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RIYADH: Popular short-video platform TikTok contributed SR3.9 billion ($1.04 billion) to ����ֱ��’s gross domestic product in 2024 and supported more than 25,000 jobs across the Kingdom, according to a new report released on Thursday.

The findings, published in TikTok’s first socio-economic impact report for the Kingdom, were produced in collaboration with Redseer Strategy Consultants.

“The TikTok Effect” highlighted the platform’s role in economic diversification, entrepreneurship and cultural expression as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 transformation.

It revealed TikTok has helped more than 170,000 small and medium-sized businesses active on the platform to expand their outreach and increase their operational efficiency, creating new opportunities for creatives and entrepreneurs.

By giving them the platform, TikTok empowered the businesses to generate SR3 billion ($800 million) in additional revenue last year through its advertising tools and free services. This aligned with Vision 2030’s aim of increasing the GDP share of SMBs to 35 percent, TikTok said.

Around 61 percent of Saudi SMBs using TikTok reported improved brand visibility, while nearly half said they had launched new products in response to audience feedback. Around 42 percent said TikTok helped reduce marketing time and costs, allowing them to focus on growth.

The platform also powered the content economy in ����ֱ��, with 54 percent of local creators saying the platform helped them reach their target audiences.

According to the report, TikTok, which hosts over one million creators, has become a key tool for community engagement, self-expression and financial independence particularly among youth and women.

More than half of surveyed SMBs said TikTok encouraged young Saudis to launch ventures. Meanwhile, 23 percent of female Saudi entrepreneurs said they were inspired to start their business because of their experience on the platform.

“TikTok’s impact in ����ֱ�� extends well beyond entertainment. The platform is fostering entrepreneurship, enabling job creation and strengthening cultural identity,” said Hatem Samman, TikTok’s executive director of government relations and public policy for ����ֱ��.

“We are encouraged by the rapid growth of content creation and digital innovation in the Kingdom, which are paving the way for new industries and economic opportunities.”

The report said TikTok was also supporting ����ֱ��’s tourism goals by positioning it as a global destination. Internationally, 30 percent of users surveyed said they were inspired to visit the Kingdom after engaging with content on TikTok, while 25 percent said the platform improved its image abroad in areas such as tourism, sports, and culture.

Beyond business growth, TikTok also shapes consumer choices and spending, according to the report. In 2024, the platform influenced SR110 billion ($29.3 billion) in annual consumer purchases and generated an estimated SR19 billion ($5 billion) in consumer surplus.

It also helped amplify ����ֱ��’s cultural identity, with 88 percent of local users saying it promoted national pride. Nearly 40 percent said the platform helped them express their heritage, while 42 percent discovered new domestic travel destinations through Saudi content.

“As ����ֱ�� advances toward its Vision 2030 objectives, TikTok is proud to serve as a partner in unlocking opportunities for businesses, creators, and communities across the country,” Samman said.

SHARJAH: Former Egyptian information minister Osama Heikal told Arab News on Wednesday that both his country’s media and government failed to properly challenge Israel’s false claims about the Gaza blockade at the Rafah crossing.

Heikal, who was speaking at the International Government Communication Forum 2025 in Sharjah, described the two parties as being “negligent” in dealing with news of the blockade on Egypt’s border.

“There is no doubt that Israel resorts to deception in its statements … They said the Egyptian crossing is closed (and Israel) is not imposing a blockade on the Palestinians in Gaza. But in reality, the truth is that the crossing has two sides,” he explained.

The Rafah crossing was a vital entry point of aid in the early months of Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza, until Israeli troops took over its Palestinian side in May 2024, forcing it shut. The crossing borders Egypt and Tel Aviv continued to accuse Cairo of keeping it closed.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi repeatedly denied these claims, most recently on Aug. 5 and said Egypt would always remain a gateway for aid but not one for the displacement of the Palestinian people.

“Unfortunately, because we were negligent in handling this matter in the media, some people believed this claim. This is the result of the decline in education levels and cultural awareness in general,” Heikal told Arab News.

Heikal emphasized that news must fulfil three criteria which are speed, accuracy and credibility.

“In times of crises, it’s human nature to want to know what’s going on, so whoever shares the news first wins, regardless of its accuracy, usually the narrative that sticks is the first and fastest one that reaches people in times of crisis,” he added.

International entities including the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the UN have declared a famine in Gaza for over 500,000 people.

The agencies collectively called for an immediate and full-scale humanitarian response given the escalating hunger-related deaths, rapidly worsening levels of acute malnutrition, and plummeting levels of food consumption.

However, Israel and many others deny these claims.

Heikal said that for this information to be verified Israel must allow journalists and media into the Gaza Strip.

“They are preventing entry. And this in itself proves the idea we are talking about: that they closed the crossing and prevented people from entering so they could be left alone with the Palestinians inside, carrying out mass killings in this way under the sight and hearing of the entire world.

“Therefore, we are facing a crime against humanity, and I believe that future generations will not be lenient about this issue,” he said.