In Dubai you can sell anything - from gold bars to camel milk coffee.

But here is the catch: most Russian-speaking entrepreneurs in the UAE run ads “the Russian way” and wonder why the money sinks into the sand.

Here the game runs by different rules.

Those who do not know them burn budgets fastest in August and blame the “dead season” and “bad traffic.”

Yet August is one of the best months for those who understand how the local market works.

Three big mistakes that kill ROI

1. One offer for everyone

Arabs, Russian speakers, and English-speaking expats are three different worlds.

Different thinking, pain points, triggers, trust levels, even shopping habits.

What works on Instagram for Russian speakers in Dubai can leave an Arab totally cold.

And the opposite is true - what excites the English-speaking audience can look odd or off-putting to a Russian-speaking client.

A universal offer = ads to nowhere.

It is like trying to sell a fur coat on Jumeirah Beach in August.

2. Seasonal fear

Every August I see the same thing: entrepreneurs cut budgets and wait for September.

But August in the UAE means lower competition + cheaper traffic.

While most go into hibernation, those who keep showing up skim the cream.

In ads, like in life, the early bird gets the shoes.

3. No “locomotive” product

Launching ads without a product that pulls in the flow of customers is like hoisting a sail on a yacht with no wind.

A locomotive product is one that:

• Sparks interest fast.
• Is bought without long hesitation.
• Has a high chance of repeat sales.

Without it, advertising turns into an expensive hobby.

Real case: “dead season” and +550% return on ad spendAugust, market in a slump.

We did not cut the budget - we raised it.

In 8 days we got:

• Ad spend: $770
• Online sales: $5,006.93

That is $1 in ads returning $6.50 - not counting repeat purchases.

What we did

1 Chose a locomotive product.

Not the most expensive, but an entry product that is easy to sell to cold traffic.

2. Launched three separate ad campaigns - for Arabic, Russian, and English-speaking audiences.

Each with its own angle, visuals, and triggers.

3. Under the hood - a funnel that automates repeat sales.

Every third client came back for a second purchase within two weeks - with zero extra ad spend.

Why this worked in the UAE

1. Local rules of the game.

In Dubai the traffic is costly and attention is even more expensive.

Generic ads work worse than in the CIS because segments differ too much.

2. Audience split.

Instead of one “average” ad we built three offers, each hitting its exact target.

3. A system for bringing customers back.

Many stores in the UAE sell once and forget.

We build the store’s CRM and automate repeat sales.

The mechanics: how to raise profit in a small business in the UAE

Instead of spending the whole budget head-to-head with competitors, we:

• Grab cheap traffic in the off-season while others sleep.
• Put in a product that converts cold audiences without long warming up.
• Add a sequence of emails, WhatsApp reminders, or a Telegram bot to bring customers back for repeats.

Result - ads pay back faster than competitors, and profit keeps coming even without extra ad budget.

Why most pour money down the drain

An e-commerce owner in the UAE often repeats three lines:

• “August is dead.”
• “I tried ads, they do not work.”
• “I will launch in September when everyone is back.”

That is why Instagram ads in August cost less in the UAE, competition drops, and those who stay visible grow sales.

What this means for you

If you run an online store in the UAE or promote a small business in Dubai, August is not a time to rest.

It is time to take customers from competitors.

Working formula:

• Find a locomotive product.
• Build a separate funnel for each key audience.
• Automate repeat sales.

Do not stop ads in the “low season.”

Bottom line

In the UAE the winner is not the one with the biggest budget, but the one who plays by local rules.

Those who keep acting in August earn in September with a warmed-up base, instead of starting from zero.

If you want to know which locomotive product fits your business and how to stop burying money in the sand - message me on WhatsApp.
We will review your store and make a plan.

📌Note for readers who made it to the end.

In my Telegram channel I posted:

• All real screenshots and videos from the ad account for this case.
• An ad payback template - a simple sheet that shows how much each dollar brings and where you lose money.

Grab it for free - subscribe and download the template.