Video has become the region’s preferred way to learn, shop, and be entertained—at home on Connected TV, on the go via smartphones, and across short-form feeds. Whether you’re building brand love in Saudi Arabia, launching a product in the UAE, or scaling performance across MENA, the right mix of platforms, formats, and culturally tuned creative will determine your results. Use the historical stats below as context, then apply the up-to-date strategy sections to plan media, craft standout videos, and measure what matters.
Why Video Dominates in MENA
- Mobile-first lifestyles mean snackable vertical content fills micro-moments throughout the day, while long-form and Connected TV viewing grow in the evenings.
- Arabic and bilingual households value visual, story-led formats that feel authentic and locally relevant.
- Discovery-to-purchase often happens within platforms, making shoppable formats, creator content, and retargeting especially effective.
- Ramadan and Eid reshape attention patterns, creating outsized opportunities for video when families spend more time at home and online.
- Historical Snapshot: Core Stats from the Original Infographic The following vetted historical points provide helpful context for how quickly video took off in the region. Use them as a baseline and compare against your current platform dashboards and market reports.
- Mobile Leadership and YouTube Usage
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE led regionally and globally with 50% and 40% of video views coming from mobile devices, respectively.
- According to Ipsos’s 2014 report, YouTube was the third most-used app among UAE smartphone users.
- The MENA region ranked No. 2 worldwide in total video views. In Saudi Arabia, daily video views reached approximately 310 million, and the average internet user watched roughly three times more than the average user in the United States.
User Interaction and Trust Signals
- 75% of online video viewers reported interacting with an online video ad within a month.
- 90% of users said product videos helped with purchase decisions.
- 92% of mobile video consumers shared videos with others.
- 75% of executives watched work-related videos on business websites at least once a week.
- One-third of all online activity was spent watching videos.
- 80% of users recalled a video ad viewed within the past 30 days.
- 36% of online consumers trusted video ads.
- The average user was exposed to about 32.3 videos per month.
Digital Video Ad Spend (Historical, Global)
- 2011: $2.00 billion
- 2012: $2.93 billion
- 2013: $4.14 billion
- 2014: $5.75 billion
- 2015: $6.99 billion
- 2016: $8.04 billion (projected)
Adoption by B2B Marketers and the Science of Attention
- 70% of B2B marketers used some form of online video within their overall strategies.
- The human voice conveys emotion, the human face builds trust, and movement captures and holds attention—key reasons video outperforms static formats.
- Upload Velocity and Popular Channels
- Two hours of YouTube video were uploaded in the MENA region every minute.
Historical Top YouTube Channels in the UAE (circa mid-2010s)
- AlAanTV — Videos: 68,646; Total views: 591,650,900
- AlArabiya — Videos: 33,944; Total views: 566,421,770
- Star Academy Arabia — Videos: 4,219; Total views: 482,607,950
- Hussain Al Jassmi — Videos: 178; Total views: 447,331,618
- Visit Dubai — Videos: 577; Total views: 170,799,459
- ArabGT.com — Videos: 1,736; Total views: 152,900,782
- Sky News — Videos: 32,951; Total views: 137,826,835
- ETM International — Videos: 47; Total views: 98,089,444
- The du Channel — Videos: 1,022; Total views: 73,446,472
- Mansour Cartoon — Videos: 34; Total views: 66,218,015
View the original infographic and source credit at Grafdom: Video Marketing in the Middle East Infographic (Source: Grafdom).
What’s Changed: 2019–2026 Shifts You Should Plan Around
- Short-form surge: Vertical, sound-on clips now anchor discovery and upper-funnel impact across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight.
- Connected TV growth: Family co-viewing on smart TVs has expanded, especially evenings and weekends—ideal for premium, brand-safe storytelling.
- Creator economy maturity: Paid creator licensing, whitelisting, and cross-posting turn organic wins into scalable media assets.
- Shoppable video and social commerce: Native product tags, in-app storefronts, and click-to-WhatsApp flows speed up consideration and conversion.
- Privacy and measurement: Platform lift studies, MMM, and server-side tagging complement pixel data to demonstrate incrementality.
- Localization depth: Dialect-specific creative, Arabic-first captions, and culturally resonant cues now separate average from exceptional performance.
Build a Winning MENA Video Strategy Now
Choose the Right Platform Mix
- YouTube: Pair long-form storytelling and Connected TV with Shorts for reach; use skippable in-stream, non-skippable, and bumper ads for full-funnel coverage.
- TikTok: Use hooks in the first 1–2 seconds, creator-led formats, and Spark Ads to boost top-performing organic posts.
- Instagram & Facebook: Reels for discovery, Feed/Stories for retargeting and product details; leverage Advantage+ placements for scale.
- Snapchat: AR Lenses and Story Ads for Gen Z and young families; strong for retail, entertainment, and QSR.
- OTT/CTV: Premium inventory for brand-safe reach during tentpoles and family co-viewing moments.
Creative Playbook for Arabic and Bilingual Audiences
- Open strong: Land value in the first 3 seconds with movement, product-in-use, or a relatable family moment.
- Design for sound-on mobile: Native captions in Arabic and English; bold on-screen text sized for small screens.
- Match format: Vertical (9:16) for short-form; 16:9 for YouTube/CTV; plan safe zones to avoid UI overlaps.
- Localize meaningfully: Reflect Ramadan rituals, Eid gifting, back-to-school, and weekend family time; avoid clichés and be sensitive to norms.
- Variant testing: Produce multiple hooks, lengths (6s, 15s, 30s, 60–120s), and CTAs; rotate based on attention and completion rates.
Ramadan, Eid, and Seasonal Planning
- Pre-Ramadan (4–6 weeks out): Build reach and consideration; seed creator content and hero films.
- Ramadan weeks 1–3: Lean into evening peaks; prioritize emotional, family-oriented storytelling and utility (recipes, tips, charitable initiatives).
- Eid week: Shift to conversion and gifting; highlight bundles, limited-time perks, and fast delivery.
- Other spikes: Back-to-school, travel seasons, White/Red Friday, Dubai Shopping Festival—pre-build creative and landing pages.
Media and Budget Tactics
- Full-funnel by design: Use 6s bumpers and Shorts/Reels for awareness; 15–30s in-stream and creator mid-form for consideration; direct-response placements for conversion.
- Attention over frequency: Cap exposures, rotate creatives weekly, and benchmark viewable time, not just VTR.
- Brand safety: Use Arabic keyword exclusions, inventory filters, and allowlists; confirm creator usage rights and disclosure.
Measurement and Benchmarks
- Attention and completion: Track average view duration, 3s/6s holds, and 100% completes by platform and length.
- Quality reach: Viewable reach, cost per completed view (CPCV), and brand lift (ad recall, consideration) for upper/mid funnel.
- Performance: CTR, add-to-cart/lead rate, cost per action, and incremental conversions via geo or holdout lift tests.
- Creative diagnostics: Thumb-stop rate, hook retention at 1–3s and 5–7s, and scene-level drop-offs to guide edits.
Creator Collaborations That Scale
- Brief outcomes, not scripts: Let creators interpret your message authentically in dialect and style.
- Secure usage and whitelisting: Obtain paid usage rights and run creator content from their handles and yours.
- Cross-post and iterate: Test creator cuts across TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and Snap; keep the best as evergreen.
Localization, Accessibility, and Family Fit
- Language: Offer Arabic-first versions; consider Gulf and Egyptian dialects where relevant; include English subtitles for expatriate audiences.
- Accessibility: Open captions, high-contrast text, and descriptive VO improve comprehension for all ages.
- Family-friendly: Avoid sensitive imagery; ensure content aligns with local regulations and platform age policies.
Country Snapshots at a Glance
Saudi Arabia (KSA)
- Large, youth-skewed, mobile-first audience; strong YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat engagement.
- Top verticals include gaming, beauty, automotive, and fast fashion; CTV usage continues to expand.
- Cultural fit and creator credibility heavily influence outcomes; prioritize brand safety and respectful storytelling.
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Diverse, bilingual population with high premium OTT/CTV penetration and strong B2B potential.
- Hospitality, travel, finance, luxury retail, and education benefit from polished long-form and creator explainers.
- Test Arabic and English variants; leverage LinkedIn video for professional audiences.
Egypt
- Mass reach and cost-efficient media; strong YouTube and Facebook video usage alongside short-form growth.
- Egyptian Arabic creative and locally relevant offers improve conversion and share rates.
Quick Start Checklist
- Define one primary KPI per stage: awareness, consideration, or conversion.
- Map audiences to platforms and formats; lock Ramadan/Eid budgets early.
- Produce modular creative: multiple hooks, aspect ratios, and CTAs.
- Set up lift testing, server-side tagging, and standardized naming conventions.
- Monitor attention and completion weekly; rotate creatives and scale winners.
Edited Legacy Content: Keep, Credit, and Contextualize
These historical statistics—originally compiled by Grafdom—capture the early acceleration of video in MENA and continue to inform today’s best practices:
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE led with 50% and 40% of video views from mobile devices.
- Ipsos (2014): YouTube ranked as the third most-used app among UAE smartphone users.
- MENA was the world’s No. 2 region by video views; in Saudi Arabia, daily views reached approximately 310 million, with average users watching about three times more than in the US.
- 75% of viewers interacted with an online video ad within a month; 90% found product videos helpful in decisions; 92% of mobile viewers shared videos.
- 75% of executives watched work-related videos on business websites weekly; one-third of online activity was video viewing.
- 80% recalled a video ad viewed in the previous 30 days; 36% trusted video ads; average exposure was 32.3 videos per month.
- Global digital video ad spend grew from $2.00B (2011) to a projected $8.04B (2016).
- 70% of B2B marketers used online video as part of their strategies.
- The human voice, face, and movement drive attention and trust; two hours of video were uploaded to YouTube from MENA every minute.
- Historical UAE YouTube leaders included AlAanTV, AlArabiya, Star Academy Arabia, Hussain Al Jassmi, Visit Dubai, ArabGT.com, Sky News, ETM International, The du Channel, and Mansour Cartoon.
For the original infographic and attribution, visit: Grafdom’s Video Marketing in the Middle East (Source: Grafdom).
