PPC in Saudi Arabia: What Businesses Need to Know Before Running Ads

Pay per click advertising in Saudi Arabia (الإعلان بالدفع لكل نقرة) works like it does anywhere else: you bid, you write an ad, and you pay when someone clicks. What differs is the audience, the mix of Arabic and English, the platforms with the most reach, and a set of government rules that decide who can advertise, what an ad must say and how you may use customer data. This guide covers the platforms and a first-campaign plan, with a full section on regulations so you know the rules before you spend.

ملخص بالعربية: الإعلان بالدفع لكل نقرة (PPC) في السعودية يعني أنك تدفع فقط عندما ينقر شخص على إعلانك في جوجل أو يوتيوب أو سناب شات أو تيك توك. تحتاج الحملات إلى كلمات مفتاحية بالعربية والإنجليزية، وإلى الالتزام بأنظمة المملكة مثل ترخيص «موثوق» ونظام التجارة الإلكترونية ونظام حماية البيانات الشخصية، وموافقة الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء على بعض المنتجات.

What is pay per click advertising in Saudi Arabia?

Pay per click (PPC) advertising in Saudi Arabia is paid advertising (الإعلانات المدفوعة) where you are charged only when a person clicks your ad, usually on Google Search, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok or Meta.

• You choose keywords (الكلمات المفتاحية) or audiences, set a bid and a daily budget, and write the ad.
• Search ads reach people who are already looking for what you sell.
• Social ads reach people by age, city and interest, even when they are not searching.

Why does PPC work in Saudi Arabia?

PPC works in Saudi Arabia because nearly everyone is online and the advertising market is growing fast.

• Saudi Arabia had 34.4 million internet users at the end of 2025, a penetration rate of 99 percent.
• The median age is 29.6, and median mobile download speed was about 194 Mbps.
• Ken Research expects the KSA digital advertising market to grow from USD 2.05 billion in 2025 to USD 4.16 billion by 2031, about 12.5 percent a year.
• Another regional analysis puts total Saudi ad spend near USD 4.2 billion, with digital at roughly 83 percent. Estimates differ by source, but both point up.
• PPC gives results in days. SEO takes months.

Which PPC platforms work best in Saudi Arabia?

Google Search is best for buyers with clear intent, and Snapchat and TikTok give the widest reach among Saudi adults.

• Google Search and YouTube (إعلانات جوجل ويوتيوب): Google’s tools showed 27.5 million YouTube users in Saudi Arabia in late 2025.
• Snapchat (سناب شات): 25.3 million users, covering 89 percent of adults aged 18 and over. Good for retail, food, events and short vertical video.
• TikTok (تيك توك): 38.6 million adult users in its ad tools.
• Instagram and Facebook (إنستغرام وفيسبوك): 18.2 million and 17.7 million users. Useful for lead generation and remarketing.
• X (إكس): potential ad reach fell 6.8 percent between the end of 2024 and late 2025.
• LinkedIn (لينكدإن): 12.0 million members, about 75 percent male. A B2B channel. These are registered members, not active users.
• Source: DataReportal Digital 2026: Saudi Arabia.

Should PPC campaigns use Arabic, English or both?

Run both, in separate campaigns, because Saudi searchers use both languages and the keywords are not direct translations.

• “digital marketing agency Riyadh” and “التسويق الرقمي في الرياض” have different competition and cost.
• Have a native Arabic writer produce the ad copy. Translation software tends to sound stiff.
• Keep formal Arabic for services and use a lighter tone for social video.
• Compare results by language every week and move budget to the one that converts.

What Arabic keywords should you use for PPC in Saudi Arabia?

Start with Arabic phrases that match what Saudi buyers type, then check volume and cost in Google Keyword Planner.

• Add city names to Arabic phrases: الرياض، جدة، الدمام.
• Check spelling variants, since جوجل and قوقل are both used.
• Keep Arabic and English keywords in separate campaigns so you can compare results.

What are the PPC regulations and government rules in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi PPC campaigns fall under four main sets of rules: the media regulator’s licence for social media advertising, the Ministry of Commerce’s e-advertising rules, the Personal Data Protection Law and the Food and Drug Authority’s approval rules. Platform policies add a fifth layer. Rules change, so confirm the current position with the authority or a local adviser before you launch. This is general information, not legal advice.

Who regulates advertising in Saudi Arabia?

Four bodies matter most for online ads.

• General Authority for Media Regulation (GAMR, الهيئة العامة لتنظيم الإعلام, formerly GCAM): licenses people who publish ads on social media through the Mawthooq programme (برنامج «موثوق»).
• Ministry of Commerce (وزارة التجارة): enforces the E-Commerce Law (نظام التجارة الإلكترونية), including rules on misleading ads and ad disclosure.
• Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA, سدايا): enforces the Personal Data Protection Law (نظام حماية البيانات الشخصية).
• Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA, الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء): approves advertising for food, medicines, medical devices and related products.

Do you need a Mawthooq licence?

You need a Mawthooq licence (ترخيص «موثوق») when individuals publish paid advertising content on social media accounts, which mostly affects campaigns that use influencers or creators (المؤثرين).

• The regulator requires individuals to hold a licence before publishing advertising content on social media. The licence is valid for three years and tied to an account registered with the Authority.
• The licence covers X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.
• Licence holders must stop advertising content immediately when the authority asks.
• GAMR’s guidance says a person promoting their own work on a personal account does not need a licence, while a bank marketer promoting loans on social media does.
• The Ministry of Commerce has warned businesses against promoting influencers who lack a licence, including celebrities visiting on visitor visas.
• Foreign residents who apply need a commercial registration and at least 50 percent ownership of a registered advertising or marketing firm.
• Practical step: ask any creator to show a valid licence before you sign or pay.
• Sources: Clyde & Co on Mawthooq, Arab News on the licence guidelines, Gulf News on mandatory influencer licensing.

What does the E-Commerce Law require for online ads?

The E-Commerce Law (نظام التجارة الإلكترونية) bans misleading ads (الإعلانات المضللة) and requires every electronic advertisement to say clearly that it is advertising (إعلان).

• Digital advertising by e-commerce service providers cannot include misleading or deceptive statements.
• Electronic ads must clearly indicate that they are advertising material.
• An online store must display the provider’s name and address and, where applicable, its Commercial Registration number.
• Ads may not use a logo or trademark the advertiser has no right to use, and the ministry can require a violating ad to be removed within one day of notice.
• Electronic ads are treated as contractual and binding, so the offer in your ad is an offer you must honour.
• The law also reaches overseas businesses that offer products or services to customers in Saudi Arabia.
• Penalties include fines of up to one million riyals and suspension of the right to trade online.
• Enforcement is real. The ministry fined 17 advertisers a combined 740,000 riyals for misleading claims and for not disclosing that content was advertising. In 2022 it fined 24 promoters over Snapchat and TikTok ads.
• Sources: Al Tamimi on the E-Commerce Law, Ministry of Commerce announcement.

How does the data protection law affect PPC tracking and remarketing?

The Personal Data Protection Law (نظام حماية البيانات الشخصية) requires consent (الموافقة) before you process personal data for advertising or direct marketing, so lead forms, customer lists and tracking need a clear consent step.

• The PDPL and its implementing regulations came into force on 14 September 2023.
• Consent is required to process personal data for advertising and direct marketing, and people must have an easy way to stop receiving marketing at any time.
• Where consent is the legal basis, it must be freely given, clear about the purpose, and obtained separately for each purpose.
• The law applies to organisations outside the Kingdom that process the personal data of Saudi residents.
• SDAIA published draft amendments in April 2025 on areas including direct marketing, and the core requirement of consent before marketing stayed the same.
• Practical steps: add a consent notice to landing pages (صفحات الهبوط) and forms, state what you will use the data for, include an unsubscribe link in follow-up messages, and check your use of customer lists and remarketing audiences with an adviser.
• Sources: Clyde & Co on the PDPL consultation, HSF Kramer overview.

Which products need government approval before you advertise?

Food, non-prescription medicines, medical devices and some other products need SFDA approval (موافقة الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء) before any advertising runs.

• The SFDA says medical devices and supplies, pesticides, animal feed, food products and non-prescription medicines cannot be advertised without its prior approval.
• The claims in the ad must be approved, the product must be registered or listed with the SFDA, and the ad must not disparage other products or mislead consumers.
• Health, beauty and supplement advertisers should get approval first and write ad copy that matches the approved claims word for word.
• Source: SFDA announcement.

What are Google Ads’ own rules for Saudi Arabia?

Google adds its own condition for this market: Google Ads can be used only for business purposes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

• Open the account in the name of a business, not for personal or non-commercial use.
• Check each platform’s policies before launch, because some categories are restricted or banned on one platform and allowed on another.
• Source: Google Ads Help.

PPC compliance checklist for Saudi Arabia

1. Confirm your business details and commercial registration (السجل التجاري) are shown on your website.
2. Label every ad clearly as advertising (إعلان).
3. Remove claims you cannot prove, and honour every price and offer you publish.
4. Use only logos, images and trademarks you have the right to use.
5. Ask creators for a valid Mawthooq licence before they publish paid content.
6. Get SFDA approval before advertising food, medicines, medical devices or related products.
7. Add consent notices and an unsubscribe option to forms, emails and messages.
8. Review the platform’s policy for your product category before you launch.
9. Keep copies of approvals and licences in one folder in case a platform or authority asks.

How do you set up a first PPC campaign in Saudi Arabia?

Start with one goal and one channel, then expand once you have conversions (التحويلات).

1. Pick one goal: calls, WhatsApp chats, form leads (العملاء المحتملون) or sales.
2. Run Google Search first on a small set of high-intent keywords, with Arabic and English campaigns kept apart.
3. Target the city you serve, such as Riyadh (الرياض), Jeddah (جدة) or Dammam (الدمام), instead of the whole country.
4. Send clicks to a mobile-friendly landing page with an Arabic version, a visible WhatsApp button and a consent notice.
5. Set up conversion tracking in Google Analytics before you spend anything.
6. Add Snapchat or TikTok once search converts, and lead with short video.
7. Review the search terms report weekly and add negative keywords (الكلمات المفتاحية السلبية).
8. Plan bids and creative early for Ramadan (رمضان), Saudi National Day (اليوم الوطني) and White Friday (الجمعة البيضاء).

Which PPC metrics should you track?

Track click-through rate (نسبة النقر إلى الظهور), cost per click (تكلفة النقرة), conversion rate (معدل التحويل) and cost per lead, and add return on ad spend for online stores.

• A cheap click that never converts costs more than an expensive one that does.
• Compare Arabic and English campaigns separately.
• Record which ads were approved or licensed, so reporting and compliance sit together.

FAQ

How much does PPC cost in Saudi Arabia? (كم تكلفة الإعلانات المدفوعة في السعودية؟)

There is no fixed price. Cost depends on your industry, your keywords and how many competitors bid on them. Google Keyword Planner shows estimates for your exact terms.

Do I need a licence to run PPC ads in Saudi Arabia? (هل أحتاج ترخيصاً للإعلان المدفوع؟)

Not for search ads you run yourself. A Mawthooq licence applies to individuals who publish advertising content on social media, so check it whenever creators are part of the campaign.

Can an individual run Google Ads in Saudi Arabia?

Only for business purposes, according to Google’s own notice.

Do Saudi ads have to say they are advertising?

Yes. Under the E-Commerce Law and its regulations, electronic ads must clearly show they contain promotional material.

Can I advertise health products or supplements?

Only with prior SFDA approval where the product falls under its supervision, and only with approved claims.

Does Saudi data law apply to my lead forms?

Yes, if you collect personal data from people in Saudi Arabia. Consent is required for advertising and direct marketing, and people must be able to opt out.

Which platform is best for PPC in Saudi Arabia?

Google Search captures buyers who are ready to act. Snapchat and TikTok give the widest reach among Saudi adults. Most businesses end up using more than one.

Audience figures come from DataReportal (October 2025 data). Market-size figures come from Ken Research and Communicate Online. Regulations were checked against the sources linked above and may have changed since. Confirm current requirements with GAMR, the Ministry of Commerce, SDAIA, the SFDA or a qualified local adviser.

Social post (English and Arabic)

Running paid ads in Saudi Arabia? Know the rules first. Social ads can need a Mawthooq licence for creators, every ad must be labelled as advertising, and some products need SFDA approval before they go live. My PPC guide covers platforms, a first-campaign plan and a compliance checklist. Link in bio.

الإعلانات المدفوعة في السعودية: تعرّف على الأنظمة قبل أن تبدأ. ترخيص «موثوق»، ووسم الإعلان، وموافقة الهيئة العامة للغذاء والدواء. الرابط في السيرة. #إعلانات_مدفوعة #السعودية #التسويق_الرقمي #الرياض #PPC

#PPC #SaudiArabia #DigitalMarketing #Riyadh