Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks in United Arab Emirates

Introduction

Across all industries in the United Arab Emirates, CPMs tracked a choppy, below-market path versus the global benchmark. The year opened with a sharp surge, softened through mid-year, rebounded in early Q4, and then fell off a cliff in December. Overall levels were consistently lower than the worldwide average, and the swings were notably larger, with several standout months that defined the narrative.

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

For the United Arab Emirates, CPMs started at $12.02 in December 2024 and ended at $0.74 in December 2025. The year’s high came early at $21.34 in January 2025, while the low was the December 2025 drop to $0.74. Excluding that late-year anomaly, the trough was August at $9.38. The period average was $14.2, versus a $20.4 global average.

Momentum shifted several times:

• December 2024 to January 2025 jumped 78% (from $12.02 to $21.34), setting the annual high.
• February ($18.07) and March ($19.39) held near parity with global levels.
• April reset lower to $12.07 (−38% vs. March), and CPMs hovered in a lower band through June–July ($11.67–$11.15).
• August marked the mid-year low ($9.38), followed by a strong rebound to September ($17.50, +87% vs. August).
• October eased to $14.98, then November climbed to $20.07 before December’s abrupt drop (−96% month over month).

Volatility was pronounced: the average absolute month-to-month swing was roughly $5.5, about five times the global benchmark’s $1.1. Even excluding December’s outlier move, the monthly swing in the United Arab Emirates averaged about $4.3.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonally, the United Arab Emirates showed a strong Q1 (average ~$19.6), a softer Q2 (~$13.2), and a subdued Q3 (~$12.7) with an August low. Q4 was mixed: a recovery in October–November, then an unusual December collapse that ran counter to typical year-end cost escalation. By contrast, the global pattern followed expected seasonality, with CPMs climbing steadily into Q4 and peaking in November–December.

The rhythm suggests a market that heats up early, compresses through mid-year, and only partially participates in the typical Q4 lift—at least for this period. While this view centers on CPM analysis, performance marketers often pair it with CPC trends and CTR performance; the CPM patterns here frame the country-specific ad costs environment across all industries.

Country vs. Global

The United Arab Emirates averaged about 30% below the global CPM ($14.2 vs. $20.4). It briefly rose above market in January (+20% vs. global) and edged slightly above in March (+1%), with February near parity. For the rest of the year, CPMs trailed global levels by double digits: typically 20–40% below from May through October, 11% below in September, and 21% below in November. At its narrowest gap, the United Arab Emirates matched global levels in February–March; at its widest, it fell 97% below in December. Excluding December, the largest gap appeared in August (−53% vs. global).

Meanwhile, the global series showed a steadier build: rising from September to November by roughly 29%, then holding elevated into December. The United Arab Emirates rose into November (+15% from September) but reversed sharply in December, highlighting a more volatile, less synchronized seasonal ending.

Closing

In summary, Facebook Ads benchmarks for CPM across all industries in the United Arab Emirates reveal lower-than-global, more volatile country-specific ad costs—punctuated by a January spike, an August trough, and a December break. Understanding CPM analysis for all-industry advertising in the United Arab Emirates helps teams contextualize industry ad performance against global patterns.