The UAE experienced unprecedented growth in installs, remarketing, purchases, and conversions during last week’s White Friday sales, according to a report released on Wednesday.
AppsFlyer reported a 38% year-over-year increase in shopping app installs, with both Android and iOS demonstrating strong performance. This growth extended throughout the purchase funnel, with total conversions rising by 68%, driven by a significant 95% increase on iOS and a notable 45% on Android. These figures indicate not only more traffic but also more decisive consumer actions, suggesting UAE shoppers approached White Friday with strong purchasing intentions and a greater readiness to engage across multiple channels. Remarketing activities bolstered this trend, growing 75% overall and more than doubling on iOS, showcasing brands’ effectiveness in re-engaging users and converting latent demand.
Sue Azari, eCommerce Industry Consultant, AppsFlyer
In-App Purchases (IAP) also saw significant growth. Compared to the previous year, IAP volume increased by 10%, while revenue grew by 22% on Android and 21% on iOS from the day before White Friday. This trend indicates that once users entered the app environment, they were more inclined to complete higher-value transactions. The proportion of paying users rose by 28% on Android and 11% on iOS. This demonstrates that platforms not only attracted more traffic but also converted a larger portion of the audience into paying customers. Concurrently, the increase in ad spend (up 21% on Android and 18% on iOS) underscores the competitiveness of the market, with advertisers striving to capture market share during the year’s biggest shopping event.
“White Friday 2025 illustrates a market where consumer confidence is robust, and ecommerce maturity is deepening,” stated Sue Azari, ecommerce industry lead at AppsFlyer. “This year’s growth was not just about increased activity; it reflected more intentional, high-quality engagement. UAE shoppers are more decisive, more responsive to remarketing, and more inclined to complete purchases on mobile than ever before. As we approach the end-of-year holidays, brands have a prime opportunity to capitalize on this momentum by investing in better personalization, cohesive multi-channel journeys, and smarter retargeting. The data shows that when marketers engage UAE consumers with relevant, timely experiences, the conversion potential is remarkable.”
