United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) stands as a beacon of innovation and progress in the Middle East, emerging as a powerhouse nation renowned for its rapid development and futuristic cities. Having swiftly transitioned from its origins as a pearl-diving center to a global hub for commerce, innovation, technology, and tourism, the UAE offers an enticing arena for mobile marketers. With a high smartphone penetration rate and significant daily engagement with mobile apps, the UAE is an attractive market for app developers and advertisers aiming to tap into the Middle Eastern market.

At a glance:

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• Official language: Arabic
• Capital: Abu Dhabi
• Population: 10 million
• Most popular app by downloads: Temu
• Most popular app category: Social
• OS breakout: 82% Android, 18% iOS
• Mobile Rank: High

Getting to Know the United Arab Emirates

The UAE is known for its impressive skyscrapers, luxury shopping, and vibrant nightlife. But its history spans centuries, from Bedouin tribes to a modern federation that comprises seven emirates, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Since the discovery of oil in the mid-20th century, the UAE has grown from a cluster of coastal towns reliant on fishing and trading to its present-day status as a global business and tourism hub. Fueled by its strategic geographical location, favorable business policies, and visionary leadership, the country has positioned itself as a beacon of progress and prosperity in the region.

The population of the UAE is diverse, with a significant portion consisting of expatriates drawn to the country’s economic opportunities and vibrant lifestyle. In fact, only 11% of UAE residents are Emirati Arabs; South Asian immigrants, on the other hand, make up nearly 60% of the country’s populace. As a result, the demographic is a melting pot of cultures and also extremely youthful, with 58% of the population under the age of 35.

Although the UAE is ethnically diverse, there is significant disparity when it comes to gender and geographic diversity. Notably, over 68% of the population is estimated to be male by the World Factbook, and nearly 85% of the entire country’s population resides in the three largest emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.

Cultural norms and traditions play a significant role in media consumption and online behavior in the UAE. From traditional Islamic festivities like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to modern extravaganzas such as the National Day and the Dubai Shopping Festival, these occasions drive heightened engagement across social and digital platforms.

To combat a global economy that is becoming less dependent on fossil fuels, the UAE recently pivoted to a strategy that aims to foster innovation, boost the digital economy, and become a leader in technological advancements. One target of this Vision 2021 policy, according to the UAE government, included «[setting] the standards for other governments and to be first worldwide in smart services,» appealing to its tech-savvy and mobile-first population.

The United Arab Emirates as an Emerging Mobile Market

The UAE boasts one of the highest smartphone penetration rates in the world with around 97% of the population owning a smartphone. This high penetration rate, coupled with a highly engaged user base, makes the UAE a prime market for mobile apps.

Users in the UAE spend 4.5 hours online with their mobile devices and are keen on downloading new apps, which is why the viral Chinese shopping app Temu is currently the most popular app by download, beating out local favorites like Careem, Noon, and food delivery giant Talabat. Despite its smaller population compared to other MENA markets, like Saudi Arabia, the UAE forecasts an impressive $317 million USD in-app advertising budget by the end of 2024. This averages out to nearly twice as much per person compared to in-app advertising budgets in Saudi Arabia, and signals that highly engaged UAE users are in high demand.

App categories like social and chat dominate the majority of this spend, representing an estimated 48% of all in-app ad spend by the end of this year. Other categories like gaming, shopping, entertainment, and news are also popular for in-app marketers, representing a projected 42% of all in-app ad spend in the UAE in 2024. They also represent some of the largest growth; gaming as a vertical, for example, is expected to grow from a projected budget of $50 million in 2024 to $68 million in 2027, or 36%. The popularity of social platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat also forecast strong revenue growth for social media apps, increasing from an estimated $151 million in 2024 to $208 million in 2029. These trends demonstrate the high value UAE users place on social interaction and digital entertainment.

Interestingly, the UAE also has a high preference for e-commerce apps, driven by the country’s advanced infrastructure and high disposable income. Downloads for e-commerce apps are expected to grow, reflecting the population’s penchant for online shopping and digital financial services.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the UAE presents lucrative opportunities for app marketers seeking to capitalize on its growing digital economy. With tailored campaigns and strategic targeting, especially in popular app categories, advertisers can effectively engage with UAE consumers and unlock the full potential of this dynamic market.

Unlocking Programmatic Advertising in the United Arab Emirates

In the UAE’s bustling mobile ecosystem, the app industry plays a crucial role in effectively reaching the UAE’s tech-savvy audience. The UAE’s advanced mobile infrastructure and high app engagement levels provide a robust market for new app development and for sophisticated advertising strategies, where app marketers can utilize dynamic targeting across various apps, languages, and demographics.

The most well-known, locally developed apps are Whatsapp competitor Telegram, a messenger app boasting nearly 3.5 million monthly active users, and Careem, a popular MENA e-commerce app with nearly 1.5 million monthly active users. Other popular apps developed for and within the UAE are primarily government services or utility apps, including DubaiNow, du telecommunications, Alhosn health, and UAE Pass. The latter is particularly important to the large immigrant community for managing national digital identity documents while living abroad.

The diverse immigrant community also contributes to a significant portion of mobile devices set to English. According to recent Bidease data, approximately 73% of all UAE devices were set to English, versus 18% in Arabic and just under 10% in all other languages. High fluency in English combined with new, smart-device-friendly infrastructure makes it significantly easier for international app developers to enter the UAE market.

One of the best ways app developers and marketers can grow their business in the UAE is with programmatic advertising. Programmatic advertising offers automated, data-driven solutions that reach billions of users across millions of apps. As a leading player in the mobile advertising landscape, Bidease leverages programmatic solutions, anti-fraud technology, and free creative services to navigate the intricacies of the UAE market. With our local team based in Dubai, we combine strong relationships with and a deep understanding of local consumer behavior to help app marketers connect with UAE users and drive meaningful results. Sign up today to unlock the untapped potential of the UAE market,

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