--- title: "GCC & MENA messaging marketing calendar 2027" description: "Every 2027 date for SMS and WhatsApp campaigns in the Gulf and MENA: Ramadan, Eid, national days and White Friday, with send times, lead times and ICS export." canonical: "https://omnichannels.ai/tools/messaging-marketing-calendar/" language: "en" updated: "2026-10-10" publisher: "BroadNet Technologies" brand: "OmniChannels.ai" --- # GCC & MENA messaging marketing calendar 2027 Canonical: https://omnichannels.ai/tools/messaging-marketing-calendar/ Language: en Publisher: OmniChannels.ai by BroadNet Technologies Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March and Eid al-Adha around 16 May (Umm al-Qura estimates, subject to moon sighting). Other key 2027 messaging dates in the GCC are Saudi Founding Day (22 February), Kuwait National Day (25 February), Mother's Day (21 March), Saudi National Day (23 September), 11.11, White Friday (26 November) and UAE National Day (2 December). ## How to use the messaging marketing calendar 1. **Pick your countries:** Select the markets you send to, from the UAE and Saudi Arabia to Egypt and Morocco. Leave them all off to see every date. 2. **Filter by month:** Narrow the list to one month, or hide dates that have already passed. The countdown shows the next key date. 3. **Read the plan for each date:** Each date shows the suggested channels, a send-time tip, a campaign idea, the day to start preparing and links to ready-made templates. 4. **Export it:** Download an ICS file for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar, a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, or print the calendar and save it as PDF. ## Ramadan and Eid 2027: expected dates Hijri dates follow the moon, so every Islamic occasion moves about 11 days earlier each year and is confirmed only by the moon sighting. The calendar uses the Umm al-Qura estimate and marks these dates as expected. Keep a one-day buffer in your schedule and send Eid greetings after the official announcement. - Ramadan 1448: expected from about 8 February to 8 March 2027. - Gerga'an (mid-Ramadan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Eastern Province): about 22 February. - Last ten nights: from about 28 February. - Eid al-Fitr: about 9 March 2027. - Day of Arafah: about 15 May, and Eid al-Adha: about 16 May 2027. - Islamic New Year 1449: about 6 June, and the Prophet's Birthday: about 15 August 2027. ## National days and fixed dates across the GCC and MENA National days are the strongest local moments after Ramadan and Eid. Greetings work well on WhatsApp with an image, and offers on SMS. Public holiday dates can shift by a day when governments announce them, so check the official notice. - Saudi Arabia: Founding Day 22 February, Flag Day 11 March, National Day 23 September. - UAE: Flag Day 3 November, Commemoration Day 30 November, Eid Al Etihad 2–3 December. - Kuwait: National and Liberation Days 25–26 February. Qatar: National Sport Day 9 February 2027, National Day 18 December. - Bahrain: National Day 16–17 December. Oman: National Day 20 November. - Egypt: 25 January, Sham el-Nessim 3 May 2027, 30 June, 23 July and 6 October. Jordan: Independence Day 25 May. - Morocco: Amazigh New Year 14 January, Throne Day 30 July, Green March 6 November, Independence Day 18 November. ## Retail and seasonal peaks Sales events bring the highest volumes and the fullest inboxes. Start early with opted-in lists, keep a clean opt-out, and send reminders before the evening quiet-hours cut-off. - White Friday (the Gulf name for Black Friday): 27–30 November 2026 and 26–29 November 2027, through Cyber Monday. - 11.11 Singles' Day, New Year, Valentine's Day and Christmas for expat audiences. - Mother's Day on 21 March in most Arab countries (last Sunday of May in Morocco), Father's Day on 21 June. - Dubai Shopping Festival (estimated early December to mid-January) and Dubai Summer Surprises (estimated late June to end of August 2027). - Back to school: estimated mid-August to mid-September 2027, depending on each country's school calendar. ## Send times for Ramadan and campaign days Promotional SMS must land inside the recipient's local window: 07:00–21:00 in the UAE, 09:00–22:00 in Saudi Arabia (12:00–01:00 during Ramadan) and 09:00–21:00 in Qatar. OTP and transactional messages can go out 24/7. During Ramadan, activity moves to after iftar and late evening. Avoid the hour before iftar, keep messages short, and use the send-time planner to check the window for each country before you schedule. ## Lead times: when to start preparing Each date shows a "start preparing by" day. Ramadan needs about six weeks for creative, offers and WhatsApp template approval, Eid and national days about a month, and smaller greetings one to two weeks. The ICS export adds a reminder on that day, so the preparation lands in your calendar automatically. Before a peak, register or renew your sender IDs in each country, clean your contact lists and get new WhatsApp marketing templates approved, because review queues grow before big holidays. ## Marketing calendar questions ### When does Ramadan 2027 start and end? Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027 and end around 8 March, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March. These are Umm al-Qura estimates; the actual dates depend on the moon sighting and can differ by a day between countries. ### When is Eid al-Adha 2027? Eid al-Adha is expected around 16 May 2027, after the Day of Arafah around 15 May. Send greetings on the eve or the morning of Eid and push travel or gift offers a week earlier. ### What are the key marketing dates in Saudi Arabia in 2027? Ramadan (from about 8 February), Founding Day (22 February), Flag Day (11 March), Eid al-Fitr (about 9 March), Eid al-Adha (about 16 May), Saudi National Day (23 September), 11.11 and White Friday (26 November). ### What time should I send SMS during Ramadan? After iftar and into the late evening, or mid-afternoon, and never in the hour before iftar. In Saudi Arabia promotional SMS is allowed from 12:00 to 01:00 during Ramadan; in the UAE the normal 07:00–21:00 window still applies. ### How do I add the calendar to Google Calendar or Outlook? Download the ICS file, filtered or with every date, then import it: in Google Calendar under Settings › Import, in Outlook by opening the file. Each event includes the campaign idea, the send-time tip and a reminder on the day to start preparing. ### Can I open the calendar in Excel? Yes. Download the CSV and open it in Excel or Google Sheets. Choose a semicolon separator if your Excel uses commas for decimals, as in most of Europe. Arabic text opens correctly because the file is UTF-8 with a byte-order mark. ### Which channel should I use for each occasion? WhatsApp suits greetings with images and rich offers to opted-in customers, SMS reaches every phone for time-critical offers and reminders, and RCS adds branded cards with SMS fallback. The calendar suggests channels for each date. ### Are the dates in the calendar official? Fixed national days are official dates. Hijri occasions are expected dates subject to moon sighting, and festival or school dates are estimates until organisers announce them. Each one is marked, so check official announcements before you launch.