In this article
Key takeaways
- Kids and toys are 9,117 ads (6% of Gulf ads) from 1,923 advertisers: a spread-out category nobody owns.
- A gift in 25% of kids ads against 10% across the Gulf: "one more piece" is the category's first argument after the discount (40%).
- Saudi Arabia (28%) and the UAE (26%), then Kuwait (21%) and Oman (19%); Oman has the most discounts, gifts and cash on delivery.
- The median price is SAR 100 across the Gulf, but the top quarter starts at SAR 450: small repeat goods and big toys in the same category.
The size of the market in ads, and what we are counting
9,117 ads out of 160,000, that is 6% of Gulf ads, from 1,923 advertising pages. A necessary caution before the numbers: the group is built on words in the ad text ("kids", "toys", "babies" and the like), so alongside toys it includes kids' clothing, baby essentials, diapers, strollers and feeding gear, plus some general ads that mention children in passing. That is why it overlaps with fashion (21% of the category's ads also fall in fashion), electronics (18%) and home (15%). The numbers here are "the kids products market in ads"; toys are its most visible part, not all of it.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE close together in front, then Kuwait and Oman, then Qatar and Bahrain. One ad can run in several countries: the product is light and shipping is easy, except for big toys. The category's overall picture is in Kids and toys ads.
How they sell: the gift, the discount and video
A discount or an offer appears in 40% of kids ads, and a gift in 25%: one of the highest gift shares among categories, because the mother loves the extra piece and the small toy with the order. Urgency in 21%, cash on delivery in 17% (close to the Gulf average of 17%): the mother wants to see the material and the size before paying, but known brands sell by card. Instalments only 2%. Video is 73%: the child plays or wears in the ad, not a catalogue picture. The copy is long: a median of 104 words against 60 across the Gulf, because the mother reads the right age, the material, the safety and the sizes before ordering.
"Shop now" on 51%, "WhatsApp message" on 21%, "Order now" on 11%. WhatsApp is more present than in perfume, for example: age and size questions get asked in a chat.
Prices and platforms
Of 445 ads that stated a price in riyals across the Gulf: the lower quartile up to SAR 50, the median 100, the upper quartile from SAR 450. The range is wide because the category combines a small toy bought again and again with a stroller or a garden toy bought once. The number of priced ads is relatively low: many kids ads leave the price to the store or the chat.
WhatsApp without a store first (22% of the category's ads where we knew the destination), then Shopify (6%) and Salla (4%). Small kids stores start on WhatsApp and move to a store when the range grows. Read WhatsApp ads on selling by chat.
Country by country, in each local currency
The shares are of the kids ads shown in each country, and the prices as written in its currency:
| Country | Ads | Advertisers | Discount | Gift | Cash on delivery | Video | Median price | "Shop now" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2,521 | 722 | 37% | 21% | 15% | 63% | SAR 99 | 40% |
| UAE | 2,414 | 608 | 38% | 21% | 20% | 78% | AED 179 | 53% |
| Kuwait | 1,914 | 469 | 32% | 29% | 12% | 75% | KWD 20 | 45% |
| Qatar | 1,442 | 385 | 36% | 21% | 12% | 69% | QAR 450 | 41% |
| Bahrain | 1,029 | 231 | 29% | 23% | 9% | 77% | BHD 13 | 41% |
| Oman | 1,688 | 350 | 55% | 34% | 20% | 83% | OMR 24 | 58% |
- Saudi Arabia: the most advertisers (722 pages) and the least video (63%), with "Order now" present (16%). Details in Toy stores in Saudi Arabia.
- UAE: the longest copy (117 words) and, with Oman, the most cash on delivery (20%).
- Kuwait: the gift (29%) nearly matches the discount in importance, and cash on delivery is low (12%).
- Oman: the highest discount (55%), the highest gift share (34%) and the longest copy (149 words) of the six: the market that explains and offers the most.
- Qatar and Bahrain: smaller markets, with few priced ads (131 and 72), so their median prices are rough.
Toy seasons in the Gulf
Toys are bought as gifts, and gifts have dates. The 2027 dates from our calendar (Ramadan and the Eids are astronomical estimates; the moon sighting decides):
| Season | Date | Start ads | What sells for kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramadan 1448 | Around 8 February 2027 | Early January | Eid clothes ordered early, and toys that keep kids busy in the evening |
| Eid al-Fitr | 9 or 10 March 2027 | Mid-Ramadan | Toys as Eid gifts and eidiya, clothing sets |
| Eid al-Adha | Around 17 May 2027 | Late April | Gifts and clothes, travel toys |
| Summer | June to August | May | Water, garden and indoor toys, travel toys |
| Back to school | August | July | Bags, supplies and educational toys |
The rule: start a month before the season to test the ad at a lower cost, and state the last order date that arrives before Eid. National days are an extra season for kids' sets in each country's colours. The full calendar is in Gulf ad seasons, and the year 2027 in Selling calendar 2027.
Templates for toy ads
In our own wording, with an English gloss; use your currency and your real offer. Safety, the right age and the material before the price, because the mother reads them first:
| Angle | Copy (ours) |
|---|---|
| Learning | «لعبة تعلّم طفلك [المهارة] باللعب: من [العمر] إلى [العمر] سنوات، خامة آمنة، [السعر] والدفع عند الاستلام.» (A toy that teaches your child [skill] through play: ages [age] to [age], safe material, [price], cash on delivery.) |
| The gift | «اطلب [اللعبة] وخذ [اللعبة الصغيرة] هدية معها. توصيل خلال [المدة].» (Order [toy] and get [small toy] as a gift with it. Delivery within [time].) |
| Eid | «هدية العيد اللي بتفرّحه: [اللعبة] مغلّفة وجاهزة. اطلب قبل [التاريخ] توصلك قبل العيد.» (The Eid gift that will make them smile: [toy], wrapped and ready. Order before [date] to receive it before Eid.) |
| The big toy | «[اللعبة] للحديقة والبيت: تتحمّل [الوزن]، وتركيب في [المدة]. ضمان [المدة] وتوصيل لباب البيت.» ([Toy] for the garden and the house: holds [weight], assembled in [time]; [period] guarantee and delivery to the door.) |
| Summer | «صيف بلا ملل: [اللعبة] تشغل الأطفال ساعات. [السعر]، وقطعتين بـ [السعر].» (A summer without boredom: [toy] keeps kids busy for hours; [price], two for [price].) |
More hooks and templates in Arabic ad copy. In GccFY, open the kids category, pick the country, sort by longest running, and open the store page behind each ad to see the prices and the range.
