Now in its fourth year on Snapchat, the AR Ramadan Mall was designed as a digital village inspired by Gulf heritage towns, allowing users to explore virtual storefronts.
Snap said Friday its augmented reality (AR) Ramadan Mall reached more than 16.8 million users across the Middle East and North Africa in 2025, as the company expanded its use of immersive formats to capture seasonal shopping and social engagement during the holy month.
Now in its fourth year on Snapchat, the AR Ramadan Mall was designed as a digital village inspired by Gulf heritage towns, allowing users to explore virtual storefronts, discover products and interact socially in a shared online space. Snap said the experience reflects how people connect and shop together during Ramadan, a key cultural and commercial period in the region.
The 2025 edition featured interactive AR environments across categories including beauty, fashion, electronics, food and beverage, and e-commerce. Participating brands included Givenchy, NiceOne, Al Majed Oud, Faces, Max Fashion, Tecno, Adfaz, Almarai ‘Alyoum and Keeta.
Snap said the experience generated 250 million impressions, alongside 195,000 swipes and more than 265,000 user-to-user shares and redistributions, highlighting the platform’s focus on social discovery. Average engagement time in AR environments rose 30.25% compared with 2024, with users spending an average of more than 26 seconds interacting with branded experiences.
“The AR Ramadan Mall is more than a digital storefront; it is a digital landmark that mirrors the heartbeat of the community,” said Mohammed Bouarib, regional creativity strategy lead at Snap Inc. “By blending the spirit of the holy month with immersive technology, we’ve turned seasonal discovery into a shared cultural event.”
Snap said it is planning a fifth edition of the AR Ramadan Mall in 2026, as it continues to invest in seasonal AR experiences designed around how users in the region explore, connect and shop together during Ramadan.
The initiative forms part of Snap’s broader strategy to expand AR-driven commerce and branded experiences, positioning immersive formats as a core tool for engagement during culturally significant moments across MENA and global markets.
