For three years TikTok was where UAE brands tested. In 2026 it is where many of them buy. The shift happened quietly inside specific categories and the data shows the platform now competes with Instagram for primary-channel status in F&B, beauty and entertainment.
The growth curve
Brand-side budget allocation to TikTok in the UAE roughly tracked: small experiment in 2023, secondary channel in 2024, parallel channel in 2025, primary or co-primary in 2026 for select categories. We estimate TikTok now captures 18 to 24 percent of total UAE creator spend, up from single digits two years ago.
Categories that moved first
- F&B: trending dishes and viral restaurant content moved budget early
- Beauty: indie brands found cheaper acquisition than on Meta
- Entertainment and events: discovery format suits new launches
- Fashion fast-movers: short-form try-ons and hauls
Categories still holding back
Real estate, automotive premium, banking and government communication still treat TikTok as experimental or off-limits. Some of that is brand-safety caution, some is internal politics, some is genuinely about audience fit.
What this means for UAE creators
If you have meaningful TikTok presence, your storefront should price TikTok deliverables as standalone line items with their own rates, not as a free add-on to Instagram packages. Brands now have separate budget lines for TikTok and they expect to be billed against them.
Holdout categories will move within 12 to 18 months. Build the muscle now so you are positioned when their budgets land.