Middle East mobile app revenues top $1.7 billion during Ramadan

In-app purchase revenue in the Middle East climbed by 18.6 per cent year on year to reach $1.70 billion during the holy month of Ramadan, a study showed.

As brands across the region continue to compete for consumer attention during the Holy Month, new data from AppsFlyer, a global leader in marketing measurement, attribution, and data analytics, reveals another year of dramatic growth in mobile app engagement, installs, and revenue across the Middle East — as marketers double down on seasonal campaigns to capture user attention during this critical commercial period.

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In its annual Ramadan analysis, AppsFlyer found that mobile app activity across the region saw a significant uplift during the Holy Month. Sessions, a measure of app usage across all app categories, increased by approximately 15 per cent year-over-year, with gaming, shopping, and finance apps driving steady engagement throughout the Ramadan period. Non-organic installs also increased by an estimated 10 per cent year-over-year across categories. In-app purchase revenue climbed by 18.6 per cent year on year to reach $1.70 billion.

During Ramadan, shopping app sessions across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar rose by over 20 per cent year on year, reaching 682 million this year. This was accompanied by a 76 per cent increase in non-organic installs across the region. Shopping apps saw the strongest uplift in the first half of Ramadan, with a 111 per cent increase in installs compared to the same period in 2024, followed by a 47 per cent rise in the second half.

Finance apps also delivered strong results, with sessions increasing by 9.7 per cent and in-app revenue growing by 29.35 per cent, reaching $650 million. However, non-organic installs in finance declined slightly (6 per cent year on year), suggesting that while fewer paid users were acquired, those who did convert delivered higher value.

Meanwhile, gaming apps held steady, with flat session growth (0.05 per cent) and stable monetisation (3.26 per cent in IAP), though non-organic installs fell marginally (-1 per cent year on year).

While regional metrics outpaced local performance in some categories, the UAE continued to contribute meaningfully across key verticals. Non-organic installs nearly doubled for shopping apps, growing 97 per cent year on year, with install activity peaking in the second half of the holy month (103 per cent).

In the finance category, UAE usage was concentrated in the early and late weeks of Ramadan, though non-organic installs fell by 7 per cent overall, with a 24 per cent drop in the final two weeks, indicating a reliance on early acquisition and strong organic performance. Gaming app sessions in the UAE mirrored regional trends, and installs remained stable, with a slight year on year decline of 1 per cent.

“This year’s Ramadan data reinforces how critical the season has become for mobile-first engagement strategies,” said Sue Azari, Industry Lead – eCommerce, at AppsFlyer. “The leap in shopping installs across the region reflects users’ growing comfort with mobile commerce as their default shopping channel — particularly in markets like the UAE where promotional cycles and user expectations are maturing fast.

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay

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somshankar@khaleejtimes.com

Somshankar Bandyopadhyay is a News Editor with close to three decades of experience. Currently, he manages the business section, ensuring that the top economic and business news of the day reaches its readers.