Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
July 2025 - July 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
The headline: United Arab Emirates CPMs ran lower than the global benchmark on average but showed sharp, episodic spikes that briefly exceeded global levels. 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 available in the United Arab Emirates compared to the global benchmark.
Across the 13-month window (June 2025–June 2026) the United Arab Emirates posted a median cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) average of about 15.8, versus a global baseline average near 20.8 — roughly 24% below the market overall. UAE CPMs started at 11.40 in June 2025 and finished at 9.20 in June 2026, a net decline of about 19% from start to finish. The local high was 23.93 in November 2025; the low was 8.88 in May 2026, giving a wide range of roughly 15 CPM points.
Monthly momentum was dramatic. The market climbed from mid-teens in July/August into a sharp Q3–Q4 spike (September–November 2025) where CPMs peaked near 23–24. That spike reversed into December (falling to ~14.8), then another elevated window in January–February 2026 (~21–22) before plunging through March–May to sub-10 levels. Average absolute month-to-month movement in the UAE was about 4.5 CPM points, reflecting much larger swings than the global baseline.
There is a clear seasonal rhythm: a concentrated uplift across late Q3 into Q4 with the single largest peak in November 2025, followed by a notable December reduction. Early 2026 shows a secondary elevation in January–February, then a pronounced trough in March–May 2026. The baseline also peaks in November (global high ~24.2), but the UAE pattern is choppier — sharp rises and steep retracements over short spans, rather than a smooth climb.
These rhythms map to concentrated windows of higher competition and quieter periods; the UAE’s CPMs swing quickly between those states. Volatility is most concentrated around the Q3–Q4 transition and again in the spring months.
Relative framing: UAE CPMs trailed the global baseline by roughly 20–60% for much of the year, but with a few reversal months where UAE was above market. At its narrowest gap, UAE was about 1% below global CPMs in November 2025. At its widest, UAE was roughly 61% below global CPMs in May 2026. There were months of outperformance — September and October 2025 and January–February 2026 — when UAE CPMs ran about 7–20% above the baseline. Overall, the global trend rose modestly over the period (+~16% from June 2025 to June 2026), while the UAE pattern was choppier and ended lower (≈ −19%).
This snapshot ties into broader Facebook Ads benchmarks and CPM analysis while sitting alongside other signals like CPC trends and CTR performance that often move on different cadences. It also highlights swings in country-specific ad costs and frames industry ad performance for All industries available in the United Arab Emirates.
Understanding Facebook Ads CPM benchmarks for all industries in the United Arab Emirates provides a data-grounded view of country-specific ad costs and how local CPM dynamics compare to global patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. Different industries see varying ad costs due to market competition, user demographics, and conversion value. 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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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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.
CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.
Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.
In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.
Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.
Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
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