

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We at Islamic Business & Finance and CPI Financial wish a blessed month of Ramadan to all of our readers from across the world. But just as Ramadan is a month of prayer, fasting, and pious thought, it is, in the Gulf especially, a time for family and rest.

According to a recent YouGov report commissioned by Netflix, 78 per cent of people in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt feel that they gain more time to do things that they like—between two and three additional hours worth a day, according to 56 per cent of respondents.

Interestingly, the region also stays up far later. In Saudi Arabia, the average bed time during Ramadan is after five in the morning for 50 per cent of respondents. In the UAE, only 15 per cent of people go to sleep after 5am. In Egypt, 39 per cent of respondents said that their bed time is after 5am. Indeed, even Netflix has reported a spike in overnight viewing on its platform throughout the region during Ramadan, something that is unique to the region.

How do people in the Gulf spend their time during Ramadan 35 per cent of people watch TV and movies with that extra time, with 30 per cent saying that they watch at least one to two hours a night with their friends and family. This number is slightly higher in the UAE, with 85 per cent of people in the UAE feeling they gain more time, with 37 per cent gaining more than two hours a day.

In the UAE, the top three ways that people spend their time during Ramadan are family time, prayer, and taking a rest. In KSA, this is slightly different, with prayer coming first, family time coming second, and watching TV shows and moving coming third. In Egypt, it is the same split—suggesting the UAE either has more time on its hands, or is spending less time watching TV shows and movies.

1548 people from across the region participated in the YouGov survey, with 499 coming from each UAE and KSA with 550 from Egypt, answering from 17 to 25 April 2018.

What do families like to watch during Ramadan? In the UAE, people choose to spend more time on education, with history coming in first, comedy second, and family shows and drama third. In the UAE and Egypt, comedy comes first.

In terms of Arabic entertainment, the most popular shows Netflix has revealed are Secret of the Nile, Very Big Shot, Blessed Benefit, Just Like Us and Hajwala: The Missing Engine.

Ramadan Kareem everyone!