In this article
Key takeaways
- In Saudi Arabia 8% of ads lead to Shopify, against 20% to Salla and 24% to WhatsApp without a store.
- Fashion is Shopify's first niche in Saudi Arabia (10%) with skincare close behind (10%); on Salla perfumes come first (12%) and abayas second.
- The median price is the same on both: SAR 199 on Shopify and SAR 199 on Salla.
- Saudi Shopify stores write "Shop now" (64%) and free delivery (18%) more; Salla stores write "Order now" (46%).
How many Shopify stores advertise in Saudi Arabia?
Shopify is the third destination of Saudi ads: after WhatsApp without a store (24%) and Salla (20%) comes Shopify with 8%. Small next to Salla, but not few: 4,280 ads from 645 pages in a few days. And Saudi Arabia is the second biggest market for Shopify ads in the whole Gulf (28%), after the UAE.
For the platform map of each country: Salla, Zid and Shopify. For the whole Saudi market, all platforms and niches: Facebook ads in Saudi Arabia.
What Shopify stores sell in Saudi Arabia
Fashion first (10%), then skincare (10%), then perfumes and health (7% each). Salla looks different: perfumes first (12%), then abayas (7%) and fashion (7%), while abayas are only 3% on Saudi Shopify.
The reading: a Saudi perfume or abaya store usually picks Salla, while fashion and beauty stores, many of them brands selling in several countries, show up on Shopify more. For the Saudi perfume market in detail: Perfume stores in Saudi Arabia.
Shopify vs Salla inside Saudi Arabia
| Shopify in Saudi Arabia | Salla in Saudi Arabia | |
|---|---|---|
| Ads | 4,280 | 11,504 |
| Advertiser pages | 645 | 1,878 |
| Video | 56% | 60% |
| Catalogue (dynamic) ads | 22% | 17% |
| Cash on delivery | 8% | 1% |
| Free delivery | 18% | 9% |
| Discount or offer | 36% | 27% |
| Instalments (Tabby, Tamara) | 4% | 6% |
| A gift | 6% | 9% |
| Middle-half prices (SAR) | 99 to 298 | 100 to 299 |
| Median copy length (words) | 38 | 25 |
Price does not separate them: the middle half of prices is almost identical. The difference is in the promises: Saudi Shopify stores mention free delivery, discounts and cash on delivery more, while Salla stores mention instalments more, because they are built into the platform. Shopify copy is longer, and catalogue ads are more common.
The button: "Shop" against "Order"
"Shop now" on 64% of Saudi Shopify ads and "Order now" on 23%. On Salla the order flips: "Order now" 46% and "Shop now" 42%. A Shopify store invites the buyer to browse a full store; a Salla store pushes them to order one product.
Why some Saudi merchants choose Shopify
- Selling beyond Saudi Arabia: Shopify is the biggest store platform in the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar; one store serving the whole Gulf is easier for a brand that expands.
- Catalogue ads: 22% of Saudi Shopify ads are dynamic against 17% on Salla: a big catalogue connected to Meta picks the product for each viewer.
- Design and apps: more themes, developers and apps for a brand that wants its own look.
When is Salla still better? When you sell in Saudi Arabia alone: local payment, instalments and shipping are built in, and instalments show in its ads more often. That is why Salla stays the biggest in Saudi Arabia by a clear margin. To find the Saudi Shopify stores in your niche: Find Shopify stores in the Gulf.
See the ads of Shopify stores in Saudi Arabia
- In GccFY pick the "Shopify" store type and Saudi Arabia.
- Add the niche word ("فستان", dress; "بشرة", skin) and sort by longest running.
- Open the store page behind the ad: the price in riyals, the delivery, the payment methods.
What you see is ads and store pages; these stores' sales belong to their owners and appear in no library.
