Amazon has revealed the most prominent features of its personal assistant Alexa in the Middle East region for the year 2023. The users interacted with it at an average rate of 14 times per day, with the number of customers engaging with Alexa increasing by 40 percent in 2023 compared to 30 percent in 2020. This growth is attributed to the provision of local experiences in Arabic and the Gulf dialect for users in Saudi Arabia.

Smart Home Management
Smart home management commands took the top spot in terms of interactions with Alexa in the Middle East, as users increasingly relied on Alexa to control interconnected smart devices. Users commanded Alexa to control lighting 24 million times in various homes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE during 2023. Air conditioning devices were managed more than 8.9 million times, making them the second most controlled smart device via Alexa in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Reports indicate that users in the Middle East own an average of 11 smart devices linked with Alexa, highlighting the growth of smart home device management via voice commands.

In addition to smart home management, the smart assistant was used in various religious duties features, including the streaming of the Holy Quran recitations. Surah Al-Baqarah was the most requested for recitation, with Maher Al-Muaiqly being the most sought-after reciter.

Radio, Music, and Podcasts
As for entertainment, listening to radio, music, and podcasts was the second most used feature in the region. Arabian melodies delighted the ears of the Gulf listeners, with Mohamed Abdu being the most requested artist, followed by Fairuz, Khalid Abdul Rahman, Amr Diab, and Abdul Majeed Abdullah. "Calm music" was the most widespread music genre. In terms of games, "The Blue Genie" was the most popular on Alexa.

The increase in interactions in the Middle East is linked to providing a local experience tailored to Alexa users, through a vocal performance that resonates with users' lives.

Arabic Language and Gulf Dialects
Alexa supports the Arabic language in the Gulf dialect, widely spoken in the Arabian Gulf region, and offers content in Arabic, whether it is reading the news, weather reports, music, or various other specialized voice application skills. Amazon has added a range of features aimed at enhancing the user experience, including Alexa's ability to respond in both Arabic and English without the need to change language settings. The company also updated the smart home management center to improve the ability to control various smart devices directly on the Echo Show screens and introduced the ability for users to interact with Alexa in writing via the smartphone app. To enhance religious duties features, Echo Show devices now display Quranic verses during their recitation. Smart devices can now be controlled with specified operating times and durations, with the ability to easily cancel these commands when needed.

The Third Generation of Echo Show 8
Amazon has launched the third generation of the Echo Show 8 in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, designed to provide a distinguished and seamless experience tailored for Alexa users in their homes. The design has been updated with a modern aesthetic, featuring simple, sleek rear angles, along with an improved processor supporting faster response speeds. This new generation enhances the audio experience with greater clarity and depth and improves video interactions thanks to the upgraded camera. The adaptive content feature offers an impressive interactive experience, as the screen adapts to the user's proximity to the device and adjusts the displayed content accordingly. Additionally, the new Echo Pop device was launched in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, presenting a unique spherical design, and offers a front-facing directional speaker specifically crafted to deliver high-quality audio experiences in all room sizes.