Ramadan marketing campaigns: a planning and execution guide

Ramadan is the most important marketing season in the Arab world. Content consumption rises, spending rises, and so does the number of advertisers. Brands that plan early win; brands that start on the first day pay more and reach less.

Why Ramadan is different

• Usage patterns shift: peak usage moves to after iftar and around suhoor.
• Ad competition rises, so costs go up, especially late in the month and before Eid.
• The mood is different: family, human and spiritual content resonates more.
• Buying shifts: food, Eid clothing, gifts, travel, real estate and big offers.

Suggested timeline

4–6 weeks before Ramadan

• Set goals, offers and budget.
• Prepare all creative: videos, designs and copy.
• Build retargeting audiences with pre-season content.

First two weeks of Ramadan

• Awareness and engagement campaigns with Ramadan content.
• Core offers for in-demand products.

Last 10 days

• Focus on sales and Eid offers.
• Heavy retargeting of people who engaged earlier.

Eid and after

• Eid offers, thank-you messages, and campaigns for new customers won during Ramadan.

Budget and timing

• Expect higher costs than normal months, and put more budget on peak buying days.
• Use ad scheduling if your product sells at specific times (after iftar, for example).
• Don't stop and restart ads abruptly; it pushes campaigns back into learning.

Ramadan content ideas

• Human and family stories connected to the brand.
• Useful content: recipes, time management, gift ideas.
• Daily offers or "tonight's deal".
• Light post-iftar competitions.
• Behind-the-scenes content from your team.

Market differences

• Egypt: TV series and shows dominate attention, and light comedic content performs well.
• Saudi Arabia and the Gulf: higher spending, buying peaks tied to Eid and paydays, and Snapchat and TikTok are key channels.
• UAE: a multinational audience, so run messages in Arabic and English.

Common Ramadan mistakes

• Starting late and producing creative at the last minute.
• Over-the-top Ramadan content with no brand message.
• One ad for the whole month.
• Slow replies to messages at post-iftar peak times.
• No Eid plan.

Bottom line

Ramadan is a big opportunity when treated as a season with a full plan: early preparation, fitting messages and budget spread correctly across the month and Eid. For a Ramadan plan for your brand, get in touch or read more about our media buying service.

Frequently asked questions