Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Design advertisers in the United Arab Emirates experienced a year split in two: elevated costs through spring and an abrupt collapse in late Q3. Compared to a steady global Facebook Ads benchmark, UAE CPC trends were far more dramatic—surging to a May peak before plunging to some of the lowest country-specific ad costs of the year. Volatility was the defining feature, with standout months in both directions.
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 the Design industry in the United Arab Emirates compared to the global benchmark.
Across the observed months, median CPC for Design in the United Arab Emirates averaged 1.36, versus a 1.14 global average for the same period—about 20% higher overall. The year opened expensive at 2.31 in December 2024 and closed at 0.26 in October 2025, an 89% slide from start to finish.
The range was wide. The UAE hit its high at 3.21 in May—roughly 2.8x the global May level (1.14)—and its low at 0.19 in September, about 82% below the global September median (1.06). The early-year path zigzagged: 1.17 in January, 1.66 in February, down to 0.96 in March, then a sharp lift to 2.32 in April and the cycle high in May. After a data gap in June–July, CPCs reset, dropping to 0.19 in August and 0.19 in September, with a modest October rebound to 0.26.
Volatility was pronounced. The average absolute month-to-month move in the UAE was 0.96 points, versus just 0.04 globally—roughly 24x more volatile. The single biggest swing was the May-to-August reset (−3.02 points). Despite this turbulence, the UAE sat above the global benchmark in 5 of the 9 observed months, then fell sharply below it in late Q3 and October.
The rhythm followed a familiar seasonal arc but with outsized amplitude. CPCs softened into March, surged through April–May, then fell hard by late Q3. August and September marked the trough, both around 0.19, with October ticking up to 0.26 but remaining well below earlier-year levels. Globally, CPCs were steadier: elevated in December 2024 (1.28), clustered near 1.13–1.14 through Q1–Q2, easing slightly in Q3 (1.10 in August, 1.06 in September), and back to 1.10 in October.
Looking at period averages reinforces the split: January–May in the UAE averaged 1.86 (vs. 1.13 globally), while August–October averaged just 0.21 in the UAE (vs. 1.09 globally)—an 89% slide between halves.
Relative to the global benchmark, the United Arab Emirates posted a higher-cost first half and a deeply discounted late Q3. January hovered near parity (+4% vs. global), March dipped 15% below global, and May spiked 182% above. By August–September, the gap inverted dramatically—about 82% below global levels—before October held at roughly 76% below.
Directionally, the global trend drifted slightly lower across the window (−14% from December 2024 to October 2025), while the UAE fell much further (−89%). The contrast is clear: the market-level CPC trend was steady; Design in the United Arab Emirates was choppy and extreme.
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for CPC in the Design industry in the United Arab Emirates highlights how country-specific ad costs can diverge sharply from global CPC trends and how performance compares to the broader industry ad performance worldwide.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Design industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. For campaigns targeting United Arab Emirates, advertisers should consider local market factors and user behavior. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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Ramadan + Eid (Mar–Apr), End of November–December (UAE National Day, Christmas, New Year), Dubai Shopping Festival (mid-Dec through Jan)
CPMs may rise sharply during Ramadan and Eid, especially in e‑commerce, gifting, F&B, and beauty sectors. UAE National Day campaigns could lead to high local bidding activity in travel, banking, and luxury retail. Dubai Shopping Festival drives elevated CPMs from mid-December to mid-January. Islamic holidays shift each year, affecting year-over-year comparisons.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
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