English vs. Arabic Ads in UAE: Performance Insights

Want better ad performance in the UAE? Language matters. Here’s the deal: English ads excel with expatriates and international audiences, while Arabic ads connect deeply with Emirati nationals and Arab residents.

Key findings:

• English Ads: Work best for global platforms like LinkedIn and Google Ads, targeting expatriates in industries such as luxury, finance, and technology. They’re ideal for professional and international messaging.
• Arabic Ads: Deliver higher engagement and ROI for local audiences, especially during events like Ramadan. They thrive on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Arabic TV, with lower costs for local search campaigns.

Quick takeaway: Combining both languages in campaigns drives the highest ROI. English appeals to the UAE’s diverse expat population, while Arabic builds trust with locals. To succeed, tailor your strategy to your audience and platform.

UAE - United Arab Emirates! (ULTRA Modern, Cosmopolitan Arabia)

1. English Ads

English advertisements dominate the UAE's digital marketing space, focusing on expatriates from South Asia, Europe, and North America, as well as tourists and professionals in industries like luxury, real estate, finance, hospitality, technology, and education. The following points highlight their performance and appeal.

Audience Engagement

English ads consistently perform well on global and professional platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google Ads. These platforms attract a diverse audience, resulting in high click-through rates and strong conversions, especially among users who prefer English-language content. Campaigns targeting professional networks often excel in areas like B2B recruitment and corporate communications, making them a reliable choice for businesses aiming to connect with international audiences.

Cultural Relevance

English advertisements are often seen as modern and cosmopolitan, appealing strongly to younger, trend-conscious audiences and expatriate communities. This makes them ideal for lifestyle brands and international products looking to project a global image. However, when targeting Emirati nationals or aiming for deeper emotional connections, English ads may fall short in creating the trust and resonance that culturally tailored messages can achieve. In cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where English is widely used across digital platforms and public communication, such ads feel natural and expected, reinforcing their effectiveness in these urban settings.

ROI Performance

When targeted effectively at expatriates, tourists, and international business audiences - especially in sectors like luxury, finance, and technology - English campaigns often deliver impressive ROI. Their success stems from aligning with audience language preferences, leveraging the right platforms, and the scalability of campaigns. By 2025, over 70% of UAE businesses are expected to prioritise performance marketing investments. However, campaigns directed at Emirati nationals may require a more culturally specific approach to achieve similar results.

Ad Formats

Display advertising leads the UAE's digital market, with banner ads alone reaching a market volume of approximately AED 1,578.7 million in 2024. English campaigns perform exceptionally well across various formats, including sponsored posts, video ads, display banners, and search ads. Platforms like YouTube and Instagram see high engagement with video content targeting expatriates and lifestyle-focused audiences. LinkedIn ads are particularly effective for B2B campaigns, while search ads in English excel at capturing branded keywords and international positioning, thanks to advanced SEO tools and automation.

Consultancies like Wick play a pivotal role in helping brands analyse audience data and implement personalised digital marketing strategies for sustained growth. The variety of formats available ensures that English ads maintain a competitive edge in the UAE's bilingual market, offering flexibility and reach across diverse audience segments.

2. Arabic Ads

In the UAE, Arabic advertisements are crafted to connect with Emirati nationals and Arab residents who prefer content in their native language and rooted in their cultural identity. By 2025, more than half of UAE businesses are expected to focus on Arabic SEO, a significant increase from 30% in 2023.

Audience Engagement

Arabic ads tend to generate stronger engagement among local audiences, especially on platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, and Arabic television channels. Research shows that campaigns in Arabic often outperform English ones, particularly for products aimed at families, cultural themes, or younger demographics. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok see heightened interaction when campaigns align with local values or cultural events. Instead of relying on direct translations, brands achieve better results by using native copywriting and adapting content to fit the local context. This approach fosters a deeper connection with the audience, making the messaging feel more authentic and relatable.

Cultural Relevance

Tailoring advertisements to local customs, traditions, and holidays is essential for success in Arabic advertising in the UAE. Campaigns that incorporate Emirati Arabic dialects and culturally sensitive visuals during occasions like Ramadan or National Day tend to resonate more with audiences, leading to higher engagement and trust. For instance, a Dubai-based insurance company saw better performance with its Arabic campaigns, which featured culturally relevant imagery and messaging, compared to its English-language promotions. The Arabic version achieved higher click rates and kept users engaged for longer periods. Such culturally aligned strategies not only strengthen trust but also improve overall campaign effectiveness.

ROI Performance

When targeting local audiences, Arabic advertisements often deliver better ROI, particularly in sectors like government, healthcare, education, and family-focused products. Google Search campaigns in Arabic frequently achieve higher click-through rates and lower cost-per-click, especially for searches with high local intent. Additionally, Arabic keywords often face less competition, allowing businesses to drive local traffic more cost-effectively. To maximise these benefits, brands need to invest in high-quality localisation and gain a thorough understanding of local search behaviours.

Ad Formats

Successful Arabic ad formats include video ads on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as display ads on Arabic news sites and traditional media outlets such as television and radio. Display advertising plays a key role in the UAE’s digital landscape. Arabic campaigns also thrive with dual-language carousels and in-app ads that prioritise Arabic content, especially during significant cultural events when local engagement peaks. Technical considerations are critical - brands must ensure their content management systems and design frameworks support right-to-left text layouts to provide a seamless user experience. Just as optimising design for English campaigns enhances results, ensuring right-to-left compatibility is essential for Arabic campaigns. Partnering with data-focused consultancies like Wick can help brands address these technical nuances while leveraging localisation and analytics to maximise their impact in the UAE’s diverse market.

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Advantages and Disadvantages

When examining language choices for advertising in the UAE, it's essential to weigh the strengths and challenges of each option. Here's a closer look at how English and Arabic advertisements perform in this unique market.

English advertisements are particularly effective in reaching the UAE's diverse expatriate population. They work well for targeting professionals, tourists, and international audiences, especially in cosmopolitan hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. With a wealth of English-speaking marketers and well-established digital tools, campaigns in English can often be executed more quickly.

That said, English ads can struggle to connect emotionally with Emirati nationals and Arabic-speaking residents. This lack of cultural connection may result in lower engagement rates among local audiences. Additionally, English campaigns face intense competition on digital platforms, driving up costs as businesses compete for the same keywords and audience segments.

Arabic advertisements, on the other hand, excel in building strong connections with local audiences. They foster trust and resonate deeply with Emirati nationals and Arab residents, often achieving better click-through rates and lower cost-per-click for local search queries. However, these campaigns come with their own challenges. Higher localisation costs, technical complexities like adapting to right-to-left designs, and a limited pool of experienced Arabic digital marketers can slow down campaign development.

English ads offer faster execution and international appeal, while Arabic ads, though requiring higher localisation investment, deliver stronger engagement and better returns among local audiences.

It's also crucial to ensure that technical systems can support right-to-left layouts for Arabic campaigns. This technical requirement can impact both development timelines and overall costs, making it an important factor in campaign planning.

In the UAE's bilingual market, the choice between English and Arabic - or a thoughtful mix of both - should align with your target audience, budget, and long-term positioning goals. Expert consultancies like Wick can provide valuable guidance, leveraging data and localisation expertise to help brands optimise their language strategies for this dynamic market.

Conclusion

The UAE's bilingual market thrives on a strategic blend of English and Arabic, rather than relying on a single-language approach. Research highlights that combining both languages in marketing campaigns delivers the highest return on investment (ROI).

Arabic campaigns consistently perform better when targeting local audiences, achieving higher click-through rates and lower cost-per-click for local search queries. These campaigns drive strong ROI for local markets, while English remains indispensable for connecting with the UAE's large expatriate population and international audiences.

The data is clear: bilingual campaigns outperform single-language efforts in ROI metrics. Arabic works best for high-intent local searches and emotionally resonant messaging, while English is ideal for global positioning and professional outreach.

To maximise success, campaigns should be segmented by audience, platform, and intent. For instance, Arabic campaigns are most effective on platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, and traditional media for reaching local audiences. Meanwhile, platforms such as LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google Ads are better suited for engaging expatriates and international consumers.

Technical and cultural nuances also play a crucial role. Effective campaigns require native-level copywriting, culturally appropriate visuals, and content management systems optimised for right-to-left Arabic layouts. With Arabic SEO adoption expected to surpass 50% by 2025, investing in localisation now can provide a significant competitive edge.

For brands navigating this complex landscape, expert consultancies like Wick offer valuable guidance. Through their Four Pillar Framework and AI-driven personalisation tools, brands can create cohesive bilingual campaigns that expand reach while respecting cultural norms - ultimately driving sustainable growth in the UAE market.

Adopting a bilingual, data-focused strategy is the gateway to unlocking the full potential of the UAE's dynamic market.

FAQs

How can businesses use both English and Arabic ads effectively to boost ROI in the UAE?

To improve ROI in the UAE, businesses need to design campaigns that effectively engage both English-speaking and Arabic-speaking audiences. This means paying attention to language preferences, audience behaviour, and cultural subtleties to create messages that genuinely resonate.

Using a data-driven strategy allows businesses to evaluate performance metrics and refine aspects like ad placement, language distribution, and content. Leveraging AI-powered personalisation alongside smart analytics ensures campaigns are not only engaging but also efficient, helping businesses thrive in the UAE's diverse and dynamic market.

What should I consider when designing Arabic ad campaigns, especially for right-to-left text layouts?

When designing Arabic ad campaigns, it's crucial to consider the right-to-left (RTL) text orientation. This impacts everything from layout and typography to the overall user experience. Make sure text alignment, spacing, and visual elements are adjusted to flow naturally in the RTL format, steering clear of mirrored or clumsy designs.

It's also important to incorporate imagery, language, and messaging that connect with the UAE audience on a cultural level. Pay close attention to font selection - Arabic fonts should not only be easy to read but should also align with your brand's visual identity. Lastly, always test your ads across various devices and platforms to confirm the layout looks correct and functions seamlessly in every format.

Why do Arabic ads often perform better during cultural events like Ramadan compared to English ads?

Arabic advertisements often strike a deeper chord during events like Ramadan, as they resonate with local traditions, values, and language preferences. In the UAE, many people feel a stronger emotional pull towards ads that reflect their cultural identity, making these campaigns especially engaging.

Ramadan, in particular, brings an increased emphasis on community, family, and spirituality - elements that Arabic ads are uniquely positioned to highlight. By weaving these themes into their messaging in a way that feels authentic and relevant, businesses can see a noticeable boost in audience interaction and a stronger return on investment during this time.