Because Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets and is poised to play an increasingly critical role globally, Facebook has been sharing with Communicate a four-part video series about consumer trends and habits in the Kingdom. Check out part 1 about the convenience gap here.

Today, we learn about the participation paradigm. Just like their counterparts around the world, people in Saudi Arabia have a growing thirst for (safe) adventure when shopping – it’s perhaps no surprise that nearly half of the consumers surveyed (48%) say their Live Shopping has increased over the past year with key categories such as luxury fashion, auto accessories, sports equipment, and travel accessories being the most popular. They want a new type of relationship with brands, whom they also expect to adopt new technology – for fun, function, or both. 87% said social media has allowed them to interact more and deepen their relationship with brands, with 84% being open to trying new and different ways of shopping. From augmented reality to interactive ads, when it comes to forging closer relationships with consumers, for many brands, it pays to play.

To learn more, watch the video:

This series is based on in-depth, extensive research conducted by Facebook IQ and Ipsos in 14 markets under the title “Emerging Trends: The Forces Shaping the Future Today.” To understand the conditions that enable people to build for the future today, read the full study here.