Kuwait’s digital marketing software market hit USD 140 million this year, according to Ken Research, driven by near-universal internet access now reaching 4.3 to 4.5 million users. Government investment in digital infrastructure has expanded access across the country. Online shopping is booming too, with 60 percent of consumers preferring to buy online and sector revenues projected between USD 1 billion and USD 1.5 billion.
Social media ad spending is expected to approach USD 200 million as more than 3 million people use platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. Across the GCC, digital advertising is forecast to reach USD 12.4 billion in 2026, growing 19 percent year-on-year, more than double the global average.
But marketers are changing how they think. Instead of just targeting broad demographics and tracking basic numbers, they’re focusing on what actually makes someone stop scrolling and take action. The data alone rarely explains why one ad connects and another doesn’t, even when they reach the same people.
Noura Almenayes, founder of The Digital Studio By Noura, captured this in a recent LinkedIn post: “Somewhere behind your best performing ad is a person who was having a hard day and decided to do something about it.” She described running two ads for the same audience where one delivered a return on ad spend of 4.99 times versus 1.32 times, simply because one spoke to how the person felt while the other just listed product details. Her advice: before writing any ad, figure out what you want the customer to feel about themselves after they decide.
When her whole approach centered on understanding the customer rather than just tweaking ads, the account reached a blended return on ad spend of 10. Her Kuwait-based studio handles paid media across Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google Ads, along with brand strategy and marketing audits for startups and growing businesses. The team starts with detailed performance data, looking at metrics like return on ad spend, engagement, and how customers move through the funnel, then adds an understanding of what audiences are actually thinking and feeling. The idea is to treat data as a diagnostic tool, not the finish line.
For comparison, typical agencies in Kuwait average a return on ad spend between 2 and 4 times on Meta, while smarter, psychology-driven strategies can hit 7 times or higher. This fits with 2026 forecasts pointing to authenticity and human connection as key advantages as AI content tools become more common.
With digital payments also expected to grow toward USD 1 billion, there’s more room for integrated campaigns. In a market where consumers reward messaging that feels personal and culturally relevant, this human-centered approach is quickly becoming the standard.
