Why Performance-Based Creatives Are Changing Marketing in the Gulf

In 2019, I attended a marketing conference where everyone talked about brand awareness. Today, things are different. After working with marketing teams across Saudi Arabia and UAE, I've seen how performance-based creatives have become really important.

Old marketing methods don't work well anymore in Gulf countries. Last month, a marketing director from Dubai told me, "We spent lots of money on beautiful ads that everyone liked, but they got us zero leads!" Many others have the same problem.

Performance-based creatives aren't just nice pictures or clever words. They're content made to get specific results like:

• Getting people to visit your website
• Getting them to fill out a form
• Getting them to download your app
• Getting them to buy something

In today's competitive Gulf market, anything less just doesn't work.

The digital growth across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf countries has been amazing. Some interesting facts: more than 97% of people in UAE use smartphones, and Saudi Arabia's online shopping market grew by over 60% during Covid and keeps growing.

This digital boom creates both good things and challenges:

1. Lots of Online Competition: Just having a website isn't special anymore - most businesses do. Standing out needs ads that make people take action.
2. Smart Gulf Consumers: People here aren't easily impressed by flashy ads. They've seen many ads and are careful about what they click on and buy.
3. Budget Concerns: Marketing directors I've talked with must show how every dirham or riyal spent brings money back. One marketing head in Kuwait said, "If I can't show return on investment, my budget gets cut next quarter."
4. Mobile Phone Focus: People in the Gulf love smartphones. I've seen people in Doha coffee shops doing everything on their phones. Your ads must work perfectly on small screens.

Through trying different things (and I've seen many failures), I've noticed what works in successful performance-based creatives in the Gulf:

Clear Action Messages

Nothing hurts performance more than confusion about what to do next. The best performing ads I've studied included calls-to-action that were:

• Very clear about what happens next
• Culturally right for the region (what works in Western countries doesn't always work here)
• Often in both English and Arabic

A small jewelry shop in Bahrain saw their results improve by 42% just by changing their vague "Learn More" button to a clearer "Find Your Style Now" in both languages.

Good Visuals

While pushing for performance, don't use poor quality images. The most successful campaigns I've worked on had:

• Images that showed the diversity of Gulf communities
• Colors that matched local tastes (certain colors mean different things here than in Western markets)
• Clean designs where the main message was easy to see

Real Personalization

Generic, one-size-fits-all content doesn't work well here. I once cringed at a campaign targeting "Middle Eastern consumers" as if all Gulf countries were the same!

Successful campaigns include:

• Content made for specific countries (UAE messaging is different from Saudi or Omani preferences)
• References to local events (Ramadan campaigns, National Days, etc.)
• Images showing recognizable local places

Always Improving

The best performance marketers share one trait: they're never satisfied. They're always:

• Testing different versions against each other
• Looking at which parts drive results
• Making changes based on real data

Looking Beyond Surface Numbers

Five years ago, many Gulf marketing teams celebrated high view counts. Now, those same teams are asking deeper questions:

• "Did people engage with our content?"
• "How many actually took action?"
• "What's our cost to get a customer?"
• "What's the actual return on our ad money?"

This change has been amazing to watch.

Quick Changes

Being able to change quickly has become essential. Last Ramadan, I watched a team in Jeddah completely change their creative approach three days into the campaign when early results were poor. By the end, they'd beaten their targets.

This kind of quick change is something traditional marketing couldn't do.

Breaking Down Team Barriers

Perhaps the most interesting change I've seen is how performance marketing has forced creative and data teams to work together:

• Designers now ask for performance data to guide their work
• Data analysts provide insights in ways creative people can understand
• Both sides now share responsibility for driving business results

This wasn't always the case!

Respecting Culture

The Gulf region has unique considerations that must guide your creative approach:

• Respect for local customs and values is a must
• Showing local people matters a lot
• Religious holidays and practices greatly affect consumer behavior

I once saw a campaign fail badly because it pushed heavy promotions during prayer times. Simple mistake, big consequences.

Mobile-First (Actually, Mobile-Everything)

I can't stress this enough - the Gulf is extremely mobile-focused:

• If your ad takes more than a second or two to load on mobile networks, you're losing people
• Design for viewing on phones first
• Make sure your buttons are easy to tap on small screens

True Localization

I've seen too many brands just translate their global campaigns and call it "localized." That's not enough. Real localization involves:

• Using local references that people connect with
• Showing scenery or landmarks people know
• Addressing specific local problems

A home services app that showed the Burj Khalifa in their Dubai ads and the Kingdom Tower in their Riyadh ads saw engagement rates 3 times higher than their generic "global" ad.

Try New Things

The Gulf market is unique and always changing. What worked last year (or even last month) might not work today. The most successful marketers I know in the region:

• Create multiple versions of each ad
• Test different elements systematically
• Apply what they learn to all their campaigns

Based on current trends and talks with industry leaders across the Gulf, here's where I see things going:

1. AI-Assisted Creation: While completely AI-generated content often misses the cultural understanding needed for this market, AI tools are helping marketers test and change faster than ever.
2. Short Video Growth: The explosion of short video watching across Saudi Arabia and the UAE is changing creative approaches. One agency head in Abu Dhabi told me, "If you're not thinking video-first in 2025, you're already behind."
3. Privacy-Focused Strategies: With changing rules and growing privacy concerns, ads must perform well with less personal data.
4. Voice Search Growth: As voice search usage grows in Arabic, creative content must adapt to more conversational search patterns.

Having watched the Gulf digital landscape change dramatically over recent years, one thing is clear: performance-based creatives aren't just a trend—they're the new normal.

For businesses across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and beyond, focusing on creative content that delivers measurable results isn't just smart marketing—it's necessary for survival in an increasingly competitive digital world.

The brands that will do best are those finding the balance between creative expression and data-driven strategy, while understanding the unique culture of the Gulf region. It's challenging work, but getting it right brings big rewards.

What performance marketing approaches have worked best for your business in the Gulf? I'd love to hear your experiences!

Hisham is a results-driven Performance Director with over 8 years of experience in strategic, data-driven marketing across global and regional markets. He has led impactful campaigns for top brands such as ACWA Power, Aramex, and J&T across sectors like e-commerce, logistics, real estate, and fintech. Known for blending technical expertise with creative execution, Hisham consistently exceeds business goals and is a trusted advisor in the GCC’s dynamic digital landscape.

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