The Winter Season Watch List: UAE edition
Other editions: The Summer Watch List: Australian editionThe Festive Watch List: UK edition
@danahalabii for M&S · @beeoncloud9 for Johnson & Johnson · @mawadda_tak for Raw Orange
Your guide to the UAE’s biggest moments, and where to focus your creator strategy.
01 / Find the reason to join in
The biggest cultural moments in the UAE rarely stay contained to the event itself.
National Day, race weekend, the shopping festival, Ramadan and the festive season create their own worlds of style, food, travel, socialising and conversation.
Brands don’t need to be part of the official event to participate in what it creates. There are countless ways to find a relevant role in the culture that forms around it.
Creators can bring those moments to life, connecting brands with the people already participating and giving audiences a reason to join in.
Use the calendar to look beyond the headline. See what each moment creates, where people are participating and where your brand can add something worth joining.
02 / Creator investment keeps climbing, and the winter season is already taking shape.
76.9%
of marketers in YAAP’s CMO study call influencer marketing a top priority for their brand.
76.5%
are moving budget out of traditional and other digital channels and into creators.
80%+
of holiday revenue came from creator relationships that started before October.
50%+
above rate card is what creators quote for a single last-minute Q4 post.
The best creators don’t wait for your brief. Their calendars fill first, with the brands already in the room.
Sources: YAAP, CMO influencer marketing report, March 2025 (50 CMOs, Middle East focus). Traackr State of the Holiday Season 2026 with ShopMy and Lumanu data.
03 / The creator side
In this region, creators choose brands too. Here’s what wins the good ones.
Reputation
Top 3
Brand reputation is now a top-three factor in which brands creators work with, ahead of the fee.
Experiences
80%
say connecting with the brand is the main reason to attend an event, up from 66% a year earlier.
Access
63%
say VIP experiences matter when choosing who to work with, up from 51%.
AI
49%
are positive about AI, up from 29%. Most expect better tools and analytics, not replacement.
The white space
The best creators pick partners on reputation and real experiences, not just the fee. Give them something worth turning up for.
Source: Weber Shandwick MENAT, InfluAnswer Arabia, second edition, June 2025. Survey of MENA content creators; sample size not published.
04 / The booking clock
It’s October. Here’s what’s still open, and when each window closes.
| Moment | When | Brief Vamp by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Friday | 27 Nov | 26 Oct | Last call |
| National Day + Abu Dhabi GP | 2 to 6 Dec | 2 Nov | Closing |
| DSF + New Year’s Eve | Dec to Jan | 9 Nov | Open |
| Ramadan + Eid al Fitr | Feb to Mar | 8 Dec | Open |
| Mother’s Day | 21 Mar | 22 Jan | Open |
Moving late?
We’re built for that too. Trend-led creator content, turned around fast and live while the moment is still happening.
05 / White Friday to DSF
Seven weeks that make the UAE retail year.
+68%
year-on-year conversions on UAE shopping apps over White Friday 2025
~3x
what UAE shoppers spend per order in November sales, vs the MENA average
3,500+
stores and 1,000+ brands in on the last Dubai Shopping Festival
Two ways in
Gift guides
Gift guides, top-ten lists and "what I’m buying" round-ups. Your product in the list shoppers save and come back to.
The DSF day out
Creators turn the festival into a plan: the live events, the drone show, the night market. Your brand in every part of the day.
What your budget gets you
AED 120K
Gift guide inclusion with 14 paid creators, plus barter with 20 more.
AED 240K
18 creators across TikTok and Instagram, with paid amplification on top performers.
AED 360K+
Gift guides and DSF moments, always-on from White Friday to the final weekend, with usage rights.
Brief Vamp by 26 Oct for White Friday. 9 Nov for DSF.
Sources: AppsFlyer White Friday 2025 UAE data, via Khaleej Times, Dec 2025. Flowwow x Admitad, 4.5M+ November sale orders, 2023 to 2024. Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, DSF 2025/26, via Gulf News. *Deliverables listed are one example. Final creator numbers, deliverables and social audience will be determined during talent selection on the Vamp platform.
06 / National week
2 to 6 December 2026
Eid Al Etihad runs straight into race weekend on Yas Island. One long weekend, two of the country’s biggest moments.
339,000
fans across race weekend and the after-race concerts in 2025, a record
203,000
through the gates at Yas Marina Circuit, up from 192,000 in 2024
136,000
at four nights of after-race concerts, a crowd in its own right
Two ways in
Trackside
Creators inside the paddock energy. Fashion, food, hospitality and the moments fans can’t see on TV.
The long weekend
No ticket needed. Family, food, the outfits and the plans around Eid Al Etihad on 2 and 3 December.
What your budget gets you
AED 120K
The National Day long weekend with 14 paid UAE creators, plus barter with 20 more.
AED 240K
18 creators across the long weekend and race week, plus a creator event.
AED 360K+
A hosted creator experience across the whole week, with usage rights.
Brief Vamp by 2 November. Race access books out first.
Sources: Ethara, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 attendance release, Dec 2025. UAE 2026 public holiday calendar, via Gulf News (Eid Al Etihad holiday 2 to 3 Dec, pending official confirmation). F1 race programme 3 to 6 Dec 2026. *Deliverables listed are one example. Final creator numbers, deliverables and social audience will be determined during talent selection on the Vamp platform.
07 / Peak season + NYE
December is Dubai’s busiest month. The city fills up, and everyone is making plans.
2.04M
international visitors to Dubai in December 2025, the first month ever above two million
94.1%
Dubai hotel occupancy on New Year’s Eve
84.3%
hotel occupancy across December, the strongest in nearly 20 years
Two ways in
Make the plan
The Christmas brunch, the staycation, the NYE spot. Creators turn your venue or experience into the plan people book.
Get ready for it
The outfit, the gift, the getting-ready. Your product in the moments before the countdown.
What your budget gets you
AED 120K
14 paid creators, barter with 20 more.
AED 240K
18 creators across December, including a festive Christmas event.
AED 360K+
A hosted creator experience plus always-on through the season, with usage rights.
Brief Vamp by 9 November. Experiences need time to host.
Sources: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, 2025 international visitor figures, Feb 2026. CoStar preliminary hotel data, December 2025. *Deliverables listed are one example. Final creator numbers, deliverables and social audience will be determined during talent selection on the Vamp platform.
08 / Ramadan to Eid
Expected from around 8 February 2027. A month built around the table, generosity and late nights, ending in Eid al Fitr.
61%
of UAE and KSA residents are likely to shop for Ramadan on Instagram and TikTok
41%
of UAE residents plan to spend more on dining out and delivery
23%
of UAE residents say trusted creator recommendations will shape their Ramadan shopping
Two ways in
Around the table
Iftar, suhoor and the gatherings in between. Your brand in the hosting, the food and the generosity.
Ready for Eid
The outfit, the gifts, the family visits. Build through the month so your brand is there when Eid arrives.
What your budget gets you
AED 120K
14 paid creators, barter with 20 more.
AED 240K
18 creators across Ramadan and Eid, plus a creator iftar.
AED 360K+
A creator ambassador from the first iftar to Eid, with usage rights.
Brief Vamp by 8 December. Ramadan plans lock early.
Sources: YouGov Ramadan consumer insights, UAE (n=1,031) and KSA (n=1,023), fieldwork Dec 2024, via Campaign Middle East. Dates are estimates, subject to moon sighting (The National, Oct 2026). *Deliverables listed are one example. Final creator numbers, deliverables and social audience will be determined during talent selection on the Vamp platform.
09 / Also worth watching
Smaller events, niche communities and opportunities to show up where it counts.
Diwali
8 Nov
Best for food, fashion, beauty, gifting
Family, food and gifting. Be part of how people celebrate together.
Brief by 26 Oct
Dubai Fitness Challenge
31 Oct to 29 Nov
Best for sport, wellness, drinks, tech
30 minutes a day for 30 days, with Dubai Run on 22 Nov. Make participation the idea.
Brief by 26 Oct
Christmas
25 Dec
Best for gifting, dining, hospitality, retail
Brunches, gifting and the hotel lobby tree. A big moment for the city’s expat communities.
Brief by 2 Nov
Mother’s Day
21 Mar
Best for beauty, gifting, flowers, dining
Lands soon after Eid. Gifting, and a reason to go out together.
Brief by 22 Jan
Dubai Food Festival
Spring 2027 (dates TBC)
Best for food, hospitality, restaurants
A reason to explore the city through food. Creators as the guide to what’s worth trying.
Brief by 22 Feb
Your moment
Got a launch coming up, or a date that matters to your category? Let’s build a plan around it.
10 / Winter packages
Three ways in, for any moment on the list. Pick one and we’ll build it around your brand.
Starter
AED 120K
Get in the conversation around one moment.
- 14 creators paid, plus barter with 20 more
- 28 pieces of paid content, plus 20 from barter profiles (48+ in total)
- End-of-campaign report
Signature
AED 240K
Own a corner of the moment, on and off platform.
- 18 creators across TikTok and Instagram
- 46 pieces of content, including paid media amplification, plus a creator event or experience
- Usage rights on top performers
- Mid-campaign and final reporting
Takeover
AED 360K+
Lead the moment from start to finish.
- Creator ambassador (Mega) plus 21 supporting creators
- Always-on across the full moment
- Usage rights for owned and paid channels
- Full performance reporting
*Deliverables listed are one example. Final creator numbers, deliverables and social audience will be determined during talent selection on the Vamp platform.
11 / Pick your moment, then make your move.
Book a 30-minute winter season planning session before 9 November.
01
Tell us your moment and your number.
02
We bring a creator shortlist and a costed plan.
03
You lock creators in before the calendars close.