What’s On/Region
Ramadan 2027 is four months away. Your campaign should start now
Ramadan is expected to begin on 8 February 2027, and Dubai Media is already urging brands to lock in partnerships while shows are in production. Here is what was pitched and a simple timeline to follow.
Ramadan always seems to arrive sooner than planned. For 2027, the UAE Astronomy Centre expects the holy month to begin on Monday 8 February, with Eid al Fitr on 9 or 10 March, as reported by The National. The final dates depend on the moon sighting, but the planning window is already open.
The view from Dubai Media
Dubai Media gathered advertisers, agencies and partners at Majlis Al Salam in Madinat Jumeirah for an event titled Dubai Media, Looking to the Future, covered on 2 October by Campaign Middle East and Communicate. Chief executive Mohamed AlMulla, Steve Smith, executive director for commercial media and ventures, and Sarah Al Jarman presented plans for the last quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027, Ramadan included.
The message for Ramadan 2027 was to commit early, so that brand partnerships are written into programmes as they are produced, instead of being attached once filming is done. Its sales house offers television, digital, social and branded content, from sponsorships to branded segments.
The figures it shared
- Ramadan 2026 net revenue rose 57 percent compared with Ramadan 2025.
- Its Ramadan 2026 schedule reached 53.7 percent of the UAE's Arab television audience, about 2.2 million viewers a day, with a 26.6 percent viewing share.
- Dubai+, its streaming service, has more than a million registered users and over ten original titles, and its content is heading to Emirates' in-flight entertainment.
- For the fourth quarter, Shark Tank Dubai season four, The Doctors and Dubai Drive are open for brand integration.
These are a broadcaster's own numbers, shared to sell airtime, so weigh them accordingly. They still make the point that the best Ramadan opportunities go to brands that decide early.
A simple timeline
- October: settle budget and goals, and request Ramadan packages from broadcasters and platforms.
- November: agree the creative idea, confirm any TV or streaming integration, and book creators, checking their permits.
- December: produce the main content before the year-end break, leaving time for approvals.
- January: build the paid campaign, finish Arabic and English versions and schedule everything. Plan media around later evening viewing.
- February and March: launch around 8 February, review weekly, and treat Eid as its own moment.
Worth remembering
- Leave a few days of flexibility around the start date until the moon is sighted.
- Shorter working hours slow down approvals for everyone, so finish early.
- Plan Saudi Arabia and the UAE separately. Audiences and media calendars differ.
- Tone matters most. Generosity and togetherness are welcome; hard selling rarely is.
ALXO plans and produces Ramadan campaigns, from the idea to the content and the people behind it. If you would like to start early this year, talk to us.
