Marketing across the GCC
Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman are smaller markets with high spending power and close-knit audiences. We run campaigns in them alongside the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
QatarKuwaitBahrainOmanBrands often treat the GCC as one market. Audiences don't. A Kuwaiti viewer can tell a Kuwaiti creator from a Saudi one in a few seconds, and holidays, humour and shopping habits differ from country to country. A regional campaign works best with a shared idea and local execution in each market.
Where audiences are
| Country | YouTube | Snapchat | TikTok (18+) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 76.6% | 73.8% | 54.3% | 39.5% | 2.95M |
| Kuwait | 48.5% | 65.6% | 59.4% | 48.2% | 4.44M |
| Bahrain | 46.8% | 74.5% | 66.6% | 66.3% | 1.31M |
| Oman | 31.6% | 62.1% | 50.5% | 42.3% | 2.73M |
Advertising audience reach as a share of total population, from DataReportal's Digital 2026 country reports (data from late 2025). TikTok is shown as an absolute number of adults because it reports no population share. Ad reach is not the same as monthly active users.
YouTube is strong everywhere. Snapchat reaches two thirds of Bahrain. Facebook matters far more in Qatar than in Oman. The channel mix changes even between neighbours.
Rules for creators
- Oman: paid influencers must work through a company licensed by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, under a 2022 decision that is in force.
- Kuwait: a new media law would require influencers to hold a licence for advertising. It was still described as a draft in early 2026, so we check its status before each campaign.
- Qatar and Bahrain: licensing frameworks have been proposed but we have not seen one enacted. Qatar does require an e-commerce licence for businesses that sell through social media since March 2026.
How we run GCC campaigns
- One idea, local versions. The concept, key visuals and timing are shared. Creators, captions and cultural references are local.
- Creators per country. Smaller markets reward local creators with engaged audiences over regional names.
- Shared calendar. Ramadan, the Eids and White Friday run region-wide. National days differ by country.
See our UAE and Saudi Arabia pages for the two largest Gulf markets.
Sources
- DataReportal: Digital 2026 Qatar
- DataReportal: Digital 2026 Kuwait
- DataReportal: Digital 2026 Bahrain
- DataReportal: Digital 2026 Oman
- Oman MOCIIP decision on influencer licensing (decree.om)
- Gulf News: Kuwait to require licences for influencer ads
- Qatar Living: 2026 e-commerce rules for selling on Instagram
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Can one campaign run across the whole GCC?
One idea can, and usually should, so the brand feels consistent. The execution works better when it is local: creators, language, references and dates per country.
Tell us what you sell and where you sell it
Send a short brief: your brand, your market and what you want people to do. We come back with questions or a first plan.