Despite facing bans or restrictions in over 20 countries due to data security concerns, TikTok emerged as the most popular app in the UAE in 2024.
According to Sensor Tower’s State of Mobile 2025 report, the short-form video platform led both in total time spent and in-app purchase (IAP) revenue. UAE users logged 7.63 billion hours on TikTok last year, reflecting a 10% year-over-year (YoY) increase. The app also saw a significant boost in consumer spending, generating $146 million in IAP revenue—a 37% rise from 2023.
Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Messenger, and Telegram followed closely in social media app downloads. Overall, UAE users spent 9.87 billion hours on social media, resulting in $155 million in IAP revenue and 44.8 million downloads.
A major trend in 2024 was the surge of AI chatbot apps, with ChatGPT ranking as the most downloaded AI chatbot in the UAE, followed by Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Global downloads of AI chatbot apps skyrocketed by 119% in the fourth quarter alone.
The UAE also recorded a 13% YoY increase in mobile gaming IAPs, reaching $276.7 million. Worldwide, mobile game revenues hit $80.9 billion despite a slight dip in downloads.
In the finance sector, Tabby, Taptap Send, and C3Pay dominated the UAE market, aligning with a global uptick in financial app downloads, which surpassed 7 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, Temu led retail app downloads in the country, followed by Trendyol, Shein, Noon, and Amazon Shopping.
Globally, social media apps remained dominant, with users spending nearly 2.4 trillion hours on them in 2024, far outpacing other app categories.
