Meta CPMs in the UAE during Ramadan: two years of our numbers

Where the numbers come from

This covers 23 retail and e-commerce accounts we managed on Meta during Ramadan in 2025 and 2026, all targeting the UAE: fashion, beauty, electronics, home and a few grocery brands. Combined spend across both years was a little over AED 9 million. We left out two accounts that changed their offer halfway through the month, because they'd skew the comparison.

What happened to CPMs

CPMs in the first week of Ramadan were roughly flat compared with the month before. They rose about 18% in the second and third weeks, then jumped in the last ten days, peaking around 45% above the pre-Ramadan level in both years. The final weekend before Eid was the most expensive stretch of the year for most accounts.

It's tempting to look at that and pull budget. Most advertisers in the region feel the same pull every year, and the ones who stay in are the reason costs climb.

What happened to conversion rates

Conversion rates rose faster than costs for 17 of the 23 accounts. Across those 17, the average conversion rate in the last ten days was 62% higher than the month before. People are shopping for Eid gifts and new clothes, many have just been paid, and they're on their phones late at night after iftar.

So cost per purchase actually fell for most retail accounts in the final stretch, even with CPMs at their highest.

The six accounts where it didn't work

The exceptions were mostly brands selling things people don't buy for Eid: office furniture, a B2B software tool, a fitness subscription. For them, costs went up and conversion rates stayed flat or fell. If your product isn't part of how people celebrate, Ramadan is a good month to spend less on Meta and more on content that pays off later.

Timing within the day

Activity shifts late. Between 9pm and 2am, purchase volume on most accounts was higher than the daytime peak of a normal month. If you use ad scheduling, check it isn't switching off just as people start shopping.

What we'd plan for next Ramadan

• Keep spend steady in the first week and save room in the budget for the last ten days.
• Have Eid creative approved before Ramadan starts, since ad reviews get slower.
• Watch cost per purchase, not CPM. A higher CPM is fine if the sales come with it.
• If your product isn't an Eid purchase, cut back, then come in hard after Eid when costs drop.

• Paid media
• Meta ads
• Ramadan