Saudi Arabia Sees Dating Boom For Tinder, Other Apps

In Saudi Arabia, dating apps like Tinder have become a key outlet for young people exploring romance in a rapidly changing society. A Wall Street Journal report highlights how liberalization under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 has fueled this growth, enabling more casual interactions that were once heavily restricted.

A decade ago, premarital dating was largely taboo, with meetings often limited to family-arranged introductions focused on marriage. Strict moral codes, enforced by religious police, discouraged gender mixing and romantic pursuits outside family oversight. Today, downloads of top dating apps in the kingdom reached 3.5 million in 2025 – rising annually over the past five years, per market-intelligence firm Sensor Tower. These platforms generated nearly $16 million in net in-app revenue last year, reflecting strong user engagement in a population of about 35 million.

Profiles on Tinder illustrate the cautious yet evolving approach: many women obscure faces with emojis, photos of hands, cafes, or travel scenes, while bios signal interests like sports or casual connections. Some users are more open, showing faces in traditional attire (thobe for men, abaya for women) or sharing names and universities. Hookups are subtly indicated (e.g., via emojis), but anonymity remains common, especially for women and LGBTQ+ users who face greater stigma.

Vision 2030 reforms, such as desegregating cafes and easing restrictioon on alcohol – have created space for mingling. Young Saudis now meet at hip cafes in Riyadh and Jeddah, large events, or discreet spots found by word of mouth, and secret car dates persist in conservative areas.

However, society is still adapting. As 23-year-old Tala Alarfaj noted in the WSJ report, “My generation grew up secluded and in gender-segregated schools. People are still getting used to the concept of dating”.