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QATAR‘SICTLANDSCAPE2014Households and Individuals

Qatar’s ICT Landscape 2014 Households and Individuals 1

FO R E WO R D 2

E x E c u t i v E S u m m a Ry 4

B ac kg R O u n D 7

Qata R S E g m E n tat i O n m O D E l 9

ICT IN QATAR 13

i c t D E v i c E P E n E t R at i O n 14

i n t E R n E t cO n n E c t i v i t y 17

i c t u Sag E a n D S P E n D i n g 19

Sat i S Fac t i O n W i t h m O B i l E a n D i n t E R n E t S E Rv i c E S 23

FoCus AReAs 27

S O c i a l n E t WO R k i n g a n D a R a B cO n t E n t O n l i n E 28

O n - l i n E B a n k i n g a n D E - cO m m E R c E 31

E - g Ov E R n m E n t 34

Q - P O St S E Rv i c E S 36

O n l i n E S E c u R i t y a n D P R i vac y 37

n E W S E Rv i c E S 40

cO n c lu S i O n 42

APPeNDIX 45

R E S E a R c h m E t h O D O lO gy 46

g lO SSa Ry 49

D E F i n i t i O n S 50

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Qatar’s ICT Landscape 2014 Households and Individuals2

over the past decade, Qatar has made great strides in building an advanced ict sector

that will benefit all sectors of society. the newly released World Economic Forum’s Global

Technology Report 2014 reaffirms the country’s place as one of the middle East’s—and the

world’s—most “networked ready” nations. the substantial investment in building a world-

class ict infrastructure with the capacity and speed to set the country apart in the region

and around the world is one of the main reasons for Qatar’s success.

as the pages of this report reveal, significant advances continue to be made by households

and individuals on most ict indicators since we started to survey Qatar’s ict landscape in

2008. Broad ict access has been achieved in Qatar, with all segments of the resident popu-

lation having access to internet-enabled ict devices. For the mainstream population, the

penetration of mobile phones and laptops has grown significantly, and ownership of mature

devices such as smartphones and tablets has also increased. the use of basic online services

such as email, internet browsing, and social networking is prevalent across all segments

of society, and people across the education spectrum access social networking, voiP, and

other basic internet services.

in spite of our achievements in such a short period of time, there are still areas where Qatar

can improve—in order to move to the next level of ict maturity. these improvements include

increasing the penetration of newer devices such as smartphones and tablets, particularly

in specific demographic segments like the transient labor population; expanding the use of

advanced online services such as e-commerce, e-banking, and e-government; and improv-

ing mobile broadband penetration to meet the rapidly growing need among consumers in

Qatar to be able to log on to the internet on-the-go “anytime, anywhere.” Qatar is in line

with the global trend of people demanding more mobility in their connectivity options.

FOREWORD


to accomplish this, the ministry of information and communications technology will main-

tain its support of healthy telecom competition as it transitions to an independent telecom-

munications regulatory authority that will encourage and support an open and competitive

ict sector. We will continue to implement our national Broadband Plan to guarantee that

fixed and mobile infrastructures are deployed in the most effective and rapid manner. We

will expand the benefits of broadband not only by providing for and investing in extensive

and high-quality infrastructure but also by increasing the supply of broadband content and

services, which will, in turn, drive usage. We will bolster initiatives related to youth work-

force training and readiness. We will address digital literacy, affordability, quality of service,

awareness, and safety barriers, explicitly targeting 100 percent coverage with speeds of at

least 8 mbps in areas where transient workers live, reflecting Qatar’s ongoing commitment

to diversity and workers’ rights. We will build awareness of Qatar’s new telecommunications

consumer Protection Policy to ensure that consumers know their rights and responsibili-

ties in their dealings with service providers. and we are accelerating Qatar’s e-government

initiatives through a ministry-wide master plan designed to improve and add new e-govern-

ment services and make government more efficient and customer-centric.

this new research not only shows that our current programs and policies are working, it

also offers a blueprint for where we need to go—as well as insight into what we must do to

get there.

Dr. Hessa sultan Al-Jaber

Minister of Information and Communications Technology

Qatar’s ict landscape 2014 households and individuals4

atar’s ICT Landscape 2014: Households

and Individuals examines the ICT access and usage

behaviors and patterns of residents in Qatar. It is based

on an annual study that enables the Ministry of Infor-

mation and Communications Technology (ictQATAR)

to measure progress toward its overall ICT goals, as

well as to frame relevant new policies and programs

and report core ICT indicators to international organi-

zations.

Qatar has made significant advances in ICT develop-

ment over the past decade, and this report dem-

onstrates further progress. The levels of access and

usage of ICT in Qatar are high, with the country ranked

32nd and 26th (among 157 countries) in those cat-

egories, respectively, and an overall ranking of 31, on

the ICT Development Index in ITU’s 2013 Measuring

the Information Society report. Qatar has achieved

mobile subscription phone coverage above 100

percent, and Internet and broadband services are

growing as well. According to the 2013 households

and individuals survey results, 85 percent of the over-

all population in Qatar now has access to the Internet,

compared to 38 percent in 2008. The country is likely

to observe an additional uptick in broadband services

as aggressive plans to establish a robust infrastructure

and new initiatives continue to be implemented.

ExECuTivE SummARy

Specifically, the survey findings indicate that all

segments of Qatar’s resident population have ac-

cess to Internet-enabled ICT devices. While mature

devices including mobile phones are accessed by

nearly 100 percent of the population, newer devices

like smartphones and tablets have yet to penetrate

fully—particularly in segments such as the transient

labor population. In addition, the use of basic online

services such as email, Internet browsing, social

networking, and peer-to-peer file sharing is prevalent

across all segments of society; however, advanced

online services such as e-commerce, online bank-

ing, and transactional e-government services are

employed much more frequently among people with

higher levels of education, as well as among Qataris

and Westerners.

For the mainstream population, ownership of ICT

devices such as mobile phones and laptops has

grown significantly. In 2013, a household in Qatar had

approximately nine mobile phones, on average, com-

pared to nearly four in 2012. Laptop ownership also

increased from 2 to 3.2 laptops per household over

the same time period, while the growth in desktops

has been relatively flat due to the mounting demand

for mobility.

Qatar’s ict landscape 2014 households and individuals 5

Moving forward, the implementation of Qatar’s first

National Broadband Plan, released in 2013 with the

objective to promote broadband infrastructure de-

ployment and market development, should result in an

increase and improvement in broadband services. In

particular, the plan targets the speed and affordability

of both fixed and mobile broadband for consumers

and businesses as challenges to overcome.

In addition, to meet the increasing demand for

faster and more secure networks and with the aim of

boosting overall ICT access, ictQATAR continues to

work with telecommunication operators to build an

advanced FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) network that will

enable universal access to high-speed broadband.

In analyzing the ICT landscape survey results across

households and individuals in Qatar from current and

past years, three themes emerge, all cornerstones of

ICT development in the country.

mOving FROm accESS tO

aDvancED uSagE

The first is the ongoing transition from general ac-

cess to ICT devices and technologies to the use of

advanced online services. Usage of portable devices

such as laptops, tablet computers, and smartphones

among the overall population has increased. As men-

tioned above, mobile phones are now used by nearly

100 percent of the population, while smartphone

penetration stands at 65 percent; the penetration of

laptops also increased from 83 percent in 2012 to 93

percent in 2013. And the penetration of tablets tripled

over the same time period, from 10 percent in 2012 to

29 percent in 2013. Fifty-two percent of Qataris con-

nected to the Internet used a tablet computer in 2013,

compared to just 32 percent in 2012.

On the other hand, ICT usage is currently focused on

basic services, with nearly 100 percent of the overall

population using mobile phones for telephone calls

and SMS. Eighty-three percent of people use the

Internet for email services, and 93 percent of the

Internet users log on to various social networking plat-

forms. However, only 18 percent of the overall population

in Qatar uses Internet banking, with 15 percent

using the Internet for e-commerce. Thus, while the

households and individuals study shows that broad

ICT access has almost been achieved in Qatar, there is

still much room for improvement when it comes to the

sort of advanced usage that will drive future innova-

tion and economic success.

cOnnEctivity On-thE-gO,

anytimE, anyWhERE

The second persistent theme is connectivity on-the-

go. With the increased penetration of mobile phones

and laptops and greater acceptance of mobile

broadband as a medium to connect to the Internet,

the “need to be mobile” is on the rise in Qatar. Eighty-

five percent of the Internet users in Qatar use a laptop

and 71 percent a smartphone to get online. For laptop

use, the preferred mode of connection is wireless

LAN because of the convenience. With the increase

in smartphone penetration, the demand for mobile

broadband has also skyrocketed. According to the

survey, among households connected to the Internet

mobile broadband penetration now stands at 61

percent, compared with fixed broadband connectivity

at 94 percent. Qatar is in line with the global trend of

people demanding more mobility in their connectivity

options. The “on-the-go” usability of today’s devices

allows people to access online services anytime and

from any location, and consumers in Qatar increasing-

ly need and want the ability to log on to the Internet

“anytime, anywhere.”

intERnEt iS FOR EvERyOnE

A common perception is that the Internet is ac-

cessed solely by people with more education, with

less educated people forgoing the use of any online

services.1 However, the data from the households

and individuals survey negates this hypothesis, as the

results clearly show that people across the education

spectrum access social networking, VoIP, and other

basic Internet services. Social networking was, in fact,

used by almost 93 percent of respondents who are

active online.

[While] the households and individuals study shows that broad ICT access has almost been achieved in Qatar, there is still much room for improvement when it comes to the sort of advanced usage that will drive future innovation and economic success.

1 For this study’s analysis, people with secondary-level education or less are classified as “less educated,” while those with education beyond the second-ary level are classified as “more educated.”


Still, the data does show that as education levels

increase there is a shift toward using advanced online

services, with 22 percent of respondents whose edu-

cation is above the secondary level using e-commerce

in the past 12 months, compared with just 6.2 percent

of those with secondary education or less. In addition,

improvement in education level corresponds to a re-

duction in concerns about online security and threats.

Six aREaS OF in-DEPth StuDy

For the purposes of the households and individuals

survey, six areas of interest were identified for more

in-depth study: social networking, e-commerce, e-

government, online postal services offered by national

provider Q-Post, online privacy and security, and new

online services. The survey results captured the main

trends in each of these focus areas:

n 87% of Internet users access social networking at

least once a month in Qatar, an increase over prior

years.

n Penetration levels in advanced services such as

online banking and e-commerce are low, especially

among non-Westerners, with 44% of those who did

not use such services in the past year reporting that

they are concerned about the security of online por-

tals, 26% worried about having “no control,” and 31%

believing the process is too technical.

n In terms of e-government, the findings show that

55 percent of the overall population is aware of online

services, although only 16 percent used them in the

past year. Qualitative findings suggest that interaction

with the government could be handled more effective-

ly face-to-face rather than online.

n 88% of the population has not used Q-Post in the

past year, while nearly half of those who have not used

it were not aware and not interested in knowing about

Q-Post online services, as people are satisfied using

global private courier services such as DHL and Ara-

mex. Due to widespread negative perceptions about

Q-Post’s dependability, reliability, and convenience,

there is a general lack of awareness and willingness to

learn about Q-Post’s online services.

n 38% of Internet users are concerned about the lack

of privacy online, while 30% are concerned about

using services such as online banking.

n A growing interest in all mobile-based services

emerged from the survey. It’s clear that Qatari resi-

dents are willing to experiment with offerings such as

mobile wallet and mobile money transfer, providing

an opportunity for the development of additional

advanced online services.

challEngES

While it highlights many positive ICT-related devel-

opments, the households and individuals study also

identifies some key barriers to be addressed. For

instance, one of the major impediments to achieving a

true information-based society is the lack of advanced

ICT skills and knowledge among the population. The

digital literacy and IT skills programs that are currently

being implemented by the Ministry should go a long

way toward mitigating this problem.

Mirroring past studies, online security concerns

continue to be a major obstacle to widespread usage.

The continued education of consumers on the various

ways to safeguard themselves against cyber threats—

along with further institutional measures taken by

banks, corporations, the government, and others—

should over time ease such concerns.

Finally, most people in Qatar lack awareness about e-

government services. Better customer experience and

more value-added services, which are being planned

as part of the e-Government 2020 strategy, are likely

to help increase both awareness and usage.


In the last decade, Qatar has been recognized as

a forerunner in ICT development in the region, and is

well on its way to becoming a global leader in this area

as well. Currently, the country leads the Arab world on

the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2014 Networked

Readiness Index, and ranks 31st overall out of the 157

countries on International Telecommunication Union’s

(ITU) 2013 ICT Development Index.

Qatar’s economic indicators reflect a strong founda-

tion for future economic growth. According to the

Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), the real GDP of Qatar

has reached QAR 341 bn as of the end 2012. And the

WEF Global Competitiveness Report 2013 lists Qatar’s

GDP per capita at USD 99,731, one of the highest

in the world, and ranks the country 13th overall out

of 148 countries and first in the region on its Global

Competitiveness Index, reaffirming Qatar’s position as

the most competitive economy in the Middle East.

According to the ITU’s 2013 Measuring the Information

Society report, the country has the highest proportion

of households with a computer in the Middle East at

more than 90 percent, as well as the highest percent-

age of households with Internet access region-wide

at 88 per cent. Qatar’s best score is on the ICT use

sub-index (26th globally), putting it on par with world

ICT leaders.

In order to monitor Qatar’s continuing progress to-

ward becoming a vibrant knowledge-based economy,

in 2013 the Ministry of Information and Communica-

tions Technology (ictQATAR) commissioned Ericsson

ConsumerLab to conduct a large-scale study of ICT

penetration and usage among individuals and house-

holds in Qatar, following similar projects that have

taken place since 2008.

BACKGROuND

This resulting report, Qatar’s ICT Landscape Report

2014: Households and Individuals, focuses on the ICT

penetration, usage patterns, and behavior of residents

of Qatar. The research was divided into two phases:

Phase I was qualitative evaluation to explore current

attitudes toward technology and changes in behavior

as a result of ICT penetration and usage, with the goal

of identifying current drivers of and barriers to usage;

Phase II was quantitative research to augment the

findings of Phase I. A survey was conducted in this

phase, for which 2,207 people were interviewed. (For

further details on methodology, including definitions

of terms, see the Appendix [page 45]).

The population sample chosen for this report is rep-

resentative of the current population in Qatar (age 15

and older), including a mix of genders, nationalities,

ages, and geographic locations. Qatar, like most GCC

countries, has attracted a large number of expatriate

workers in recent years, including a large base of tran-

sient laborers. Further, for the purposes of this study,

the population of Qatar is divided into “mainstream”

and “overall”—with the mainstream population

excluding transient laborers.

In order to get as full a picture of technology usage

in Qatar as possible, the study results were analyzed

on both an individual and a household level, which

accounts for the fact that even if digital devices or

services are available in a home, it does not mean that

each and every individual is using them.

Due to the fact that Qatar’s population is cosmopoli-

tan, and includes people of different nationalities,

cultural beliefs, and attitudes, and varying economic

backgrounds, it is important to understand the needs


and expectations of each group individually. There-

fore, one of the main objectives of the households

and individuals study was to segment the population

by values and attitudes toward technology, as well as

current interaction with ICT. To that end, the resident

population of Qatar was divided into 10 segments:

1. young Qataris (15–34)

2. mid-Range adult/Older Qataris (35 and over)

3. Westerners

4. White-collar Expat arabs, technology

interested

5. White-collar Expat arabs, technology neutral

6. White-collar asians, technology interested

7. White-collar asians, technology neutral

8. non-Qataris, Blue collar (non-Shared

accommodation)

9. non-Qataris, Blue collar (Shared

accommodation)

10. transient laborers

The segmentation analysis is a critical tool that enables

ictQATAR to identify specific groups that continue to

lag behind when it comes to ICT access and usage.

It is also helpful when it comes to understanding the

needs of various segments with high exposure to ICT.


QATAR SEGmENTATiON mODEL

The population in Qatar, as of September 2013, is

estimated at approximately 2 million, of which close to

80 percent are men. This is due to the large migrating

workforce, which mainly comprises males. The popula-

tion in Qatar also includes a significant number of expa-

triates, both Arabs and non-Arabs. And the population

is young: 25- to 34-year-olds make up more than a

third of the population. See Figure 1 for a breakdown of

the population by age and gender.

Qatar today is modernizing and making its mark on the

global map while conserving its traditional values at

the same time. The findings of the qualitative research

show a split between the younger and older segments

of the country’s population—younger Qataris are more

accepting of the changes, whereas the older genera-

tion often maintains a more skeptical outlook about

the pace of change. Qataris look to the government to

maintain a balance between the modern and the tra-

ditional ways of life. The age divide is even more pro-

nounced when one looks at the various personal values

and attitudes captured by the qualitative research. The

analysis was done using basic moral parameters, and

included technology-specific aspects, to draw a profile

of the population’s attitudes toward technology.

The research shows that when it comes to values

pertaining to social responsibility, people in Qatar rate

honesty to be the most important. They also want a

society that is humane and conducive to creative ideas.

Interpersonal ties are still very strong, and although

there is an increase in the importance of women in the

society, people prefer the traditional gender roles.

Value systems are reflected in attitudes toward

technology, and Qatar’s residents can be grouped

into four categories. The first group includes people

who prefer having the latest technology at their

disposal as a way of life, boosting their confidence

and self-image. The second group consists of people

Figure 1QATAR’S POPULATION SPLIT, BY AGE AND GENDER

10.2%

4.2%

32.5%

7.3%

Source: Qatar Statistics Authority

20.2%

5.2%

11.7%

2.6%

4.3%

0.9%

0.7%0.2%

15–24 years

25–34 years

35–44 years

MALE

45–54 years

55–64 years

Over 65 years

FEMALE


who are content with having access to the Internet at

most times. For these people, developing Internet

skills is of high importance. They are skilled at using

the Internet on their mobiles and enjoy the experience

of being connected with others at all times. Thus, for

them, having a high-speed, reliable connection is

important, and they are willing to pay a premium for

it. The third group is driven primarily by the desire to

have the latest news and updates from around the

world, whenever they choose. For them, knowledge

is the key to being successful, and they need to have

Internet access at all times. The tech skeptics form the

fourth category. They are not willing to spend money

on technology, believe they are able to manage with

what they already have, and are not technologically

proficient.

Table 1 presents a summary of the findings from the

qualitative research. Since adults in the mid-range of

age and older adults have similar attitudes toward

technology and ICT usage patterns, they are grouped

together for the segmentation analysis. The table

also maps the differences in the values and attitudes

toward technology and ICT behavior across the major

ethnic and age groups in Qatar.

Where Qataris seem to be driven by status, wealth,

and honesty, expat Arabs were found to be motivated

by having fun, pleasure, and belonging. This by no

means indicates that other ethnicities do not value

status or honesty as Qataris do; it simply reflects the

top values that drive their conduct.

Based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis,

Ericsson ConsumerLab prepared a Qatar-specific

segmentation model. Figure 2 presents a snapshot

of the model, with broad classifications, and Table 2

provides an overview of each segment.

Figure 2QATAR SEGMENTATION MODEL

OVERALL POPULATION

QATARI NON-QATARI

Note: Percentages indicate proportion of overall population

Westerners

5% 6% 3% 7% 5% 11% 19% 8% 9% 27%Transient Laborers

Non-Qataris,Blue Collar

(Non-Shared Accommo-

dation)

White-Collar Asians,

Technology Neutral

White-Collar Asians,

Technology Interested

White-Collar Expat Arabs, Technology

Neutral

White-Collar Expat Arabs, Technology Interested

Mid-range Adult/

Older Qataris

Young Qataris

Non-Qataris, Blue Collar

(Shared Accommo-

dation)

Table 1SUMMARY OF QUALITATIVE STUDY

Most Qataris have two or more smartphones

High usage of services such as WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.

Enjoy updates from family and friends

Most active users of third-party messaging or calling apps that help them save on cost of being connected with their families

High usage of Internet services for both communication and entertainment

Less open to social media and e-commerce

Traditional in outlook toward technology

Slow to adopt newer technologiesDo not relate well to the virtual world

VALUES ATTITUDE TOWARD TECHNOLOGY ICT USAGE/BEHAVIOR

Qataris

Expat Arabs

Asians

Younger (15–24)

Mid–range adults (25–44)

Older (45 and over)

StatusWealth Honesty

Having funPleasureBelonging

Creativity HonestyValue for money

Having funPleasureEfficiency Progressiveness

SkepticismPragmatismBelonging

TraditionJusticeHonesty

Keep up with the latest learning processes by being first users of the latest technology

Technology makes life run faster, communicating with people becomes faster

Technology removes the distancesLatest mobile phone and devices are a

status symbol

Technology makes life simpler, and this generation is maturing more quickly

Technology helps me connect with the world

Concerned about privacy and security online

Understand the need to cope with technological developments

Socializing and family bonding is not as common as it used to be

Technology limits creativity and thinking

ETHNICITY

AGE


Table 2SYNOPSIS OF QATAR SEGMENTATION PROFILE

SPENDING[QAR]

USAGEINTERNET ACCESSDEVICE ACCESS 2

3VALUES/ATTITUDESDEMOGRAPHICS

Young Qataris

Mid-range Adult/Older Qataris

Westerners

White CollarExpat Arabs, Technology Interested

White CollarExpat Arabs, Technology Neutral

White Collar Asians, Technology Interested

White Collar Asians, Technology Neutral

Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Non-Shared Accommodation)

Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Shared Accommodation)

Transient Laborers

15–34 years old, marginally skewed toward 20- to 24-year-olds

35+ years

Westerner population in Qatar; majority from Europe, America, or Australia

Expat Arabs between the ages of 25 and 44

Expat Arabs between the ages of 25 and 54

Asians belonging to the age group 25–44

Asians belonging to the age group 25–44

Nationality: either Arab or Asian

Mostly Arab and Asian males in the age group 25–44

Mostly Asian men in the age group 20–39

Social statusOwning latest technologyFun and leisure

Strong obligation toward family

Need to be successfulNot very technology friendly

AspirationalCreativity and efficiency are

importantConnectivity on-the-go is very

important

HonestyFamily and community are

importantPreserve traditions Affinity toward technology but

not considered as status symbol

HonestyTechnology considered as

utility itemDo not feel the need to update

products regularly

Seek pleasure and leisurePossess latest technologyFeature driven

Skeptical toward technologyNot pleasure seekingNot very aspirational

Not very tech positiveNot very pleasure seekingNot very aspirational

Very skeptical toward technology

Don’t seek pleasure or leisure

The survey did not capture this segment’s values and attitudes

97% have access to laptop98% own smartphone51% have access to tablet

93% have access to laptop 44% still use desktop99% use smartphone54% use tablet

Active on multiple devices99% use laptop100% use smartphone92% use tablet

High dependence on laptops (99%)

But only 42% still use desktop

98% use smartphone47% use tablet

86% use laptop 58% still use desktop 90% use smartphone18% use tablet

94% use laptop52% use desktop86% have access to

smartphone24% use tablet

94% use laptop 37% use desktop 84% use smartphone Only 18% use tablet

92% use laptop 43% use desktop 77% use smartphone 30% use tablet

77% own laptop 28% use desktop 57% use smartphone 13% use tablet

3% use desktop27% use laptop 24% use smartphone 100% use mobile phone

100% access Internet of whom91% access Internet via smartphone

99% access Internet via WiFi and 58% via MBB





100% access Internet of whom 89% access Internet via smartphone










93% access Internet, of whom58% access Internet via smartphone




Basic online services


Basic and advanced online services








733

1,000

738

373

404

233

184

239

177

128

For Internet access, the numbers used for all segments, except transient laborers, are based on household ownership of devices. In the case of transient laborers, since labor camps are not defined as households, we show individual usage numbers.

Personal average monthly spending on mobile phone services

2

3


i c t D E v i c E P E n E t R at i O n

i n t E R n E t cO n n E c t i v i t y

i c t u Sag E a n D S P E n D i n g

Sat i S Fac t i O n W i t h m O B i l E a n D i n t E R n E t S E Rv i c E S

iCT iN QATAR


iCT DEviCE PENETRATiON

Key Findings

n almost 100% of the population, across a majority of the segments, has access to computers and mobile phones in Qatar, with high penetration of smart-phones across many segments

n 92% of households have a smartphone and 96% have a laptop

n Qatar enjoys higher penetration rates for laptops, smartphones, and tablets when compared with more ict mature economies such as Sweden, and Singapore; korea lags far behind in terms of laptops and tablets, and is equivalent to Qatar in terms of smartphone penetration

ICT access among the various segments

identified by Ericsson ConsumerLab is quite high.

Almost 100 percent of the population in the majority

of the segments has access to computers and mobile

phones, with the exception of blue-collar workers

living in shared accommodations and transient labor-

ers, who lag behind in computer and smartphone

penetration. Figure 3 also demonstrates a very high

penetration of smartphones across a majority of the

segments.

As seen in Figure 4, the survey mapped the pen-

etration of various ICT devices in a household. It is

interesting to note that penetration of smartphones

Figure 3INDIVIDUAL ICT PENETRATION, OVERALL AND BY SEGMENT

77.8

% 9

9.5

%

100

%

99

%

100

%

99

.1%

98

.1%

96

.8%

85

.9%

30

.4%

99

.9%

100

%

100

%

100

%

100

%

99

.3%

100

%

99

.7%

100

%

65

.1%

97.

5%

96

.1%

99

.7%

97.

7%

100

%

100

%

100

%

89

.8%

84

.9%

83

.1%

77%

56

.4%

23

.6%

MOBILE SMARTPHONECOMPUTER

1Overall 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1. Young Qataris

2. Mid-range Adult/Older Qataris

3. Westerners

4. White-Collar Expat Arabs, Technology Interested

5. White-Collar Expat Arabs, Technology Neutral

6. White-Collar Asians, Technology Interested

7. White-Collar Asians, Technology Neutral

8. Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Non-Shared Accommodation)

9. Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Shared Accommodation)

10. Transient Laborers

Note: Mobile phone refers to any type of mobile device, including smartphoneSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population n=2,207


“I would say that I have the world between my hands with my phone, because I am connected with my friends all the time. Without technology we all would be lost. ” —YOUNG QATARI, MALE

has overtaken that of all other ICT devices except

laptops and television sets. According to the data,

92 percent of the mainstream population has a

smartphone in their household. High penetration of

smartphones is coupled with equally high ownership

of laptops—96 percent of the mainstream population

has a laptop at home. Households of Qatari citizens

have approximately nine smartphones on average,

compared to five smartphones for overall households

in Qatar, although the higher number of members in

Qatari households may account for this. All of this data

taken together adds further strength to the theme that

people in Qatar are aiming for greater mobility and

anytime, anywhere connectivity.

Common mobile phones and laptops also enjoy fairly

good household penetration, with each household

having on average three of each of these devices.

In addition, the household population now prefers

laptops and tablet PCs over desktops (see Figure 4).

While desktop penetration continued to grow from

2012 to 2013—from 50 percent to 66 percent—tab-

lets almost tripled over the same time period, from

25 percent to 69 percent, and laptops grew from 84

percent to 96 percent. The newer ICT devices such

as e-readers and smart TVs, and technologies such as

IPTV have yet to catch on.

In looking at household ICT device penetration since

2010, the most significant change has been the rate

of uptake of smartphones followed by that of tablet

PCs—increasing to 92 percent and 69 percent,

respectively. With the increase in smartphone penetra-

tion, the number of other mobile phones has de-

clined, with 78 percent of the mainstream population

having a regular mobile phone today compared to

Figure 4HOUSEHOLD ICT DEVICE PENETRATION AND AVERAGE OWNERSHIP

E-READER

SMART TV

IPTV

PORTABLE MP3 PLAYER

GAME CONSOLE

PORTABLE GAME PLAYER

RADIO

SATELLITE TV

TV

TABLET PC

LAPTOP

DESKTOP

OTHER MOBILE

SMARTPHONE

FIXED TELEPHONE

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.5

0.5

0.3

0.3

1.3

1.9

1.5

3.2

1.0

3.3

5.1

1.0

AVERAGE NUMBER OF DEVICES PER HOUSEHOLD ICT DEVICE PENETRATION

72%

92%

78%

66%

96%

69%

95%

76%

23%

23%

34%

31%

9%

12%

5%

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Mainstream population n=1,957


81 percent in 2012. The penetration of fixed tele-

phone lines has been relatively constant even with the

higher penetration of mobile phones.

In further analyzing device ownership, the study

compares household penetration levels of ICT devices

in various countries. Qatar enjoys higher penetration

rates for laptops, smartphones, and tablets compared

with more mature ICT economies such as Sweden

and Singapore, which trail Qatar significantly. Korea

lags far behind in terms of laptops and tablets, and is

equivalent to Qatar in terms of smartphone penetra-

tion. Given the high growth in the Qatar economy

and the speed of development of Qatar’s ICT sector,

higher adoption rates for technologies is not surpris-

ing (see Figure 5).

Figure 6 shows the improvement in the computer

penetration at the individual level in Qatar since

2010. Laptops and tablets have shown a great deal of

growth, while desktops registered a slight decrease.

Laptop penetration has increased to 93 percent and

94 percent in 2013 for the overall and mainstream

populations, respectively. Tablets jumped from ap-

proximately 10 percent to 29 percent from 2012 to

2013 for the overall population, and from 11 percent

to 32 percent for mainstream population during that

same period.

When comparing device ownership by gender in

the mainstream population, penetration levels for

desktops and laptops are almost the same for males

and females. In terms of tablets, penetration levels are

relatively higher for women (42 percent) than men (27

percent).

“I have my iPad, Galaxy, and laptop, which I cannot live without, and each is good for something. For example, I would rather watch a movie on my laptop because the screen is bigger, which makes it more enjoyable.

—YOUNG QATARI

”

FIGURE 6INDIVIDUAL ICT DEVICE PENETRATION, OVERALL VS MAINSTREAM, 2010–2013

35

%

35

%

19%

18

%

50

%

49

%

43

%

39

%

93

%

94

%

10%

11

%

29

%

32

%

87%

8

3%

Note: In 2010 data, tablets are included in the laptop number Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2010, 2012, 2013Computer users in the overall population, 2010 n=1, 220, 2012 n=1,453, 2013 n=1,941Computer users in the mainstream population, 2010 n=1,184, 2012 n=1,391, 2013 n=1,865

2010 2012 2013

Desktop Laptop Tablet

2010 2012 2013 2010 2012

OVERALL

MAINSTREAM

2013

Figure 5HOUSEHOLD ICT PENETRATION, IN BENCHMARK COUNTRIES

2%

25%

44%

18%

74%

65%

27%

69%

58%

29%

66%

60%

42%

85%

60%

19%

74%

26%

16%

69%

42%

24%

62%

83%

69%

96%

66%

TABLET

LAPTOP COMPUTER

DESKTOP COMPUTER QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

QATARKOREA

SAUDI ARABIAUAE

SINGAPORESWEDEN

UKGERMANY

INDIA

SMART TV

FIXED-LINE TELEPHONE

SMARTPHONE

61%

3%

12%

16% 15%

17% 18%

13% 19%

26% 12%

85% 77%

64% 73%

57% 59%

62% 72%

36%

67% 81%

83% 77%

74% 92% 92%

Sources: Ericsson ConsumerLab Analytical Platform, 2013Data for Qatar— Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Households n=1,957


iNTERNET CONNECTiviTy

n internet penetration for both households and indi-viduals has increased since 2010 to near-universal levels—96% for households and 98% for the main-stream population—in 2013

n Overall, DSl is the most preferred type of internet ac-cess in households, followed by mobile broadband over the phone

n 85% of the overall population uses a laptop and 71% a smartphone to connect to the internet

n 52% of Qatari citizens connect to the internet using a tablet Pc in 2013 compared with 32% in 2012

n WiFi is the preferred mode of connecting to the in-ternet across the various internet-enabled devices used by the population in Qatar, except desktops

Key Findings

The growth in Internet penetration is seen at

both the household and individual levels. Internet

penetration is nearing 100 percent with 98 percent

of the mainstream population having an Internet con-

nection at home compared to 82 percent in 2010.

For individuals in the overall population, the Internet

penetration increased to 85 percent in 2013, up from

69 percent in 2010. This can be attributed to the

increase in the penetration of laptops, tablet PCs, and

smartphones (see Figure 7).

Nearly 100 percent of the Western and Qatari house-

holds have an Internet connection. The 2 percent of

the population that does not have Internet access at

home comprises expat Arabs and Asians, with high

cost cited as the main reason for lack of an Internet

connection. Fifty-five percent of Asian households

without Internet access think the cost of Internet is too

high and 32 percent of them cite lack of knowledge

or skills as a reason. Other main reasons cited by

respondents who did not have a household Internet

Figure 7HOUSEHOLD AND INDIVIDUAL INTERNET PENETRATION, 2010–2013

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2010, 2012, 2013Mainstream population, 2010 n=1,400, 2012 n = 1,566, 2013 n=1,957Overall population, 2010 n=1,700, 2012 n=1,880, 2013 n=2,207

84%

96%

69%

69%

85% 82%

88%

98%

2 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 2 0 1 3

HOUSEHOLDS

OVERALL POPULATION

MAINSTREAM POPULATION


connection were the lack of usefulness of the Internet

and lack of knowledge/skills to use the Internet.

As Figure 8 indicates, of the households that have

an Internet connection, the majority are connected

via fixed broadband—80 percent have other fixed

connections. As the fiber network is currently being

deployed and has not reached full coverage, the share

of FTTH, on a consolidated level, is still low, at around

24 percent. Across nationalities, Westerners, at 73

percent, are the biggest users of fiber-to-the-home.

Around 62 percent of mainstream Internet users also

use a mobile phone network—either via mobile phone

or USB dongle—to connect to the Internet. According

to the survey, over one-third of households use both

wired and WiFi connections at home, compared with

44 percent who use only wired connections and 21

percent of households who use only a WiFi connection.

With the increasing need to be connected to the Inter-

net at all times and with a faster connection, the people

of Qatar have migrated to higher Internet speeds. The

penetration of connections of less than 256 Kbps is

negligible now, with the 256 Kbps to 1 Mbps speed

connections also decreasing. On the other hand, high-

er speed connections are increasing—connections at 4

Mbps and above increased from 7 percent in 2010 to

14 percent in 2013 (see Figure 9). Speeds are expected

to further increase significantly with the deployment of

the nationwide fiber network.

In terms of devices that individuals prefer to use to con-

nect to the Internet, the tablet PC has shown substantial

growth. Fifty-two percent of Qataris connected using

a tablet PC in 2013 compared to just 32 percent in

2012. Overall, smartphones and laptops are preferred

by both Qatari and non-Qatari segments. At the overall

population level, 85 percent of Internet users use a

laptop and 71 percent a smartphone to connect to the

Internet.

Across all devices used to connect online, except desk-

tops, the preferred mode of connection is wireless LAN

because of the convenience it offers (see Figure 10).

The 2013 survey results compared to those from previ-

ous years show an increase in the use of smartphones,

tablets, and laptops as preferred devices to connect to

the Internet. Smartphones have witnessed the sharpest

increase, with 71 percent of Internet users in the overall

population using smartphones today compared to just

35 percent in 2010. Even tablets, from being nearly

nonexistent in 2010, are a device of choice to connect

to the Internet by 26 percent in 2013 (see Figure 11).

This bolsters the theme that Qatari residents increas-

ingly need and want “anywhere, anytime” connectivity.

Figure 8TYPES OF HOUSEHOLD INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, BY NATIONALITY

Note: Dial-up connections are maintained as an additional connection, along with other fixed or mobile broadband connections: of the 10% of households with dial-up connections, 94% have fixed broadband and 51% have mobile broadband connectivity

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mainstream population Internet users n=1,877

DIAL-UP CONNECTION

FIBER-TO-THE-HOME

OTHER FIXED CONNECTIONS

MOBILE PHONE

MOBILE BROADBAND 10%

2

4%

8

0%

5

4%

12

%

Overall

2%

2

5%

76

%

66

%

21%

Qataris

3%

36

%

74%

5

9%

7%

Expat Arabs

18%

12

%

85

%

46

%

11%

Asians

2%

73

%

91%

8

5%

3

4%

Westerners

Figure 10MODES USED TO CONNECT TO INTERNET, INDIVIDUALS, BY DEVICE

MOBILE BROADBAND

WIFI OR WIRELESS LAN

FIXED CONNECTION 1%

4

6%

5

5%

Desktop

3%

8

6%

18

%

Laptop

9%

9

4%

Tablet PC

49

% 70

%

Smartphone

35

% 6

2%

Other mobile phone

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Devices used to access the Internet, desktop n=705, laptop n=1,830, tablet PC n=575, smartphone n=1,555, other mobile phone n=388

5% 3%

70%

86%

80%

85%

71%

33%

26% 22% 1% 0%

13%

35%

49%

19%

31%

Figure 11DEVICES USED BY INDIVIDUALS TO CONNECT TO INTERNET, SINCE 2010

2 0 1 0 2 0 1 3 2 0 1 2

Note: 2010 data for tablets not availableSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2010, 2012, 2013Internet users in the overall population, 2010 n=1,171, 2012 n=1,485, 2013 n=2,045

DESKTOP

LAPTOP

TABLET

SMARTPHONE

OTHER MOBILEPHONE

OTHER FDEVICE

Figure 9HOUSEHOLD INTERNET CONNECTION SPEED, 2010–2013

2 0 1 0 2 0 1 3

5% 1%

37% 23%

39% 48%

7% 14%

Source: Households and Individuals Survey 2010, 2013Households with Internet access, 2010 n=1,176, 2013 n=1,877

4 MBPS AND ABOVE

LESS THAN 256 KBPS

>1 MBPS TO 4 MBPS

>256 KBPS TO 1 MBPS


iCT uSAGE AND SPENDiNG

n People in Qatar have access to computers mostly from their homes, followed by their workplace and another person’s home; internet access preferences are similar, but people also want “on-the-go” con-nectivity via mobile phone or other mobile device

n 89% of the internet users in Qatar accesses the internet for downloading content (movies, images, music), watching tv or video, or listening to radio or music, and the survey results show a significant uptake of all online activities compared to 2012

n People use their mobile phones mostly for basic services such as phone calls and SmS, but also for browsing the internet, social networking, watching videos, and downloading apps

n Services such as e-commerce, online banking, and e-government are used by a small percentage of the overall population

n Qatari households spend almost three times as much on ict services per month as non-Qatari households

n at the individual level, Qataris spend almost three times as much as non-Qataris on mobile phone service

n average individual monthly spending on mobile phones decreased from QaR 417 in 2010 to QaR 292 in 2013

Key Findings

The overwhelming majority of people have ac-

cess to computers at home. Only 37 percent of 15- to

24-year-olds access computers at an educational insti-

tution. More than 60 percent of the working popula-

tion in Qatar access computers from their place of

work. As with computer access, home is the preferred

location for Internet users—this is valid across all seg-

ments (see Figure 12). The second-most preferred way

of accessing the Internet is through a mobile device.

Fifty-seven percent of the overall users access the

Internet from a place of work, but the trend varies for

individual segments. As with computer usage, Internet

usage at an educational institution is low, with only 37

percent of young Qataris accessing the Internet at an

educational institution (see Figure 13).

Downloading content (movies, images, music), watch-

ing TV or video, or listening to radio or music—

Figure 12LOCATION OF COMPUTER ACCESS, INDIVIDUALS, BY AGE GROUP

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Computer users in the overall population n=1,941

58

%

39

%

41%

6

2%

13

%

99

%

61%

4

3%

4

5%

4

6%

3

7%

99

%

59

%

38

%

41%

6

6%

6

%

99

%

49

%

33

%

38

%

63

%

11%

9

9%

EDUCATIONALINSTITUTION

WORKPLACE COMMUNITYINTERNET

COMMERCIAL INTERNET

ANOTHER PERSON’S HOME

HOME

Overall computer users 15–24 years 25–44 years Over 44 years

Figure 13LOCATION OF INTERNET ACCESS, INDIVIDUALS

97%

Any place via mobile

phone/mobile device

74%

Home

57%

Workplace

63%

Otherlocation

13%

Educationalinstitution

Overall Internet users

Note: Other location includes community Internet access facility, commercial Internet access facility, and another person’s homeSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Internet users in the overall population n= 2,045


“Now, I can easily make contact with Skype, BBM, WhatsApp for minimal cost or free. Technology made our world a smaller place and connected our family and friends 24/7. Also, you know everything, every moment.” —MID-RANGE ADULT ASIAN, FEMALE

continue to be the most dominant activities undertak-

en online by people in Qatar. Tasks such as download-

ing software, reading and searching for information

online, file sharing, playing/downloading games, and

online learning have significantly increased since 2012

(see Figure 14). The decrease in the percentage of the

mainstream population conducting Internet banking

most likely reflects the concerns people have with

using these services on the Internet. This situation is

discussed in further detail later in the report.

Westerners are most active in using all services, while

sending/receiving e-mail and social networking are

the most common and used at least once per week

across all nationalities.

E-commerce, online banking, and e-government are

used by a small percentage of the overall population.

In an attempt to predict future Internet use, survey

respondents were asked to identify the device they

use the most for accessing a particular online service.

Given the high penetration of laptops, it is not surpris-

ing that a majority of the population preferred using a

laptop for accessing various Internet services. Mobile

phone is the second-most preferred device for access-

ing online services; however, people in general do not

seem to be very comfortable using their phones for

accessing services such as e-commerce, e-banking,

etc. Although further research on this topic is neces-

sary, concerns about the safety of mobile broadband,

lack of awareness of these services, and lack of skill in

using the services could explain such reluctance.

Figure 14TASKS PERFORMED ONLINE BY INDIVIDUALS, OVERALL AND

MAINSTREAM POPULATION, 2012 AND 2013

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013, 2012Internet users in the overall population, 2013 n= 2,045Internet users in the mainstream population, 2013 n=1,916, 2012 n=1,405

69% 88% 89%

50% 86% 86%

59% 79%

74%

24% 77%

66%

55% 69%

59%

32% 69%

58%

35% 68%

65%

37% 64%

58%

45% 53%

46%

20% 31%

27%

24% 21%

18%

25% 18%

15% PURCHASING OR ORDERING GOODS OR SERVICES

INTERNET BANKING

INTERACTING WITH GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS

GETTING INFORMATION FROM GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS

EDUCATION OR LEARNING ACTIVITIES

PLAYING OR DOWNLOADING GAMES

USING PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING

GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT GOODS OR SERVICES

GETTING INFORMATION RELATED TO HEALTH OR HEALTH SERVICES

READING OR DOWNLOADING ONLINE NEWSPAPERS OR

MAGAZINES, OR ELECTRONIC BOOKS

DOWNLOADING SOFTWARE

DOWNLOADING/WATCHING MOVIES/MUSIC

2013—OVERALL

2013—MAINSTREAM

2012—MAINSTREAM

Table 3INDIVIDUAL USAGE OF SERVICES THROUGH MOBILE

PHONES, OVERALL, MAINSTREAM, MALE, FEMALE

OVERALLPOPULATION MAINSTREAM MALEFEMALE

Mobile banking

Email

Social networking

Browse Internet

Make or receive calls

Send/receive text message (SMS)

Send/receive photo message (MMS)

15%

65%

76%

78%

100%

98%

73%

21%

80%

85%

89%

100%

98%

79%

14%

61%

74%

76%

100%

98%

72%

21%

83%

84%

88%

100%

99%

78%

Notes: Social networking includes posting and reading messages on online forums/websites and instant messaging100% figures shown above have been rounded to zero decimal placesSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mobile phone users in the overall population n=2,205


“Before I used to call my family back in Tunisia every two weeks or a month because it is so expensive, now, with Skype I call my family and friends every day.

—MID-RANGE ADULT EXPAT ARAB

”

More women than men access various online activities

through mobile phones. This difference in usage pat-

terns is most obvious for accessing email on mobile

phones, mobile banking, and VoIP. This may be due to

the fact that women in Qatar show equal, if not higher,

penetration of ICT devices such as smartphones and

tablets (see Table 3).

Compared with those in various countries, people in

Qatar are actively using mobile phones for sending/

receiving SMS over the phone. However, coupled

with the lack of uptake of services such as mobile

banking and e-commerce, one can conclude that

people in Qatar have the technology but need more

education about the other services they could use

through mobile phones in order to move to the next

level of advanced usage (see Figure 15).

Figure 15ACTIVITIES ACCESSED THROUGH MOBILE PHONES,

INDIVIDUALS IN BENCHMARK COUNTRIES

BROWSING THE INTERNET

QATARUK

UAESWEDEN

SINGAPORESAUDI ARABIA

KOREAINDIA

GERMANY 56% 54%

92% 89%

88% 80%

78% 72%

78%

SENDING/RECEIVING MMS (VIDEOS OR PICTURES)

QATARUK

UAESWEDEN


KOREAINDIA

GERMANY 45% 43%

87% 87%

73% 84%

71% 61%

73%

SENDING/RECEIVING TEXT MESSAGES

QATARUK

UAESWEDEN


KOREAINDIA

GERMANY 93% 78%

97% 92%

98% 98%

94% 95%

98%

SENDING/RECEIVING EMAIL

QATARUK

UAESWEDEN


KOREAINDIA

GERMANY 52% 40%

82% 87%

84% 69%

74% 64% 65%

Sources: Ericsson ConsumerLab Analytical Platform, 2013Data for Qatar—Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mobile phone users in the overall population n=2,205


TRANSIENT LABORERS

128

MID-RANGE ADULT/OLDER QATARIS

1,000

YOUNG QATARIS

733NON-QATARIS, BLUE COLLAR (SHARED ACCOMMO-DATION)

177

WHITE-COLLAR ASIANS, TECHNOLOGYNEUTRAL

184WHITE-COLLAR ASIANS, TECHNOLOGY INTERESTED

233

NON-QATARIS, BLUE COLLAR (NON-SHARED ACCOMMO-DATION)

239WHITE-COLLAR EXPAT ARABS, TECHNOLOGY INTERESTED

373

WHITE-COLLAR EXPAT ARABS, TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL

404WESTERNERS

738

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mobile phone users in overall population n=2,205

Figure 17AVERAGE MONTHLY INDIVIDUAL SPENDING (QAR) ON MOBILE PHONE SERVICES, BY SEGMENT

Figures 16 and 17 look at monthly household spend-

ing on ICT services by Qataris and non-Qataris as well

as well as individual spending on mobile phone ser-

vices. Qatari households spend almost three times as

much on ICT services as non-Qatari households. On

average, mobile services constitute the highest share

of monthly ICT spending. Among individuals, Qataris

over age 35 spend the most, followed by Western-

ers. Young Qataris also spend a significant amount on

mobile phones

At the household level, the average monthly spend-

ing on the Internet has been consistent from 2010

through 2013, at QAR 236. The spending on fixed

telephone lines has decreased from QAR 218 to QAR

75 for the same period. This is most likely due to the

fact that operators currently offer fixed lines in a bun-

dle with TV service. The average individual monthly

spending on mobile phones has also decreased from

QAR 471 in 2010 to QAR 292 in 2013, probably due

to increased market competition and better offers

from the operators, leading to reduced monthly cost

for mobile services.

Figure 16AVERAGE MONTHLY HOUSEHOLD SPENDING

(QAR) ON ICT SERVICES, QATARIS VS. NON-QATARIS

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mainstream population n=1,957

Qataris Non-Qataris

MOBILE SERVICES

BUNDLED SERVICES

INTERNET (FIXED AND SHARED MOBILE INTERNET)

FIXED TELEPHONE LINE

828

214

62

82

2,928

372

134

98


SATiSFACTiON WiTH mOBiLE AND iNTERNET SERviCES

Key Findings

n Overall, 60% of Qataris are satisfied with their mobile phone service

n Westerners are the least satisfied with Qatar’s cur-rent level of internet and mobile phone services

n across the overall population of Qatar, satisfaction rates for mobile broadband stands at 40%, while satisfaction for fixed broadband is 50%

n Overall satisfaction rates for both internet and mobile phone services have increased over time

n across all segments and nationalities, “customer support” and “ease of changes to account on your own” are the areas of least satisfaction among residents of Qatar, according to the survey

overall, individuals rate their satisfaction with

fixed broadband (50%) and mobile phone service

(50%) slightly higher than mobile broadband (40%).

While all Qataris and white-collar, technology-inter-

ested Arabs reported high overall satisfaction levels

for Internet and mobile phone services, Westerners

rated these services very low. The other segments

gave an average rating to the mobile phone and fixed

broadband services. The satisfaction levels for mobile

broadband across most of the segments was lower

than that of young Qataris, whose satisfaction rating

of mobile broadband services was 82 percent (see

Figure 18). The fact that Westerners rated fixed and

mobile broadband and mobile phone services very

Figure 18OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH INTERNET AND MOBILE PHONE SERVICES, INDIVIDUALS BY SEGMENT

50

%

78%

2%

60

%

11%

50

%

50

%

28

%

45

%

47%

40

%

82

%

70%

48

%

54

%

29

%

23

%

45

%

26

%

50

%

75%

21%

56

% 6

8%

74%

57%

54

%

51%

59

%

55

% MOBILE

BROADBAND

MOBILE PHONE SERVICE

FIXED BROADBAND

51%

2

6%

3

3%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9Overall users 10

Different modes used to connect to the Internet for devices, mobile broadband n=957, fixed broadband n=1,984 Mobile phone users in the overall population n=2,205

Note: Satisfaction refers to the top two boxes on a 7-point scaleSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013

1. Young Qataris 2. Mid-range Adult/Older

Qataris 3. Westerners





8. Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Non-Shared Accommoda-tion)




low could be due to their experience back home with

better services at competitive pricing due to stiff com-

petition among the various mobile operators. Asians

fall in the middle of the range.

In terms of how satisfied individuals are with different

aspects of mobile phone services, “ease of under-

standing the bill” was rated the highest at 67 percent,

followed by “mobile network coverage and quality of

call” at 52 percent. Individuals in the overall popula-

tion were least satisfied with “ease of changes to

account on your own” and customer support, both at

39 percent (see Figure 19).

Overall, higher satisfaction levels are observed for

fixed broadband services compared to mobile broad-

band. Globally, mobile broadband services tend to

be less stable and slower compared to fixed broad-

band. This could account for why the satisfaction

levels for mobile broadband are lower. In addition,

individuals’ low satisfaction rates for various Internet

services in Qatar may color overall satisfaction levels

(see Figure 20).

While there is clearly room for improvement in cus-

tomer satisfaction with both fixed Internet and mobile

phone services, the survey results indicate an increase

in satisfaction with these services from 2010 to 2013.

The overall satisfaction for fixed Internet services

increased from 47 percent in 2010 to 50 percent

in 2013, and for mobile phone service, satisfaction

increased from 45 percent in 2010 to 50 percent in

2013 (see Figure 21).

When considering the actual satisfaction scores and

the derived importance of different satisfaction pa-

rameters (see Figure 22), “online support” shows the

most potential for improvement as far as increasing

the overall satisfaction of consumers of the telecom-

munications industry in Qatar. However, Qatari opera-

tors are doing well as far as “courteousness of staff”

and “timely service” are concerned. Therefore, when

we say that customer support has the least satisfaction

scores across the nationalities, it could be because of

the less-than-expected quality of the “online support”

delivery.

Figure 19INDIVIDUAL SATISFACTION WITH MOBILE PHONE SERVICE, OVERALL POPULATION

47%MOBILE DATA COVERAGE,SPEED, AND RELIABILITY

50%OVERALL SERVICE

67%EASE OF UNDERSTANDING BILL

46%INFORMATION ON COSTAND OTHER FEATURES

45%VALUE FOR MONEY

39%CUSTOMER SUPPORT

52%MOBILE NETWORK COVERAGEAND QUALITY OF CALL

40%ONGOING COMMUNICATION ON NEWPRODUCTS/LAUNCHES

39%EASE OF CHANGES TO ACCOUNTON YOUR OWN

Note: Satisfaction refers to the top two boxes on a 7-point scaleSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Mobile phone users in the overall population n=2,205

Figure 20SATISFACTION WITH INTERNET SERVICES ON VARIOUS PARAMETERS, INDIVIDUALS IN OVERALL POPULATION

48% 38%

40% 50%

37% 42%

38% 34%

34% 45%

45% 40%

41% 37%

Note: Satisfaction refers to the top two boxes on a 7-point scaleSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Different modes used to connect to the Internet for devices, mobile broadband n=957, fixed broadband n=1984

COST OF INTERNET SERVICE

VALUE FOR MONEY

RELIABILITYOF SERVICE

SPEED OF INTERNETCONNECTION

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SPEED ANDEFFICIENCY OF

CUSTOMER CARE

OVERALL SERVICE

MOBILE BROADBAND

FIXED BROADBAND


Modern branches/stores

Ease in getting help

Complaint

handling

Hours of operation

Online support

Courteousness

of staff

Timely service

Figure 22INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE ON SATISFACTION PARAMETERS

SATI

SFA

CTI

ON

DERIVED IMPORTANCE AREAS TO FOCUSCONCERN

6.00

6.10

6.20

6.30

6.40

6.50

6.60

6.70

6.80

6.90

7.00

7.10

8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% 22% 24%

SUSTAIN STRENGTHS

Figure 21OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH INTERNET AND MOBILE PHONE SERVICES, INDIVIDUALS, 2010–2013

Note: In 2010 Internet service included fixed as well as mobile broadband servicesSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2010, 2013Internet users in the overall population, 2010 n=1,171, 2013 n=2,045, Mobile phone users in the overall population, 2010 n=1,675, 2013 n=2,205

2 0 1 0 2 0 1 3

45%

47% 50%

40%

MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE

MOBILE PHONE SERVICE

FIXED INTERNET SERVICE


S O c i a l n E t WO R k i n g a n D a R a B i c cO n t E n t O n l i n E

O n l i n E B a n k i n g a n D E - cO m m E R c E

E - g Ov E R n m E n t

Q - P O St S E Rv i c E S

O n l i n E S E c u R i t y a n D P R i vac y

n E W S E Rv i c E S

FOCuS AREAS


SOCiAL NETWORKiNG AND ARABiC CONTENT ONLiNE

n 87% of the internet users in Qatar access social net-working at least once a month, and nearly half access it at least once a day

n 89% of internet users access social networking on their mobile phones

n though logging on to Facebook is nearly universal among internet users, it is also considered “old” by younger demographic groups and perceived to have privacy issues. twitter—with its microblogging status, which makes posts concise and to the point—is considered to be a platform for serious discussions

n Sites such as linkedin are less popular in Qatar. this may be due to cultural attributes of the society—where personal relationships are still highly valued, and the sharing of personal professional information is looked down upon

n the main reason that people in Qatar use online so-cial networking websites is to keep others updated about their lives

n 87% of Qataris and 76% of expat arabs report that “the websites available in arabic are sufficient.” Overall, there has been an increase in the percent-age of arabic speakers in the country who believe that the arabic content is sufficient, from 64 per-cent in 2012 to 79 percent in 2013

n Some respondents mentioned that the requirement of a basic knowledge of English to access uRls could be an impediment to accessing the internet

People in Qatar are actively participating in social

networks and posting information online to express

their views on various issues. Eighty percent of the

Internet-using population age 15–24 access social

networking sites at least once a week (see Figure 23).

Instant messaging is the most used social network-

ing medium across all age groups, with 90 percent

of overall Internet users sending instant messages.

Though the population in Qatar has started posting

information online, when it comes to posting personal

opinions there seems to be a degree of self-restraint.

Nonetheless, the trend is expected to pick up given

the wider acceptance of social platforms for sharing

information. Another positive trend is that even older

people age 55 and above are now participating in so-

cial networking. For example, 31 percent of those age

55 and over post opinions on civic or political issues at

least once a week.

The survey findings also show that men are more ac-

tive online than women in Qatar. For example, among

those with access to the Internet, 76 percent of males

access social networking sites at least once a week,

compared to 66 percent of women.

Key Findings

Figure 23TYPES OF SOCIAL NETWORKING USED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, BY AGE

15–24 YEARS

25–39 YEARS

40–54 YEARS

55 AND OLDER 43% 65%

77% 80%

PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL NETWORKS

15–24 YEARS

25–39 YEARS

40–54 YEARS


28% 37%

PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING

15–24 YEARS

25–39 YEARS

40–54 YEARS


16% 19%

POSTING OPINIONS ON WEBSITES

15–24 YEARS

25–39 YEARS

40–54 YEARS


78% 76%

INSTANT MESSAGING

15–24 YEARS

25–39 YEARS

40–54 YEARS


62% 66%

POSTING INFORMATION

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Internet users in overall population n=2,045


Online social platforms are an increasingly popu-

lar medium to stay in touch and updated—when it

comes to both personal affairs and world news. While

younger people use social media to connect with

friends and meet new people, the majority of older

consumers prefer to use social media solely to con-

nect with known friends and family. Nonetheless, this

indicates a willingness to embrace an open and con-

nected environment. The survey points to social media

websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as

being immensely popular sources of entertainment for

both Qataris and expats.

When it comes to accessing social networking

through mobile phones, it is interesting to note that

Qatar is ahead of a good number of its peers. Even

countries with mature ICT markets lag behind in the

use of social networking via mobile phones. For

example, 73 percent of the overall population in Qatar

reported that they access social networking sites

through mobiles, compared to just 56 percent in the

UK and 59 percent in Sweden. When it comes to the

use of instant messaging, Saudi Arabia is the leader at

90 percent, followed by Qatar (89%) and Singapore

(85%).

According to the households and individuals survey,

Internet users in Qatar say they use laptops 44 percent

of the time when browsing the Web, with mobile

phones at an equal 43.6 percent of the time. When it

comes to email services, respondents report that they

access their mail via laptop 51 percent of the time, and

by mobile phone 33 percent of the time. People seem

to prefer laptops for carrying out online banking and

online purchasing transactions, while mobile phones

are most popular for instant messaging (53%).

As far as accessing social networking, laptops and

mobile phones are the devices of choice, with each

preferred by 44 percent of users. Desktop use for

social networking, like for all other services, is slowly

being phased out, while tablet computers are slowly

gaining in popularity, overall (see Figure 24).

The trends are slightly different for young Qataris, who

spend 47 percent of their social networking time on

mobile phones. Westerners spend almost equal time

on mobile phones, laptops, and tablets for accessing

social networking. Unsurprisingly, transient laborers

report that they use a mobile phone for social network-

ing 65 percent of the time they are online, because it is

often the most accessible Internet-enabled device they

own.

The qualitative research highlighted the fact that while

Facebook continues to dominate the social networking

environment, younger demographic groups perceive

the site to be “old” and “outdated,” and prefer concise

posts rather than long descriptive posts. The research

shows that, as a result, in Qatar Facebook is dealing

with competition from newer sites that provide more

privacy and meet niche needs. For example, respon-

dents reported that they feel more comfortable sharing

personal information on Twitter, which is seen as

“more private” than Facebook. People are also actively

participating in local social forums. However, network-

ing sites such as LinkedIn are used less frequently by

most groups in Qatar with the exception of Westerners

and white-collar Asians with an interest in technology.

This may reflect the cultural attributes of Qatari society,

where business networking is still considered to be a

“Technology made our world a smaller place and connected our family and friends 24/7. Also, you know everything every moment.“ —MID-RANGE ADULT ASIAN, FEMALE

Figure 24PERCENTAGE OF TIME SPENT ACROSS DEVICES TO

ACCESS SOCIAL NETWORKING FORUMS, OVERALL

5.2%

44.2%

0.2%

43.6%MOBILE PHONE

TABLET

LAPTOP

6.8%DESKTOP

ANOTHER DEVICE



personal, face-to-face space, and the value attributed

to personal relationships is still very high.

According to the households and individuals data,

the majority of males and females in Qatar use online

social networking for updating people about their

lives, fun, and staying updated about others. Social

platforms are also being used to stay updated on

current affairs around the world and to search for infor-

mation. It is interesting to note that at the mainstream

population level, the use of social platforms for edu-

cational studies is limited, with 25 percent of men and

36 percent of women reporting that they use social

networking as part of a work or education program.

The use of social platforms for business networking is

also limited at 26 percent of the overall population, al-

though women use it for this purpose more than men.

In order to gain insight into why people in Qatar

continue to lag behind when it comes to using the In-

ternet to access advanced services, respondents were

asked about their satisfaction levels with the Arabic-

language content that is currently available online.

In the case of Qataris and expat Arabs, both groups

say that they feel there is sufficient Arabic content

online (87% and 76% respectively). (See Figure 25.)

Still, respondents also report that finding and using

that information can be a challenge because a basic

understanding of English is often needed to access

any content online, since URLs are often in English.

Since the overall population of Qatar is a mix of eth-

nicities, the percentage of people in the country who

use the Arabic language fluctuates year to year. None-

theless, the research indicates that between 2010

and 2013 there has been a decrease in the number of

people who feel that there are not enough websites

in Arabic or that Arabic content online is not sufficient,

indicating a growing satisfaction with both the quan-

tity and quality of digital content in the language.

“When I am bored, I look at my phone and enjoy the updates such as pictures, comments, and links that are posted online. Some-times it makes my day!” — YOUNG EXPAT ARAB, FEMALE

Figure 25PERCEPTION REGARDING ARABIC CONTENT ONLINE AMONG ARABIC-SPEAKING COMMUNITY

87%

11% 4% 4% 0.5%

76%

17% 11%

6% 2%

Qataris Expat Arabs

The websites available in Arabic are sufficient

There are not enough websites in Arabic, and the information on these sites is not sufficient

I rely solely on websites in other languages and do not use websites in Arabic

I don’t know/I do not search for such information

I cannot read Arabic and do not use Arabic websites

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Internet users in overall population n=2,045Qatari Internet users in the overall population n=279Expat Arab Internet users in the overall population n=611


ONLiNE BANKiNG AND E-COmmERCE

Key Findings

n Penetration levels for online banking and e-commerce remain low in Qatar (especially among non-Westerners): only 16% of the overall popula-tion in Qatar has used online banking in the past 12 months, and mobile banking penetration, including simple deposits and withdrawals on SmS, is also low, at 15%

n Overall, 67% of people who do bank online are satisfied with the available services

n among current users of online banking, 69% cite speed of transaction as a reason to use such services, 48% report that they like to keep up with technology, while another 45% point to the conve-nience of “no lines”

n 45% of the people who have not used online bank-ing in the past 12 months cite security concerns, while 35% report that they don’t know how to use the services

n 12% of the population in Qatar logs on to shop

n 44% of those who did not use such services in Qatar are concerned about the security of online shop-ping portals; 26% are worried about having “no control” while shopping online, and 31% believe that the technology is too difficult or unfamiliar

n 77% of online shoppers make purchases from e-tailers based in north america and Europe, com-pared to just 37% who shop at Qatar-based e-tailers

According to the households and individuals

survey, the overall population in Qatar does not use

online banking because people do not perceive it to

be secure; in addition, many lack the skills and knowl-

edge it takes to use the services. Qataris, in particular,

prefer more traditional methods of banking and like

the personal feel of traditional “brick and mortar”

establishments.

Eighty-four percent of the overall population in Qatar

has not used online banking services in the past year.

For now, Westerners are by far the most active when it

comes to using online banking and online shopping

services. Among the other demographic groups in

Qatar, 33 percent of young Qataris have gone online to

shop, while 26 percent have used online banking. The

use of these advanced services in other demographic

segments is still in its nascent stage (see Figure 26).

Figure 26E-BANKING AND E-COMMERCE PENETRATION, BY SEGMENT

E-COMMERCE (PURCHASING GOODS/SERVICES ONLINE)

E-BANKING

26

%

33

%

1

22

%

19%

2

78%

93

%

3

22

%

30

%

4

23

%

18%

5

27%

19

%

6

15%

13

%

7

14%

14

%

8

11%

8

%

9

2%

0

%

10

1. Young Qataris

2. Mid-range Adult/Older Qataris

3. Westerners





8. Non-Qataris, Blue Collar (Non-Shared Accommodation)



Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Internet users in the overall population n= 2,045


In comparison to the other countries, Qatar lags be-

hind in the use of mobile phones for accessing bank-

ing services at just 15 percent compared to 75 percent

in Korea and 57 percent in Singapore (see Figure 27).

According to Figure 28, speed is the primary reason

that people in Qatar use online banking; they also

report that they enjoy keeping up with new technolo-

gies. Of those who have used the services, 88 percent

of Qataris are satisfied with the online banking facili-

ties, compared to just 34 percent of Westerners. This

could be due to the fact that Westerners have experi-

enced more evolved services in their home countries,

where online banking has had time to mature. Still,

among the overall population, the satisfaction levels

for online banking jumped from 40 percent in 2010 to

67 percent in 2013.

When it comes to online purchasing, Westerners are

the most comfortable with the idea and do it most fre-

quently. Again, given the level of maturity of many of

their home economies, it may be that they are simply

more aware of how to use these services, and more at

ease with the related security issues.

Among those in the overall population who do make

purchases online, the majority do not buy from online

vendors based in Qatar, opting instead for vendors

based either in America, Europe, or Asia. While the

majority of the population across nationalities prefers

ordering from North America and Europe, a full 69

percent of Asian online shoppers prefer to make pur-

chases from local Qatari websites.

Figure 27PENETRATION OF MOBILE BANKING, IN BENCHMARK COUNTRIES

Sources: Ericsson ConsumerLab Analytical Platform, 2013Data for Qatar—Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population n=2,207

15% 9%

75% 36%

57% 39%

26% 30%

15% QATAR

UK

UAE

SWEDEN

SINGAPORE

SAUDI ARABIA

KOREA

INDIA

GERMANY

44% IT IS NOT SECURE

TOP 3 CONCERNS ABOUT ONLINE BANKING, QATAR, GLOBAL, MIDDLE EAST


17% IT IS NOT PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL

20% MY CURRENT BANKING METHODS ARE GOOD ENOUGH

GLOBAL

10% I WOULD PREFER TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN PERSON

14% I DON’T HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT


MIDDLE EAST

27% I WOULD PREFER TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN PERSON

34% I DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE THIS SERVICE

OVERALL POPULATION—QATAR

Notes: Middle East consists of Egypt, UAE, Turkey, and KSA For global and Middle Eastern data, the questions related to online banking were asked of mobile phone users while in Qatar; for Qatar data, the question was asked of Internet users in the overall populationSources: Ericsson ConsumerLab Analytical Platform, 2013Data for Qatar—Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Internet users in overall population n= 2045

24%

10% 29%

26%

21%

22%

36%

23%

30%

36%

38%

48%

37%

44%

79%

39%

24%

35%

41%

42%

36%

45% 48%

47%

32%

70%

69%

EXPAT ARABS

QATARIS

OVERALLQUICK

NEW TECHNOLOGYNO LINES

NO FILLING FORMSSECURITY

MORE CONTROLCAN ACCESS ANYTIME

PRIVACYCOST EFFECTIVE

QUICKNEW TECHNOLOGY

NO LINESNO FILLING FORMS

SECURITYMORE CONTROL

CAN ACCESS ANYTIMEPRIVACY

COST EFFECTIVE

QUICKNEW TECHNOLOGY




COST EFFECTIVE

QUICKNEW TECHNOLOGY




COST EFFECTIVE

QUICKNEW TECHNOLOGY




COST EFFECTIVE

WESTERNERS

ASIANS

39%

50% 74%

64% 42%

69% 56%

57% 64% 65%

29% 19%

39%

46%

65%

31% 27%

47%

Figure 28REASONS FOR USING ONLINE BANKING, BY NATIONALITY

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Online banking users in overall population n=308


“I remember one time someone took so long to pay online because she did not know how. I would suggest they educate us to make it easier for us to use.

—MID-RANGE ADULT EXPAT ARAB, FEMALE

”

The gradual rise of online shopping in Qatar is being

driven by potential cost savings, ease, and conve-

nience (see Figure 29). Of the 13 percent of Internet

users who do shop online, 72 percent of men and

nearly the same number of women report that it’s

because of the opportunity to get better prices. After

that, many women report that they log on to shop be-

cause the specific product or brand they want is not avail-

able in Qatar (52%). In contrast, more than half of men say

they shop online for the convenience factor (63%).

Most online shoppers in Qatar prefer international

websites such as Amazon and eBay over regional web-

sites. This is true despite the inconvenience and extra

expense of using a foreign courier service like Aramex

or DHL for delivery, indicating a high level of trust for

international websites. According to the qualitative

research, the most common good purchased online is

airline tickets—from leading international and local car-

riers. The categories of products with the highest de-

mand online are electronics, mobile phones, watches,

perfumes, clothes and accessories, and car parts.

The households and individuals research highlights

the fact that security concerns are the primary reason

that more people in Qatar do not shop online—mir-

roring similar worries and lack of participation with

online banking (see Figure 30). Specifically, consum-

ers do not feel comfortable sharing their credit card

information due to the global increase in fraud cases;

this is true for all websites that are not internationally

recognized, and for any payment gateways other than

PayPal.

Our research shows that consumers feel a need for

a trustworthy Qatar-based e-commerce website that

would be able to cater to their needs locally. In addi-

tion, it’s clear that many people in the country refrain

from online shopping because they prefer a bricks-

and-mortar experience that involves physical inspec-

tion and interaction with a salesperson before making

a purchase: 25 percent confirmed that they feel the

need to see and touch a product before buying.

5%

36%

26%

56% 58%

72%

28%

41%

OVERALL

BETTER PRICES ONLINEEASY TO DO

CONVENIENTGOODS NOT AVAILABLE IN QATAR

BIGGER SELECTION AVAILABLEBRANDS NOT AVAILABLE IN QATAR

LESS TIME REQUIREDPREFER GOODS FROM HOME COUNTRY

















4%

23%

14%

43% 48%

46% 68%

49%

QATARIS

28%

19%

48% 54%

78%

30%

64%

EXPAT ARABS

WESTERNERS

12%

64%

36%

82% 84% 84%

11%

17%

ASIANS

37%

11% 42%

58%

21%

67% 52%

14%

Figure 29REASONS FOR SHOPPING ONLINE, OVERALL AND BY NATIONALITY

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Online shoppers in overall population n=277

Figure 30REASONS FOR NOT SHOPPING ONLINE

24% 24%

25%

26% 26%

31%

20%

44%

18% 19%

15% 15%

13% 7%

6% LACK OF CHOICE

NOT USEFUL

DON’T TRUST ISPS

DELIVERY CONCERNS

PRIVACY

NO ASSISTANCE

DON’T TRUST THE WEBSITES

TIME CONSUMING

COMPLICATED PROCESS

IT IS EXPENSIVE

PREFER TRADITIONAL METHOD

PREFER IN PERSON

NO CONTROL

TECHNOLOGY

SECURITY

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013People not shopping online in the overall population n=1,768


E-GOvERNmENT

n 55% of the overall population in Qatar is aware of the range of government services available online, and a mere 16% say that they actually use them

n the qualitative research points toward a cultural belief that any issue with the government can be resolved more efficiently face-to-face, as opposed to online

n the most commonly accessed e-government ser-vices are metrash2, other mOi services, and traffic fine payments

Key Findings


survey, Qatar’s e-government services have a very low

adoption rate overall, due to both a persistent lack of

general awareness and a lack of clarity about which

services are actually offered online.

Sixty percent of the overall population in Qatar

reported that they were not aware of the launch of

the acclaimed Hukoomi e-government portal, while

45 percent are not aware of the various government

services currently being offered online. Only 16

percent of the overall population has used any online

government services in the past year. The situation is

similar with Hukoomi, with only 15 percent of respon-

dents reporting that they have used any of its available

services in the past 12 months (see Figure 31).

According to the qualitative research, younger

consumers in Qatar are familiar with the e-government

services that relate to them, such as traffic fine pay-

ment and telephone bill payment options, but they

are not aware of the full range of services. And those

older respondents who are aware of the services are

not entirely clear about their relevance or how to

use them. As seen with other online services, such

low adoption rates are usually the result of a lack of

knowledge or skills.

Figure 31AWARENESS OF HUKOOMI AND OTHER E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population n=2,207Mainstream population n=1,957

25% 25%

39% 45%

56% 60%

39% 41%

16% 20%

15% 19% HUKOOMI—AWARE

AND USED IT

MAINSTREAM

OVERALL

E-GOV’T SERVICES—AWARE AND USED THEM

HUKOOMI—AWARE BUT NEVER USED IT

E-GOV’T SERVICES—AWARE BUT NEVER USED THEM

HUKOOMI—NOT AWARE

E-GOV’T SERVICES—NOT AWARE


“I have heard of Hukoomi but not sure what it does.” —QATARI MALE

Of the small population that has used e-government

offerings in Qatar, the vast majority agree that the

services are easy to use and that they are satisfied with

the experience (see Figure 32).

Apart from a distinct lack of awareness of e-govern-

ment offerings, people in Qatar also report a general

lack of trust in online government processes that

mirrors how they feel about online banking and shop-

ping. Most people report missing personal contact

in the process, while others have had (or heard of)

bad experiences, such as overcharging for services,

which only reinforced an existing discomfort with

e-commerce. Some respondents also complained

that there is no margin for negotiation in carrying out

certain government-related processes online, which

may relate to a cultural norm that expects negotiation

in almost all aspects of life.

Further expanding the number of e-government

services and either highlighting their benefits and/or

incentivizing their use is likely to go a long way toward

increasing usage. In addition, the survey indicates that

making e-government services available on a mobile

platform—in response to the general demand for

convenient, “on-the-go” services—would help further

increase awareness and usage. Indeed, 40 percent

of respondents reported that they are more likely

to use e-government services (including Hukoomi)

through an app on their mobile phones, while another

39 percent were neutral about the idea and could

possibly be converted into users by the availability of

relevant services and improved awareness levels (see

Figure 33).

Figure 32SATISFACTION USING HUKOOMI AND OTHER

ONLINE E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Note: The responses were captured with a 7-point scale: top two indicating satisfied, bottom two indicating not satisfied, and the middle three indicating neutralSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population who have used Hukoomi n=384Overall population who have used online e-government services n=362

75% 68%

22% 27%

3% 5% E-GOV

HUKOOMI

Satisfied Neutral Not satisfied

Figure 33INTEREST IN USING E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES

(INCLUDING HUKOOMI) THROUGH MOBILE APPS,OVERALL POPULATION

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population n=2,207

21%

39%

40%WOULD USE IT

WOULD NOT USE IT

NEUTRAL


Q-POST SERviCES

n 88% of the population has not used Q-Post’s services in the past 12 months

n Of those who are not aware of Q-Post online ser-vices, nearly half report that they are not interested in knowing more about them, as they are happy using global private courier services such as Dhl and aramex

n there is a general lack of awareness and willingness to learn regarding Q-Post’s online services

n Providing relevant and value-added services that benefit consumers will encourage people in Qatar to move toward the use of Q-Post’s online offerings

Key Findings

The Qatar Postal services Company, or Q-Post,

offers an array of mail-related services to people living

in Qatar, including letter and parcel mailing, P.O. box

rental, and stamps. Still, just 12 percent of the overall

population has used any of these services in the past

12 months.

In addition, there is a significant lack of awareness

when it comes to Q-Post’s online offerings, such as

mailing services, parcel tracking, paying for P.O. box

rentals, renewing residence permits, and accessing

customer service. In fact, only 12 percent of people

who are aware of Q-Post’s online services have used

them in the past year. In addition, nearly half of those

who are not aware of Q-Post’s online services in the

past year report that they are not interested in using

the web services (see Figure 34).

However, of those who have used Q-Post, 47 percent

are satisfied with the service, while another 43 percent

are neutral (see Figure 35).

Figure 35SATISFACTION WITH Q-POST SERVICES

Note: The responses were captured with a 7-point scale: top two indicating satisfied, bottom two indicating not satisfied, and the middle three indicating neutralSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Q-Post online services users in the overall population n=327

10%

43%

47%SATISFIED

NOT SATISFIED

NEUTRAL

Figure 34AWARENESS AND USAGE OF Q-POST

ONLINE SERVICES

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Overall population n=2,207

22%

22%

12%AWARE AND USED ONLINE SERVICES

NOT AWARE BUT INTERESTED TO KNOW

44%NOT AWARE AND NOT INTERESTED

AWARE BUT NEVER USED ONLINE SERVICES


ONLiNE SECuRiTy AND PRivACy

n 89% of internet users in Qatar download content

n 46% of respondents report that they have not faced any security issues in the past 12 months, still 42% of internet users in the overall population were con-cerned about viruses and malware while using the internet

n 38% of internet users are concerned about the lack of privacy online, while 30% are concerned about using services such as online banking

n to safeguard children against inappropriate content online, 30% of households with children in Qatar block or filter selected websites, and 23% super-vise the internet use of their children

n People in Qatar expect the government to monitor and control the internet to effectively protect user interests

Key Findings

online security remains a major concern

for people in Qatar—specifically the threat of viruses

and/or malware on the Internet. Privacy and fraud

issues are slightly lesser fears, but are likely to increase

as usage expands from basic activities such as social

networking and file downloading to e-commerce, on-

line banking, and other advanced activities. However,

it is important to note that privacy and fraud remain key

cited reasons for the low adoption of e-commerce and

online banking (see Figure 36).

Typically, women across all ages and ethnic groups

show a higher degree of concern regarding social me-

dia privacy than men, often due to cultural sensitivities

and the rising number of related fraud cases. During

the qualitative research, most people expressed

a view that the government should more actively

promote its anti-cybercrime initiatives in order to cre-

ate increased awareness of issues such as what to do

in the case of social media harassment or fraudulent

misappropriation and use of personal information.

In general, most people in Qatar do not feel safe when

connecting to the Internet using either a mobile phone

or fixed Internet services. Young Qataris along with

mid-range adult/older Qataris and Westerners report

very low levels of confidence in this area. On the

Figure 36CONCERNS WHILE USING INTERNET, OVERALL

Note: The responses were captured with a 7-point scale: top two indicating concerned, bottom two indicating not concerned, and the middle three indicating neutralSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Internet users in overall population n=2,045

42%Viruses/malware

36%Inappropriate content

38%Privacy concerns

30%Usage of services like online banking

35%Abuse of personal information

29%Financial loss

28%Fraudulent card use


“I don’t feel so comfortable storing my information online—like pictures, videos, or my documents—because someone might have access to it and spread it around or use it inappropriately.” —YOUNG QATARI, FEMALE

Figure 37FEELING SAFE WHILE CONNECTING TO INTERNET,

OVERALL AND BY SEGMENT


2% 2%

7% 6%

0% 0%

1% 1%

1% 2%

0% 0%

Feeling safe while connecting through moblie phone

Feeling safe while connecting through fixed Internet connection

8% 7%

22% 18%

6% 10%

7% 9%

6% 4%

OVERALL

YOUNG QATARIS

MID-RANGE ADULT/OLDER QATARIS

WESTERNERS

WHITE-COLLAR EXPAT ARABS, TECHNOLOGY INTERESTED

WHITE-COLLAR EXPAT ARABS, TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL

WHITE-COLLAR ASIANS, TECHNOLOGY INTERESTED

WHITE-COLLAR ASIANS, TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL

NON-QATARIS, BLUE COLLAR (NON-SHARED ACCOMMODATION)

NON-QATARIS, BLUE COLLAR (SHARED ACCOMMODATION)

TRANSIENT LABORERS

other hand, white-collar Asians who are comfortable

with technology are also most comfortable among all

segments with the security of both these technologies

(see Figure 37).

Younger consumers feel that the privacy settings of

social media websites are adequate for managing

content, whereas older consumers are often not aware

of privacy settings and don’t feel as confident or

comfortable sharing information online. Older respon-

dents also feel that the government should monitor

social media sites to remove any explicit or unwanted

content, especially material that is inappropriate for

children.

It is encouraging to note that in the past year just un-

der half of respondents in the overall population who

use the Internet indicated that they had not faced any

serious threats online. Of those who have experienced

problems, the major issues include viruses, privacy

concerns, inappropriate content, and the abuse of

personal information.

In response to potential safety issues online, 54 per-

cent of people overall proactively downloaded and

purchased anti-virus software, while 47 percent have

changed their passwords to safeguard against hacking

and fraud, and 18 percent have stopped posting per-

sonal information on social networking sites to protect

their privacy (see Figure 38).

When it comes to taking measures to ensure children’s

safety online, 30 percent of households with children

in Qatar block or filter selected websites, while

26 percent track their children’s computer activity.

Another 23 percent supervise their children’s Internet

use (see Figure 39).


Figure 39MEASURES TO ENSURE CHILDREN’S SAFETY ONLINE

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Households with children n=566

23%SUPERVISE USE

19%PREVENT CLICKS ON MALICIOUS SITES

30%BLOCK/FILTER SELECTED WEBSITES

38%NO MEASURES

15%TURN SAFE SEARCH ON

26%TRACK CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY ON THE COMPUTER

18%DISCUSS INTERNET SAFETY WITH CHILDREN

19%CHILDREN’S COMPUTER IS IN A COMMON ROOM

8%RANDOM CHECK OF CHILDREN’S E-MAIL

10%HAVE RULES ABOUT USE OF INTERNET AND PERSONAL DEVICES

8%INSTALL AN INTERNET CONTENT FILTER

BOUGHT/DOWNLOADED ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

CHANGED MY PERSONAL PASSWORD

STOPPED POSTING PERSONAL DETAILS ON SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

STOPPED USING SITE

NO CHANGE

STARTED FILTERING CONTENT

Figure 38CHANGES IN ONLINE BEHAVIOR

Source: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013Overall population n=2,207

OVERALL

QATARI

EXPAT ARABS

ASIAN

WESTERNERS

15%

18%

7%

15%

47% 54%

27%

14%

27%

42% 70%

33%

6%

25%

54% 70%

24%

11%

7%

10%

45% 45%

2%

6%

5%

78% 83%

0%

0%

0%


NEW SERviCES

n young Qataris are particularly enthusiastic about the launch of new technology-based services

n 72% of young Qataris reported an interest in mobile wallet; 69% are interested in money transfer via mo-bile; and nearly the same percentage are enthusias-tic about home energy systems and cloud storage

n the overall population is largely neutral about these services

Key Findings


survey, the interest level in new technology-based

services such as mobile wallet, mobile money transfer,

home energy systems, and cloud and virtual storage

vary across different demographic groups in Qatar.

Overall, nearly a third of people in Qatar are interested

in each of these new services, with young Qataris be-

ing the most interested in each service (see Figure 40).

According to the research, there is clearly a divide in

attitudes toward new services among the Qatari and

non-Qatari populations. Qataris show a relatively

higher degree of interest for new services whereas

non-Qataris remain more neutral, overall. Across the

board, young Qataris are most interested in all of the

new services studied, especially mobile-based ones—

a finding that echoes respondents’ interest in mobile

Hukoomi and other e-government services. This area

is worth further investment by ictQATAR, especially

given the country’s high mobile penetration rate.


“I would like to see a government cab service on the phone” —FEMALE, YOUNG, QATARI

MOBILE WALLET

Figure 40INTEREST IN NEWER TECHNOLOGY-BASED SERVICES, OVERALL AND YOUNG QATARIS

MONEY TRANSFER VIA MOBILE

HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS CLOUD/VIRTUAL STORAGE

Note: Interest refers to the top two boxes and non-interest refers to the bottom two boxes on a 7-point scaleSource: Households and Individuals Survey, 2013 Overall population n=2,207Young Qataris=141

15%

59%

26%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

11%

18%

72%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

22%

48%

30%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

10%

22%

69%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

16%

56%

29%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

15%

18%

67%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

15%

57%

29%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

15%

25%

60%INTERESTED

NOT INTERESTED

NEUTRAL

Overall

Young Qataris

Overall

Young Qataris

Overall

Young Qataris

Overall

Young Qataris


CONCLuSiON

atar’s ICT Landscape Report 2014: House-

holds and Individuals highlights many encouraging

developments in Qatar’s ongoing quest to build an

advanced ICT sector that secures a bright future for

Qatar and its people. The research clearly demon-

strates that the country continues to steadily improve

its performance against international benchmarks on

almost every key ICT indicator. This is an important ac-

complishment—and a direct result of the government’s

prioritization of technology and its constant efforts to

both measure and manage gaps in the expansion of

ICT penetration and usage.

The great strides made in recent years in areas such as

usage of ICT devices and Internet penetration indicate

that ictQATAR’s policy initiatives are working, and have

created an environment that encourages the adop-

tion and use of various technologies among residents.

However, there are still areas where Qatar can improve.

While mature devices including mobile phones are

used by nearly 100 percent of the population, newer

devices like smartphones and tablets have yet to

penetrate fully—particularly in specific demographic

segments such as the transient labor population.

In order to continue building an advanced informa-

tion society and a true knowledge-based economy,

Qatar must maintain its focus on building the next-

generation infrastructure that will bring high-quality,

high-speed, affordable broadband to the nation. The

country must also continue to address other barriers

such as high ICT costs, security concerns, and the

need for more advanced ICT knowledge and skills

across all demographic groups.

Indeed, increased ICT education and training for all

in Qatar will not only lead to universal penetration but

will also drive the further adoption of advanced, next-

generation Internet-based services such as e-banking,

e-commerce, and e-government. This, in turn, will

encourage further innovation and success in both the

ICT market and the economy in general.

The nationwide effort underway to accelerate e-

government efforts across Qatar, including offering


new and enhanced end-to-end services, should result

in greater awareness and usage by those who live

and work in Qatar. Ongoing initiatives in this area will

also result in an ever more streamlined, effective, and

transparent government.

Moving forward, it is crucial to focus on the increasing

interest in mobile-based services that emerged from

the households and individuals survey. The demand

for portable Internet-enabled devices and mobile

Internet connections is already growing in Qatar,

throughout the Middle East, and globally, and it is

clear that technology “on the go” is the wave of the

future. This is just one more step on Qatar’s quest to

harness the power of ICT, which will drive innovation

well into the future.


R E S E a R c h m E t h O D O lO gy

g lO SSa Ry

D E F i n i t i O n S

APPENDix


RESEARCH mETHODOLOGy

The data collection was done August–October

2013 and was divided into two phases:

Phase I was the qualitative evaluation to explore cur-

rent attitudes toward technology and the changes in

behavior as a result of ICT usage. Further, the objec-

tive was to identify the current drivers and barriers for

usage of services and new concepts for all the people

in Qatar—Qataris as well as expats. This phase

comprised 11 focus groups, with 5–6 people each,

and three in-depth interviews.

Phase II was the quantitative research with a focus

on collecting new data on established indicators as

well as those identified in Phase I. In addition, this

research also helped in developing a segmentation

model for Qatar.

The sample chosen for the report is representative

of people living in Qatar, and was selected to ensure

proper coverage with regard to gender, nationality,

age, and municipality. The report analyzes the data on

two levels: household and individual. This takes into

account the fact that even if digital devices or services

are available in a home, it does not mean that each

and every individual is using them.

For the purpose of this study, and based on inter-

national standards and practices, penetration with

regard to individuals is defined as the percentage of

respondents who have used a device or service in the

past 12 months; for households, it is the percentage

of households that own a device or have access to

a service.

Qatar, like most Middle Eastern countries, has at-

tracted a large number of expatriates in recent years;

this group includes professional workers and their

Table 1RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, QUALITATIVE PHASE

Sample/Target Group

Methodology

Male/female

Age 15+ years

Across nationalities

Residing in Doha (including Greater Doha)

Individuals recruited through a recruitment questionnaire and invited to the venue for discussion

11 groups, each of which had 5–6 individuals with a similar profile

Groups were moderated by experienced moderators of research partner with bilingual skills (Arabic and English)


Table 2RESEARCH METHODOLOGY, QUANTITATIVE PHASE

Sample/Target Group

Methodology

Total: 2,207 respondents

Age 15+ years old

Male and female

Mainstream population: 1,957 respondents

Transient labor: 250 respondents

Data collection: Face-to-face interviews

Sampling: Stratified quota sampling

families and also a large base of transient laborers

who stay in the country for short periods of time. This

means that Qatar’s overall population regularly fluctu-

ates. For the purposes of this study and this report, the

overall population includes both the mainstream and

transient populations.

The mainstream population of Qatar comprises Qatar-

is and expatriate residents of Qatar age 15 and older,

including self-employed and employer-paid residents

who reside in households (shared or otherwise) and

unlike transient populations, do not reside in labor ac-

commodations. The mainstream population in Qatar is

estimated by Ericsson ConsumerLab to be more than

70 percent of the in-scope population (i.e., the total

population of Qatar 15 years of age and older).

Transient population has been categorized as work-

ers staying in labor accommodations and working

on short-term assignments, particularly within the

construction industry. For the purposes of this study,

representatives of the transient population category

were expatriate males between the ages of 20 and 39.

A household includes mainstream individuals who

occupy a housing unit that is intended for year-round

and not seasonal or migratory use. The occupants

may be a single family or any other group of related or

unrelated people who share living arrangements.

A broad-level cross-country comparison is also

included as part of the report. The comparison

provides a macro view of the economy and high-level

benchmarking based on various ICT parameters. The

comparisons are based on secondary research from a

range of additional resources, including international

organizations that analyze ICT-related country data,

such as the International Telecommunication Union

(ITU), the United Nations (UN), and the World Eco-

nomic Forum (WEF). The specific countries selected

for this comparison are listed in Table 3 (on the follow-

ing page), along with the rationale for selecting that

country.


The NRI rankings are based on the Global Information

Technology Report 2013, sponsored by the World

Economic Forum and INSEAD. The countries chosen

for the overall comparative analysis are mostly from

Qatar’s ICT Landscape 2013: Households and Individ-

uals. The selection criteria included a mix of high-GDP

and high-ICT-penetration states. A developed market

perspective is provided by comparisons with Sweden,

UK, and Germany. Regional (GCC) comparisons are

made with UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi

Arabia. India, Estonia, and Brazil provide emerging

market comparisons. Singapore, Taiwan, and South

Korea provide insights into developed yet small

Asian countries. Data from prior years’ surveys and

international reports (such as ITU’s 2013 Measuring

the Information Society and WEF’s Global Information

Technology Report 2013) has also been used to arrive

at trend analysis for a few ICT parameters.

Percentages and rates presented in the graphs/tables

of the report are based on weighted data. The “n”

number shows the unweighted base, which repre-

sents the number of people/households interviewed

in the specified group.

Percentages shown in the report are presented up to

one decimal place and may not add up to 100 percent

due to rounding.

Analysis excludes don’t know/refusals unless other-

wise specified.

Table 3RATIONALES FOR BENCHMARKED COUNTRIES

Bahrain

Brazil

Estonia

Germany

India

Kuwait

Oman

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Sweden

Taiwan

UAE

UK

COUNTRY RATIONALENETWORK READINESS INDEX RANK

25

60

22

13

68

62

40

31

2

11

3

10

25

7

Regional comparison (GCC)

Fast-improving emerging economy

Fast improvement in ICT penetration

High GDP (EU)

Emerging economy




High GDP Asian city-state

High ICT penetration

High GDP economy, high NRI rank

High GDP Asian small state


High GDP economy, high ICT penetration


FTTH Fiber-to-the-home

GCC gulf cooperation council

GDP gross Domestic Product

ICT information and communications technology

IPTV internet Protocol television

IT information technology

ITu international telecommunication union

MBB mobile Broadband

MoI the ministry of the interior

NRI networked Readiness index

PC Personal computer

QAR Qatari Riyal

Report, the Qatar’s ICT Landscape 2014: Households and Individuals

survey, the households and individuals Survey, 2013

uAe united arab Emirates

uK united kingdom

GLOSSARy


DEFiNiTiONS

services, Advanced Advanced online services

such as online banking, e-commerce, transac-

tional, e-government.

services, Basic Basic online services include

browsing, social networking, downloading con-

tent, peer-to-peer file sharing, and e-mail.

Fixed-Line Internet DSL/ADSL/VDSL line-based

connection to the Internet. Dial-up connections,

unless otherwise mentioned are also included as

fixed-line connections.

Mobile Broadband Mobile broadband is the term

for high-speed wireless Internet access through a

portable modem, mobile phone, USB wireless

modem, tablet, or another mobile device.

Blue Collar In the context of the Ericsson Consum-

erLab Segmentation Model, this indicates a

middle-income individual probably working in the

manufacturing industry. This term is used

only for representational purposes.

White Collar In the context of the Ericsson Consu-

merLab Segmentation Model, this indicates an

upper-middle-income individual probably work-

ing in the services industry. This term is used

only for representational purposes.

Mobile Internet Mobile Internet refers to access to

the World Wide Web, that is, by using

browser-based Internet services, from a handheld

mobile device, such as a smartphone,

feature phone, or other mobile device (tablet),

connected to a mobile network or another

wireless network. Technologies used could be

2G, EDGE, 3G, 4G LTE, etc.

Mobile Wallet Also known as m-money. Where

consumers can use their mobile phones to

purchase goods and services. Usually the mobile

phones are linked to the consumer’s bank ac-

counts.

smartphones Apple iOS, BB OS, Android, or

Windows feature phones enabling the user to

connect to the Internet via mobile Internet, and

WiFi through OTT applications.

overall Population Includes all residents of the

state of Qatar across all ethnicities, age-groups

(over 15 years), industries employed in, and

education levels.

Mainstream Population Includes all residents of

the state of Qatar who do not reside in labor

accommodations. This group constitutes more

than 70 percent of the population of Qatar.

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