Saudi GazetteOver 4 million Facebook users in KingdomRIYADH – New research has revealed that about 95 percent of people in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries traveling abroad on summer vacation carry with them at least one Internet-enabled smart device in order not to be disconnected from e-mail and to be able to access online entertainment and stay in touch with relatives and friends via social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. As of December 2010, the Internet penetration in the Kingdom stood at 43.6 percent with 11 million users, while Facebook, as of March 31, 2011, had 4,092,600 members in the Kingdom which amounts to 15.7 percent penetration on this social networking site. Brocade, a multinational networking solutions and communications company, surveyed 500 travelers from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East. “The survey was carried out through social media tools and e-mails and the respondents were from all parts of the Middle East,” said Colin Saldanha, Managing Director of a PR company based in Dubai. Saldanha said the new research shows that, along with sun cream and swimsuits, 95 percent of respondents say they take at least one Internet-enabled device with them because they are simply not prepared to “switch off” from e-mail (work or personal), online entertainment or social media sites. About 50 percent of those surveyed plan to access the Internet at least once a day while more than 40 percent actively seek destinations that offer always-on connectivity, from anywhere at anytime. Brocade vice-president Alberto Soto said that the findings revealed that in 2011, people want to be connected. “No matter what we are doing, we fully expect to be able to get online from anywhere in the world,” he said. “With nearly half of the people we spoke to relying on connectivity to stream audio or video files even while on holiday to enhance their leisure time, businesses need to consider what the modern traveller wants,” he added. __
