Facebook Ads Cost Per App Install Benchmarks in United Arab Emirates

Introduction

The story of cost per app install in the United Arab Emirates through 2025 is a tale of extremes: an early-year spike that towers over the world, followed by a steady, months-long slide to some of the lowest levels in the dataset. Compared with the global benchmark, the UAE began far above market in Q1 before flipping sharply below from May onward, with Q3–Q4 costs settling into ultra-low territory. Volatility was front-loaded, with March standing out as a singular shock that reshaped the year’s averages.

This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for all industries in the United Arab Emirates compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Starting at 13.04 in January, the UAE’s median cost per app install (CPI) surged 83% in February and then exploded to 170.72 in March—more than 19x the global median that month. From there, the market reset: April fell 82% to 31.30, May dropped another 79% to 6.59, and by October costs reached a yearly low of 0.89. Over January–October, the UAE averaged 25.54, though the median month sat much lower at 5.06—evidence of how March skews the mean. The range was wide, from 0.89 (October) to 170.72 (March), a swing of nearly 170 points.

Month-to-month volatility averaged 36.53 points across the year but was overwhelmingly driven by March and April. After April, movements calmed markedly: from May to October, absolute monthly changes averaged just 1.39 points. The rhythm was a controlled step-down through Q2 (−46% from May to June, −47% from June to July), a brief August uptick (+33%), and fresh lows in September (1.07) and October (0.89).

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The UAE followed a counter-seasonal arc. Q1 overshot dramatically, Q2 normalized quickly, and Q3 brought persistent softness with near-floor CPIs. October continued that low-cost run. In quarterly terms, the UAE averaged 69.20 in Q1, 13.81 in Q2, and just 1.82 in Q3, with October maintaining the trough. The pattern contrasts with typical platform dynamics where competition often lifts costs into mid-year and holds them elevated into Q4.

Country vs. Global

Globally, CPI averaged 15.41 from January to October, rising from a January low (7.13) to a mid-year high in June (27.90) and staying elevated through Q3–Q4 (18–23–19). The UAE averaged 66% above that global level across the year, but that headline is dominated by March. The market gap flipped decisively after Q1:

• January–April: UAE above market (+83% in January, +90% in February, +1,835% in March, +149% in April).
• May–October: UAE below market (−44% in May, then −87% to −95% from June through October). Over May–October, the UAE averaged 2.74 versus 18.84 globally—about 85% lower.

Volatility told a similar two-part story. Across the full period, the UAE’s average absolute month-to-month change in percent terms was about 118% (vs. 49% globally); excluding March’s shock, the UAE still ran slightly choppier (~55%). In point terms post-April, the UAE’s average monthly move (1.39) was far quieter than the global cadence (9.23 from May–October).

Closing

In sum, Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per app install across all industries in the United Arab Emirates show a dramatic Q1 spike and an extended, low-cost run from late Q2 into Q4—an inversion of the global pattern. While CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance offer additional context, this CPI view highlights country-specific ad costs and industry ad performance dynamics that diverged sharply from worldwide norms. Understanding cost per app install benchmarks for all industries in the United Arab Emirates helps advertisers gauge how local CPI trends compared to the global benchmark through 2025.