Network Saudi Arabia
Qualitative market research in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has 34.7 million people, a median age of 29.6 and 99 per cent of them online (DataReportal, Digital 2026), in a market changing faster than any guide written three years ago. Qualitative research there works when sessions are planned by gender at recruitment, moderated in Gulf Arabic by someone who lives in the Kingdom, and read city by city, because Riyadh and Jeddah answer differently. MindMarket runs in-depth interviews, focus groups and shop-alongs in Saudi Arabia from its Dubai office, and has explored nicotine use in Riyadh and luxury shopping across the Gulf for international clients.
AT A GLANCE
Saudi Arabia at a glance for researchers
- Population. 34.7 million people, median age 29.6, 85 per cent urban (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Young, urban and connected, with a large expatriate workforce alongside Saudi nationals.
- Languages. Arabic, in the Gulf and Hijazi varieties, with English common among professionals and expatriates. Our moderators live in the Kingdom, work in Arabic and English, and are matched to the gender of the group.
- Internet and mobile. 34.4 million internet users and 48.7 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Online interviews run well and are often the easiest way to reach women at home.
- Where fieldwork happens. Riyadh and Jeddah first, with Dammam and the Eastern Province when your audience lives there. The two big cities differ in family structure, social life and shopping, so we read them separately.
- Data protection. The Personal Data Protection Law, in force since September 2023: consent before personal data is processed, a stated purpose and rules on transfers out of the Kingdom. Recordings and incentives are handled accordingly.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan, and the Hajj and Eid weeks slow Jeddah and Makkah. Summer heat moves sessions to the evening. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Saudi Arabia?
In Europe, you recruit a consumer. In Saudi Arabia, you recruit a person inside a family, and the family is often in the room, in the decision or on the phone.
- Gender planned at recruitment. Women's groups with a female moderator, men's groups with a male one, and mixed sessions only when the category and the participants allow it. We decide this with you before recruitment starts.
- The family in the decision. Our Middle East guide notes that major purchases in Riyadh often involve several family members. We ask who else weighs in, and sometimes interview them too.
- Riyadh is not Jeddah. Two women of the same age and income answer differently in the capital and on the coast, from media habits to brand perception. We read each city on its own before comparing.
- Venues and hours that fit. Private majlis-style rooms, hotel suites and homes rather than viewing facilities, evening sessions in summer, and online interviews when women prefer to join from home.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Saudi Arabia?
- We recruit through local partners in Riyadh and Jeddah, who find the people your brief describes, Saudi nationals and expatriates, by city, gender and family situation.
- Affluent and senior Saudi participants are reached through personal referrals and community networks, not panels, and it takes longer; we say so before the project starts.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Saudi Arabia?
Most studies in Saudi Arabia run as in-depth interviews and single-gender focus groups, with online interviews, shop-alongs in the malls and mystery shopping when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Personal and sensitive categories, affluent participants and family decisions | Match the moderator's gender; allow time for hospitality before the questions |
| Single-gender focus groups | How a category is talked about among peers, from beauty to cars | Keep groups small; social standing shapes who speaks first |
| Online in-depth interviews | Women at home, professionals, and participants across cities | Schedule around prayer times and the Friday to Saturday weekend |
| Shop-alongs in malls | Luxury, beauty and grocery decisions, where the mall is the social space | Mall permissions and discreet note-taking; filming is rarely allowed |
| Mystery shopping | Retail, hospitality and car showrooms, including service to women customers | Brief evaluators on local service norms and on gendered sections |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Saudi Arabia
How much does market research cost in Saudi Arabia?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Saudi Arabia added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Affluent Saudi audiences and sensitive categories cost more to recruit, because they are reached through referrals. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
Can you interview Saudi women?
Yes. Women's sessions run with a female moderator who lives in the Kingdom, in a private venue or online from home, and the format is agreed with you at recruitment. Women's and men's sessions are reported side by side, because the two often disagree.
Should I run interviews online or in person in Saudi Arabia?
Both work: 99 per cent of Saudis are online (DataReportal, Digital 2026), and online interviews are often the easiest way to reach women and busy professionals. In person, in a private room or at home, for affluent participants, family decisions and sensitive categories.
Is Riyadh enough, or do I need Jeddah too?
It depends on your category, but the two cities differ in family structure, social life, shopping and media, and our Middle East guide shows two young professionals of the same age and income answering differently in each. For a national read, we recommend both.
When should I not plan fieldwork in Saudi Arabia?
During Ramadan, which we never schedule, and in the Hajj and Eid weeks, when Jeddah and Makkah slow down. Summer sessions move to the evening because of the heat. Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year, so check the dates when you plan.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Saudi Arabia told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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