How much does an advertising agency charge in Dubai?

Agency fees split into three lines: a retainer, a project fee and ad spend. A retainer is a fixed monthly fee for ongoing work. A project fee is one price for a defined job. Ad spend buys the ads and is never ours. We keep the three apart so you can see what each pays for.

• Retainer. Running ads, social media or SEO each month.
• Project fee. A film, a brand identity or a website.
• Ad spend. Paid to Meta, Google, TikTok or Snapchat.

To compare us with another advertising agency in Dubai, ask each agency to split its quote into these three lines.

Our fee depends on how much you spend on ads. The retainer of AED 34,000 a month covers managed spend up to AED 50,000. Above that, you pay a percentage of the extra spend only, and the rate falls as you spend more. Prices exclude VAT.

This retainer is more than ad setup. It covers the ads, fresh test creative each month, tracking and a monthly report, so you buy one scope from one team.

The rate steps down like this:

• Up to AED 50,000 a month: the retainer only.
• From there up to AED 200,000: 10% of the extra spend.
• From there up to AED 500,000: 8% of the extra spend.
• Above that: 6% of the extra spend.

The rate applies only to the part over each line, like income tax bands. There is no cliff. We do not charge a flat percentage of all your spend. A flat percentage pays an agency to tell you to spend more, whether or not it works.

Ad spend is separate because it is not ours. It buys space on Meta, Google, TikTok or Snapchat, and you pay the platform. We add no margin to it. Our fee pays for the work: the ads, the testing and the reports.

Our minimum is AED 30,000 a month in ad spend. Below that, a full management fee costs more than the ads it manages. We will say so on the call and tell you what to do first. Often that means better content before more ads.

Meta ads cost the daily budget you set, paid to Meta, plus a separate fee to the agency that runs them. There is no fixed price per ad. What a lead or sale costs depends on your product, offer and market. Instagram ads run through Meta, so Instagram ads cost the same way in the UAE.

For the longer guide, read How much do Meta ads cost in the UAE?. We do not promise a cost per lead, because we do not set your price or control your product.

TikTok ads work the same way as Meta ads. You set a daily budget and pay TikTok for the space. You pay your agency a separate fee to make and run the ads. We run TikTok and Snapchat alongside Meta and Google, so one retainer covers the mix. The ad spend minimum above applies across all platforms together.

A brand with a visual product often starts on Meta and adds TikTok once one ad is proven. See ad management.

A social media agency costs from AED 15,000 a month with XMA Media, ex VAT. That is for organic social media management: making, scheduling and publishing content for your accounts. Paid ads are a separate retainer, and ad spend is separate again. See social media management.

The monthly count of reels, product videos and statics is written into the agreement before you sign. Our first assets arrive within 10 working days of getting access, or that month costs you nothing.

Ask any agency three things before you sign. Who makes the content? Is it posted for you? Does the fee include paid ads?

A video ad from XMA Media starts at AED 1,530 per short video, sold as a pack of five. A hero commercial starts at AED 4,675. The price moves with length, number of versions, Arabic versions and rush delivery.

We make ads with AI video, produced in-house. A pack of five short videos takes 5 to 7 business days. A hero commercial takes 7 to 10 business days. A product showcase video takes 4 to 6 business days. See AI video ads.

3D product animation and motion graphics are quoted per project, apart from a static turned into motion, which starts at AED 765 per ad. See 3D and motion graphics and the jewellery, perfume and cosmetics pages for what we make in each category.

Corporate brand films are priced on request. Our in-house videography team captures what the job needs. We do not sell bookable production days or crew hire. See video production.

A brand identity from XMA Media starts at AED 8,000. It covers naming support, logo and marks, a colour and type system, guidelines and a launch kit. A full brand identity takes 3 to 4 weeks. See brand design.

Packaging and regulatory artwork is an add-on, priced separately. Print and packaging production is never in our prices.

A service website from XMA Media starts at AED 8,000. It takes 3 to 4 weeks. We write, design and build it start to finish. See websites.

An e-commerce store from XMA Media starts at AED 15,400 for up to 25 products. An e-commerce build takes 5 to 6 weeks. See Shopify stores.

SEO and AEO start at AED 26,000 a month, ex VAT. SEO helps people find you on Google. AEO helps AI search tools, such as chat assistants, name and quote your brand. Work goes live within 5 business days of getting access and assets. See SEO and AEO.

Six things move the price: ad spend, the number and length of videos, Arabic versions, speed, extra characters or revision rounds, and how long you commit. Tell us which ones apply to you and we will quote on the call. Each is explained below.

1. 01How much you spend on ads. More spend means a higher fee, but a lower rate.
2. 02How many videos, and how long. Packs, hero films and versions each have their own price.
3. 03Arabic. An Arabic-native short video starts at AED 1,122 and adds 2 business days to the English turnaround. We write and perform Arabic from scratch, not as a dub. See Arabic ads.
4. 04Speed. Rush delivery is an add-on.
5. 05Extra characters and revision rounds. Two revision rounds are included on every deliverable. Extra rounds and extra AI characters are add-ons.
6. 06How long you commit. Longer terms cost less per month. See below.

Some things are never in our prices: ad spend, print and packaging production, third-party licences, fonts, stock and software, and travel outside the home city.

Yes. The minimum for a monthly retainer is 3 months. Below that, nothing has had time to work, and you would rightly conclude it did not. A six month term takes 5% off the retainer. A twelve month term takes 10% off and waives the onboarding fee.

One-off projects such as a film, a website or a brand identity have no minimum term. They are priced as a project.

A retainer is a fixed monthly fee for ongoing work, with a set count of deliverables written down before you sign. Ad management covers the ads, fresh test creative each month, tracking and a monthly report. Social media management covers content made, scheduled and published. SEO and AEO cover monthly search work and page optimisation.

Counts are part of the agreement. If we miss a count and the delay is not waiting on you, we credit the shortfall to next month or refund it, your choice. We guarantee dates and counts. We do not guarantee sales, leads or return on ad spend, because we do not set your price or control your product.

Retainers are paid monthly. The payment schedule for a one-off project is written into the quote before you sign. Prices exclude VAT. UAE VAT is added to the invoice.