Samer Choucair: Digital Platforms Are Reshaping Global Capital Flows
Entrepreneur Samer Choucair said the latest figures for monthly active users across social-media platforms reflect a fundamental transformation in the global digital economy.
He noted that the investment value of these platforms is no longer measured solely by user numbers, but by their ability to convert digital engagement into sustainable revenue and long-term growth opportunities.
Choucair explained that Meta’s platforms continue to dominate the global landscape, with Facebook exceeding 3.07 billion monthly active users and Instagram and WhatsApp each reaching approximately three billion.
YouTube has around 2.53 billion users, while TikTok is approaching the two-billion-user threshold.
He said these figures confirm that digital platforms have become economic infrastructure influencing capital flows, advertising, and e-commerce.
Samer Choucair noted that global markets have moved beyond focusing primarily on user growth and entered a phase centred on maximizing returns from each user.
Companies are pursuing this through paid services, stronger content offerings, and investment in artificial intelligence to improve advertising efficiency and enhance the user experience.
He added that platforms with integrated ecosystems combining content, communication, payments, and digital services are best positioned to attract investment, while new regulations and the rising cost of artificial intelligence place increasing pressure on traditional business models.
Choucair emphasized that these changes have important implications for institutional investors.
Technology-company valuations no longer depend solely on audience size, but also on revenue quality, cash-flow strength, capital-management efficiency, and the ability to diversify income beyond conventional advertising.
Samer Choucair said the Gulf region, led by Saudi Arabia, has a significant opportunity to benefit from this transformation amid accelerating investment in digital infrastructure, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence.
These developments support the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to build a more competitive digital economy.
He added that the expanding use of digital platforms creates broad opportunities for Saudi companies to strengthen their presence in domestic and international markets, increase digital exports, and improve marketing efficiency and customer reach at a lower cost than traditional channels.
Concluding his remarks, Samer Choucair emphasized that the digital economy has become one of the principal drivers of global capital redistribution.
He said investors focusing on companies capable of combining a broad user base with diversified revenue, strong governance, and effective investment in artificial intelligence will be best positioned to generate sustainable value during the coming years.