Let me be direct about this one: X is not a primary paid channel for most businesses in this region, and I would rather say so here than after you have spent a quarter finding out.
It earns a place in a media plan under specific conditions. X retains an engaged Gulf user base, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where it remains a significant venue for news, commentary and public conversation. For the right advertiser that is genuinely valuable. For the wrong one it is a smaller, more expensive version of a channel they are already running.
When X earns a place in the plan
B2B and professional services
Decision-makers in tech, finance, consulting and government-adjacent sectors are reachable here in a way they are not on TikTok or Snapchat.
Real-time and event-driven
Conferences, launches, sports, announcements. X is still where reaction happens first, and campaigns timed to that perform.
Finance, crypto and tech products
Audiences with genuine topical concentration, and conversation-level targeting that the broader platforms cannot match.
Brand and reputation work
When the conversation about your category is happening on X, being absent from it is itself a decision.
What the work covers
- Conversion tracking setup and verification
- Campaign objective and structure matched to the funnel stage
- Keyword, conversation and follower-lookalike targeting
- Ad format selection: promoted posts, video, carousels, trend takeovers
- Arabic and English copy testing
- Budget scale appropriate to the channel, which usually means modest
- An honest read after 30 days on whether to continue
The honest assessment
Before recommending X I would want to see: a product with a professional, tech, financial or news-adjacent audience; a Gulf market focus rather than Egypt; and an existing paid programme on Google and Meta that is already working. If those three are not true, the budget is almost certainly better spent elsewhere, and I will say that on the first call rather than build you a campaign.
Frequently asked
Is X advertising still effective after the platform changes?
Effectiveness varies more by market and audience than it used to. In Saudi Arabia the user base remained more stable than in many Western markets. The right answer for your business is a small, measured test with a defined stop condition, not an assumption in either direction.
What budget makes sense?
Treat it as a test line rather than a core channel. Enough to gather a meaningful signal over four to six weeks, with a clear threshold agreed in advance for continuing or stopping.
Should we advertise on X if we are e-commerce?
Usually not as a primary channel. Consumer e-commerce budgets in this region generally work harder on Meta, TikTok and Snapchat. There are exceptions, niche tech and collector products among them, but they are exceptions.