In this article
Key takeaways
- Ramadan 1448 is expected to start around 8 February 2027; ads start four to six weeks before.
- White Friday falls on 27 November 2026, but offers start a week or more earlier.
- Each country has its own national day: Saudi Arabia 23 September (and Founding Day on 22 February), the UAE 2 December, Qatar 18 December, Kuwait 25–26 February.
- Save competitors' ads every season: they are the best starting point for the same season next year.
The calendar: dates and when to start
Ramadan and Eid dates are astronomical estimates; the final dates depend on the moon sighting:
| Season | Date | Start ads | Most advertised |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11.11 | 11 November 2026 | Early November | Electronics and beauty |
| Oman National Day | 20 and 21 November | Mid-November | General offers in Oman |
| White Friday | 27 November 2026 | Mid-November | Electronics, perfumes, beauty, fashion |
| UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) | 2 December | Late November | General offers in the UAE |
| Bahrain and Qatar National Days | 16 and 18 December | Early December | General offers in both |
| Saudi Founding Day | 22 February | Early February | Broad offers, heritage fashion |
| Kuwait National and Liberation Days | 25 and 26 February | Mid-February | General offers in Kuwait |
| Ramadan 1448 | Around 8 February 2027 | Early January 2027 | Dates, coffee, hosting, abayas, perfumes, home |
| Eid al-Fitr | 9 or 10 March 2027 | Mid-Ramadan | Clothing, gifts, perfumes, sweets |
| Eid al-Adha | Around 17 May 2027 | Late April | Clothing, gifts, hosting supplies |
| Summer and travel | June to August | May | Travel, electronics, kids' supplies |
| Back to school | Late August | Early August | Bags, stationery, electronics |
| Saudi National Day | 23 September | Early September | Broad offers in every category |
Ramadan: the biggest season
In advertising, Ramadan is not one month but four phases:
- Weeks before: preparation: dates and coffee, kitchen and hosting tools, home refresh, abayas and jalabiyas.
- The first days: food and hosting, daily offers.
- The last ten days: Eid shopping: clothing, perfumes, gifts and sweets, with pressure to deliver before Eid.
- Eid: Eid money (eidiya), gifts and post-Eid offers.
Viewer behaviour changes too: browsing peaks after iftar until suhoor, so review your ad schedule and your WhatsApp reply hours. The tone changes as well: family, hospitality and giving angles work better than hard urgency.
White Friday: discount season
White Friday is the Gulf version of Black Friday, and many stores stretch it to a week or more. What its ads have in common:
- A big, clear discount in the first line and on the image: buyers compare numbers.
- Electronics, perfumes and beauty lead.
- Bundles and gifts to lift basket value.
- Ad competition rises, so start testing at least two weeks before, and prepare stock and delivery.
National days
Every Gulf country has its national day, with broad offers and products in the flag's colours. Practical tips:
- Tie the offer to the occasion with a meaningful number (such as 23% off on Saudi National Day, or 22% on Founding Day) if the offer is real.
- Target only the country celebrating: a UAE National Day offer means nothing to a buyer in Kuwait.
- In Saudi Arabia, do not use the national flag or emblem in commercial ads and products: it is prohibited. Use the colours and phrases instead.
How to prepare for any season in six weeks
- 6 weeks before: search your category's ads in your country and save the offers and angles that appear early.
- 5 weeks before: choose products and the offer, and secure stock and delivery.
- 4 weeks before: film videos and write copy (see Arabic ad copy).
- 3 weeks before: test several ads on small budgets.
- 2 weeks before: stop the weak ads and scale the strongest.
- During the season: watch competitors daily and reply to messages fast.
Seasonal ads disappear from the Meta library when they stop. In GccFY they stay saved, so before the next season you can see who started early and with which offer.
