This study was conducted in collaboration between the World of Opinions for Polls, the Gulf Opinions Center for Polls and Statistics, and D3 Systems. It primarily aimed to understand the media behavior of Kuwaiti society, specifically examining the extent to which Kuwaiti citizens and Arab expatriates read Kuwaiti daily (printed) newspapers. This includes the newspapers they prefer over others, the average daily time spent reading them, the number of days per week they read them, the most attractive newspaper sections for readers, and their sources for obtaining these newspapers. Additionally, the study explored the extent to which readers follow these newspapers via social media platforms, analyzed the impact of demographic factors on their interaction with newspapers, and reviewed the general media outlets followed in Kuwait to establish a comprehensive overview of media behavior and consumption in Kuwaiti society.

The study relied on a sample encompassing various segments of Kuwaiti society, including both citizens and Arab expatriates aged 18 and older. Data was collected between June 1, 2018, and October 15, 2018, through face-to-face interviews at sampled locations as well as an electronic link customized for each respondent. The number of approved responses reached 2,050.

Key Findings of the Study:

  1. 85.3% of the participants read daily newspapers, compared to 14.7% who do not read any of them.
  2. Al-Rai is the most widely read Kuwaiti daily newspaper among general readers and non-Kuwaitis, followed by Al-Anba. However, Al-Anba is the most read among Kuwaiti citizens, while Al-Wasat is the least read across all categories.
  3. Al-Rai secured first place, closely followed by Al-Anba, as the two most read, browsed, or skimmed daily newspapers in the past week, leading other daily newspapers by a very large margin.
  4. Females read newspapers like Al-Seyassah, An-Nahar, Al-Sabah, and Al-Kuwaitiah more than males. On the other hand, males read Al-Rai and Al-Qabas more frequently. Meanwhile, readership percentages between males and females are nearly equal for Al-Anba, Al-Jarida, Al-Wasat, and Al-Shahed.
  5. Al-Wasat was the most read newspaper among those under 20 and those aged 20–39. Al-Anba was the most read among those aged 40–59, while Al-Jarida was the most popular among individuals aged 60 and older.
  6. Al-Anba is the Kuwaiti daily newspaper most regularly read on a day-to-day basis, with 31.6% of its readers typically reading it every day of the week, followed by Al-Qabas at 29.3%. Conversely, Al-Seyassah recorded the lowest daily readership at approximately 8%.
  7. Readers of Al-Sabah, Al-Jarida, Al-Anba, and Al-Qabas spend more time reading compared to other newspapers, whereas readers of An-Nahar, Al-Wasat, and Al-Kuwaitiah spend the least amount of time.
  8. Al-Anba holds the highest percentage of readers with a paid subscription, followed by Al-Rai and then Al-Jarida, while Al-Kuwaitiah ranks last.
  9. The percentage of readers who obtain Al-Jarida by purchasing it from points of sale is the lowest among all newspapers, whereas the highest percentage for this method was recorded for Al-Wasat.
  10. The percentage of readers who obtained Al-Wasat and Al-Anba from their workplace is the lowest among all newspapers, while Al-Sabah, Al-Seyassah, and An-Nahar yielded the highest percentages for workplace access.
  11. Al-Seyassah is the newspaper most frequently obtained by readers from public spaces, while Al-Rai is the least obtained from these locations.
  12. Al-Wasat is the most read newspaper online for its latest edition, exceeding 25% of its readers, while Al-Sabah is the lowest at 11.3%.
  13. Al-Sabah ranks first in terms of the percentage of readers who accessed the latest issue via the newspaper’s mobile application, while Al-Seyassah ranks last.
  14. The social media platform Instagram is the most widely used network to access the latest issues of various daily newspapers, with 43% of readers accessing their favorite newspaper through it. This is followed by Twitter at 36% and Facebook at 19%.
  15. The Front Page is the top priority for readers of daily newspapers in Kuwait, capturing the interest of over 17% of readers. This is followed by Local News at 14.4%, Sports News at 8.8%, and Arab & International News at 7.7%. On the other hand, the Interview page, the religious page, and Obituaries receive the lowest levels of interest and engagement.
  16. The Front Page and the Security/Police News Page in Al-Anba attracted the highest percentage of readers compared to their corresponding sections in all other daily newspapers.
    • The highest readership for Local News belongs to Al-Qabas, while the Sports Page in both Al-Rai and Al-Sabah is the most read among all newspapers.
    • The highest readership for Arab & International News belongs to both Al-Shahed and Al-Qabas, while the Back Page of Al-Wasat achieved the highest engagement among its counterparts.
    • The highest readership for National Assembly (Parliament) News belongs to Al-Kuwaitiah.
    • The highest readership for the Accidents Page is found in An-Nahar.
    • Economic News in Al-Rai attracts the highest interest among all newspapers, while the highest readership for Egyptian News is found in An-Nahar.
    • The highest percentage for Opinions & Op-Eds is found in Al-Wasat, and for Investigative Features in Al-Sabah.
    • The highest readership for Arts & Culture is split between An-Nahar and Al-Wasat, while Puzzles & Entertainment peaks in Al-Sabah.
  17. Social media networks and websites serve as the main channels for following commercial advertisements for two-thirds of the participants.
  18. Females follow advertisements through social media, television channels, and radio more frequently than males.
  19. In general, Kuwaiti citizens follow advertisements more than expatriates; the percentage of Kuwaitis who track ads via social networks and satellite TV channels is twice that of non-Kuwaitis.

 

You can download the full study report from the “Publications” section.