Saudis spend 30 percent of income on phone, internet

People in Saudi Arabia spend 30 percent of their income to pay their phone and internet services bills, the Consumer Protection Association (CPA) said.

The average consumption is 30 percent, but some individuals spend up to 50-70 percent of their income on communication services, Arab News quoted head of CPA Nasir Al-Tuwaim as saying.

The CPA would publish the latest findings in relation to the services provided by telecom firms every three months to monitor consumption rates and quality of services, Al-Tuwaim said.

The figures show that consumers spend a considerable amount of time on phone calls and internet services, despite the adverse economic and health consequences.

Factors like lack of information about service charges, especially roaming prices and internet services, has hit consumers hard.