As Ramadan draws nearer on the horizon, brands are shifting narratives to fit within the societal themes of the Holy Month. Consumers in the Middle East region realign their focus on what they spend their money on as daily routines change, and lifestyle choices adapt.
To shed a light on these changing consumer behaviours, YouGov has released its Ramadan 2025: Consumer insights report, to understand how the region intends on spending money across certain segments.
Tickets are selling out fast for the Campaign Breakfast Briefing: Ramadan Advertising and the Year Ahead for Media & Marketing 2025, which will bring together regional advertisers, client-side marketers and big agency names under one roof at Grand Plaza Mövenpick, Media City on the 7th of February, 2024. Buy your tickets on Platinumlist today!
The report was built from data gathered by a survey run in December 2024, with responses from 1,023 KSA residents and 1,031 UAE residents. Campaign Middle East highlights the top results marketers should consider when building campaigns for the Holy Month of Ramadan in 2025.
Social commerce is booming this Ramadan
The research reveals that 61 per cent of both KSA and UAE-based consumers are ‘likely’ or
‘very likely’ to shop for Ramadan on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
In terms of what influences their purchases, referrals and recommendations from ‘trusted’ influencers takes the top spot, with 25 per cent of Saudi consumers from the sample saying they would make a purchase based on this criteria, a sentiment which is supported by 23 per cent of UAE consumers.
Furthermore, flash sales on social media drive 31 per cent of UAE residents to make a purchase through social commerce with 23 per cent of Saudi consumers attesting to the same.
In terms of other type of social commerce comment that would influence their purchases, 20 per cent of Saudi consumers and 15 per cent of UAE consumers say that live shopping events run by influencers or brands would drive their spending.
13 per cent of KSA consumers would also be willing to spend on limited-edition Ramadan themed product collaborations and 14 per cent of UAE consumers would do the same.
The Ramadan shift in media consumption in the UAE and KSA
Residents in the UAE and KSA are set to slightly shift their viewing habits of media content during Ramadan compared to the rest of the year, however for most TV and streaming habits will not change during Ramadan.
39 per cent of KSA residents and 40 per cent of UAE residents say their TV and streaming habits won’t change during Ramadan. However, 32 per cent of these KSA residents say the type of content they would be more likely to watch would focus on short form ‘snackable’ video content due to time constraints. 28 per cent of UAE residents back this sentiment.
In smaller percentages, 14 per cent of Saudi residents would opt to ‘binge-watch’ a TV series or settle down for a night of movie-watching as a way to unwind during Ramadan. 15 per cent of these respondents from KSA also said that they were more likely to watch religious or Ramadan-specific shows during Iftar.
Across the borders, 15 per cent of UAE residents say they would opt in for long nights of TV or movie watching, and 16 per cent would engage with religious content during Iftar.
Daily essentials at the forefront of spending
Finally, the main takeaway from the Ramadan 2025: Consumer insights report note that 57 per cent of UAE and KSA consumers plan to spend more on groceries and daily essentials.
Groceries are the top category that sees increased spending during Ramadan with 55 per cent of UAE consumers choosing to allocate their budgets towards this and 58 per cent of KSA consumers saying the same.
Furthermore, dining out and food delivery grow in popularity with 41 per cent of UAE residents claiming to spend on this, followed by 33 per cent of KSA residents.
In terms of long-term investments, KSA residents (37 per cent) are slightly more likely to spend more on home decor and furnishings than UAE residents (30 per cent).
As Ramadan draws nearer, brand marketers would do well to take into consideration these shifts in consumer behaviour. For the full report, click here.
