Voice technology is becoming a routine part of daily life in homes across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with new usage data pointing to more than half a billion recorded interactions in 2025. The numbers suggest that voice assistants—particularly Arabic-enabled systems—are no longer niche add-ons but are now embedded into how families manage their homes, entertainment, and even spiritual habits. Rather than reflecting gadget-driven enthusiasm, the growth highlights a broader cultural shift toward hands-free convenience and accessible interfaces that fit the region’s linguistic and household dynamics.
Smart home control remains the biggest driver of voice use, with 175 million commands recorded so far this year. Lighting requests alone exceeded 30 million, marking a noticeable rise from 2024 and showing how quickly voice commands are becoming a default way to operate basic home functions. Adoption varies slightly between the two countries: Saudi households show stronger uptake of automated routines—multi-step sequences that trigger several actions at once—though UAE users tend to execute more total routines per home. These differences point to distinct behavioral patterns, but both markets show consistent movement toward automation as an everyday tool, not a novelty.
According to regional leadership at Alexa MENA, the appeal of voice technology often lies in subtle household moments—adjusting lights while holding a sleeping child, helping elders manage schedules, or creating shared family habits through Arabic interfaces. While such reflections come from the companies driving this sector, the underlying point remains: voice systems are increasingly woven into real domestic routines, especially when they respond naturally in the user’s spoken language.
Entertainment continues to play a major role, generating around 106 million interactions in 2025, including tens of millions of song requests. The data also underscores the cultural range within each country. In Saudi Arabia, Khaleeji and Iraqi music follow children’s content as top genres, while UAE households show strong demand for Hindi music alongside funk and pop. Ambient audio has also carved out its own niche; rain sounds alone were requested more than half a million times, with white noise close behind, suggesting families are using voice interfaces for mood-setting and relaxation in addition to entertainment.
Family-centered usage stands out strongly across both markets. Children’s songs dominate overall audio requests, with tracks like Baby Shark, هالصيصان شو حلوين, and ماما جابت بيبي showing how deeply voice controls have entered early childhood routines. Survey responses reveal that about half of users believe Arabic voice assistants help younger family members maintain or strengthen their Arabic skills. Nearly as many say the technology encourages older relatives to interact more confidently with digital tools, adding a layer of accessibility that has historically been uneven across age groups in the region.
The data also points to a notable spiritual dimension. Users in Saudi Arabia and the UAE requested morning and evening Athkar more than 400,000 times this year, along with frequent recitations of Surat Albaqara, Alkahf, and Al Mulk. These patterns show how voice technology can play a role in practices that are already deeply structured and habitual, offering hands-free access without reshaping the rituals themselves.
Taken together, the interaction numbers and content preferences reflect a region adopting voice assistants in ways that align closely with daily life—family routines, cultural identity, entertainment choices, and spiritual habits. Rather than leaning heavily into futuristic narratives, the trend shows practical, linguistically accessible tools becoming part of how households across Saudi Arabia and the UAE function.
