Why Snapchat matters so much in Saudi Arabia
If your brand sells to Saudi consumers under 35, Snapchat is rarely optional. In February 2025, Snapchat's general manager for Saudi Arabia told the Saudi Media Forum that the app had passed 25 million monthly active users in the Kingdom, with users spending around 70 minutes a day on it and roughly 90 per cent of its Saudi audience aged 13 to 34. Independent data points the same way: DataReportal's Digital 2026 report put Snapchat's advertising reach in Saudi Arabia at 25.3 million people in October 2025, around 73 per cent of the total population.
Those numbers explain why Saudi marketers treat Snapchat as a primary channel rather than a test budget. It is where friends share daily moments, where many people check what is happening in their city, and where a well-made vertical video can feel like part of the feed rather than an interruption.
Choosing the right Snapchat ad formats
Snapchat offers a small but flexible set of formats. Most Saudi campaigns combine two or three of them rather than relying on one:
- Snap Ads – full-screen vertical image or video ads between Stories. The workhorse format for awareness, traffic and app installs.
- Story Ads – a branded tile in the Discover area that opens into a series of Snaps. Useful for collections, menus, property listings or launch countdowns.
- Collection Ads – a video or image with product thumbnails underneath, well suited to e-commerce and retail catalogues.
- Dynamic Ads – catalogue-driven ads that update automatically with your products and prices, ideal for retailers with large ranges.
- Sponsored AR Lenses and Filters – interactive camera experiences that people use and send to friends. Strong for launches, Ramadan, National Day and big events.
Start with Snap Ads for reach and conversion, then add AR or Story Ads when you have a launch or a seasonal moment that deserves a bigger creative idea.
Creative that works for Saudi audiences
On Snapchat, creative quality decides most of your results. The platform is fast and personal, so ads that look like television commercials tend to be skipped. What tends to work in Saudi Arabia:
- Hook in the first two seconds. Show the product, the offer or a face straight away.
- Arabic first. Write scripts and on-screen text in Arabic, with a natural Saudi tone where it suits the brand. English can sit alongside, not replace it.
- Shot vertically, for the phone. Native 9:16 footage, large captions and sound designed for both sound-on and sound-off viewing.
- Real people. Creator-style videos, staff or customers speaking to camera usually feel more native than polished brand films.
- Several versions. Prepare at least three to five variations per campaign so the algorithm can find the best performer and you can refresh before fatigue sets in.
Our video production team plans Snapchat edits from the start of a shoot, so one production day can deliver a full set of vertical cut-downs in Arabic and English.
Targeting, tracking and measurement
Snapchat's targeting covers location, age, interests, behaviours and custom or lookalike audiences built from your customer lists and website visitors. In a large country, location matters: a campaign for a Riyadh restaurant, a Jeddah clinic and a nationwide e-commerce store need very different setups.
Before spending, install the Snap Pixel on your website and, where possible, connect the Conversions API so purchases and leads are recorded reliably. Without clean tracking, Snapchat often looks weaker than it is, because many people see an ad on their phone and buy later. Judge campaigns on cost per result and on incremental lift, not only on clicks. If your goal is enquiries rather than sales, our lead generation service connects Snapchat lead forms and landing pages to a simple follow-up process.
Working with Snapchat creators
Saudi Arabia has a large community of Snapchat creators, and many brands use them to add credibility and reach. Two practical rules apply. First, anyone paid to advertise on social media in Saudi Arabia needs a valid Mawthooq licence from the General Authority for Media Regulation, so check this before you sign. Second, brief creators on the message and the call to action, but let them speak in their own style; scripted creator content usually performs worse than authentic content.
A good approach is to run creator content organically on their account and then, with permission, reuse the best-performing clips as paid Snap Ads from your brand profile.
Planning around the Saudi calendar
Snapchat usage and competition for attention rise around key moments. Plan creative and budgets well ahead of:
- Ramadan and Eid – evening and late-night viewing, family and generosity themes.
- Founding Day (22 February) and Saudi National Day (23 September) – national pride, green-themed creative and AR experiences.
- Riyadh Season and other city seasons – event-led content, offers and location targeting.
- White Friday and year-end sales – catalogue and Dynamic Ads for retail.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Reusing horizontal or Instagram feed creative without re-editing it for Snapchat.
- Running English-only ads to an Arabic-first audience.
- Launching without the Snap Pixel or Conversions API, then judging results on clicks.
- Letting one creative run for weeks until performance collapses.
- Working with creators who do not hold a valid licence.
A2Z Digital works with brands in Saudi Arabia remotely, planning and managing Snapchat alongside TikTok, Instagram and X. Our social media agency service for Riyadh and our Jeddah social media team cover strategy, Arabic content and paid campaigns, with crews confirmed per project when filming is needed.
Next step
Want to know whether Snapchat should lead your Saudi media plan? Send us a WhatsApp message on +971 55 570 4233 or email info@a2zdigital.ae to request a free growth audit. We will review your current channels, creative and tracking, and suggest a practical Snapchat plan for your goals.