Planning a Ramadan campaign: a timeline for agencies

The dates, and why they move

Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, so it starts about eleven days earlier each year. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on or around 8 February 2027 and last 29 or 30 days, with Eid al-Fitr expected around 9 or 10 March 2027. The start and end are confirmed by moon sighting, usually announced the evening before, so plans should allow a day either side.

Eid al-Adha 2027 is expected around 16 May 2027. Public holiday lengths for both Eids are announced by each government, usually only shortly beforehand.

A planning timeline

• 12 weeks before: agree objectives and budget with the client. Decide whether the campaign covers Ramadan, Eid, or both.
• 10 weeks before: creative concept and key visuals. Shortlist creators and check their permits and availability.
• 8 weeks before: contract creators and book production. Ramadan shoots are hard to schedule during the month itself.
• 6 weeks before: produce content. Get legal and religious-sensitivity review on scripts.
• 3 weeks before: final approvals, captions in Arabic and English, paid media plans set up.
• The week before: schedule everything, brief community managers, confirm who approves what while hours are short.
• During the month: post in evening windows, respond to comments, adjust paid spend by performance.
• Last ten days: shift to Eid messaging and gifting, which is when many purchase decisions happen.

How audiences change

Daily routines reorganise around the fast. Daytime hours are quieter online, especially in the late afternoon before iftar. Activity climbs after iftar, from around 8pm, and runs late, often past midnight, with another rise around suhoor before dawn. TV and streaming viewing rises sharply, and Ramadan series are a major advertising moment of their own.

Shopping behaviour shifts too. Grocery, food delivery, fashion, gifting and electronics all see heavy demand, with a strong build towards Eid. Evening footfall in malls rises, and many retailers extend opening hours.

The best time to post tool on this site has a Ramadan setting that switches the suggested windows to this pattern for each Gulf country.

Tone and content

• Lead with values that fit the month: generosity, family, community, reflection and togetherness.
• Be careful with humour, music and imagery that could feel out of place. When unsure, ask a colleague who observes the month.
• Food content is welcome, but think about timing: iftar recipes land in the afternoon, indulgent food shots at noon may not.
• Charity tie-ins should be genuine and specific. Vague promises invite criticism.
• Avoid using religious phrases or symbols as decoration for a sales message.
• Make Arabic the lead language for most Gulf audiences, written for the market, not translated at the last minute.

Working hours

In the UAE, private sector working hours are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan. In Saudi Arabia, working hours for Muslim employees in the private sector are also shortened. Government offices keep reduced hours too. For an agency, that means slower approvals, earlier cut-offs and suppliers who aren't available in the evening when your content is going live. Agree an approval calendar with the client before the month starts, and name a backup approver.

Creators during Ramadan

Demand for creators peaks, and so do their rates. Book early, contract before the month, and expect some creators to post less or change their content style out of respect for the month. Brief them on timing: a post that goes live at 3pm will reach far fewer people than the same post at 9pm.

Measuring it fairly

Don't compare Ramadan results with a normal month. Engagement patterns, costs per thousand and conversion windows all shift. Compare with last year's Ramadan where you have it, and report on the campaign window including Eid.