Beauty searches in Qatar spiked 146 percent during Ramadan 2025. In Saudi Arabia, the same category grew just 11 percent. Food and grocery clicks in Turkiye surged 472 percent. In Qatar, the same category saw 173 percent growth.
These are not marginal differences. They represent entirely separate consumer patterns happening within the same religious period, across neighbouring markets. Advertisers running a single regional Ramadan campaign are averaging out the very signals that should be shaping their strategy.
Three Phases, Three Different Approaches
Microsoft Advertising and InMobi analysed search and click behaviour across eight product categories in six markets during Ramadan 2025. The data breaks the period into three distinct phases.
The pre Ramadan build up starts two to three weeks before. Search volumes rise consistently across most categories. Turkiye's apparel searches peaked two full weeks before Ramadan began. Advertisers who activate early build remarketing pools before auction competition intensifies. Those who wait until Ramadan starts are already paying more for the same audiences.
Mid Ramadan activity sustains without the drop off many expect. Travel and tourism searches in the UAE and Qatar remained stable or increased. Finance searches in Turkiye peaked mid month. The assumption that engagement dips during Ramadan is not supported by the search data.
The post Ramadan recovery shows sharp rebounds in finance, food and groceries, and home and garden categories. This is a coordinated return of commercial intent across markets.
What This Means for Campaign Structure
Budget allocation should follow the actual demand curve per market rather than a fixed calendar. Qatar's beauty spike demands a different budget profile than Saudi Arabia's modest growth in the same category.
Dynamic Search Ads capture the long tail queries that spike unpredictably during each phase. Performance Max provides cross format reach during rapid demand shifts. Feed based Shopping campaigns scale product visibility without manual keyword management.
Remarketing becomes most effective when audiences are built during the build up phase and activated during peak. Building remarketing pools cold during Ramadan itself means paying more for less qualified traffic.
The Broader Principle
Seasonal campaigns on the Microsoft ecosystem perform best when shaped by actual search behaviour rather than assumptions. Lower auction competition in many of these markets creates an efficiency advantage that compounds for advertisers who plan around the real data. The variance between markets is the opportunity, not the obstacle. If your measurement setup is solid, the data to inform these decisions is already available.
This insight is based on content originally published on the Microsoft Advertising Blog, rewritten with added context and perspective by Scepter Digital.
