How to Use Facebook Lookalike Audiences in UAE to Scale Your Business

If you are running Facebook Ads in the UAE, you already know how competitive the digital space is. Businesses across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah are using Meta Ads to attract customers. But if you want to scale your business faster, one of the best tools inside Meta Ads Manager is the Facebook Lookalike Audience.

In this blog, we’ll explain:

What Lookalike Audiences are
Step-by-step process to create them in UAE
Best strategies to use them for small businesses
How they can reduce your Facebook Ads cost in UAE

We’ll also link to our previous guides on Facebook Ads Basics in UAE and Targeting Tips for UAE Businesses so you have the full picture.

What is a Facebook Lookalike Audience?

A Lookalike Audience is a feature in Facebook Ads that allows you to reach new people similar to your best customers.

For example:

If you already have 1,000 customers from your Dubai store, you can ask Facebook to find more people like them across the UAE.
Facebook uses AI and data to match people with similar interests, behavior, and demographics.

This makes it one of the best Facebook Ads strategies in the UAE to scale your campaigns.

Why Use Lookalike Audiences in UAE?

Here’s why Lookalike Audiences are powerful for UAE businesses:

Localized Scaling – Find people in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Sharjah similar to your existing customers.
Lower Ad Cost – Since targeting is more accurate, you waste less money.
Faster Growth – Perfect for small businesses running Facebook Ads in UAE.
Easy to Create – Can be done in just a few steps inside Meta Ads Manager UAE.

How to Create Facebook Lookalike Audiences in UAE (Step-by-Step)

Follow this process inside Meta Ads Manager:

Step 1: Prepare a Custom Audience

Before creating a Lookalike, you need a Custom Audience. This can include:

Website visitors
People who purchased from your online store
Engagement on your Facebook/Instagram page
Customer email list

Learn more about Creating Custom Audiences in UAE.

Open Meta Ads Manager

Go to Audiences in Meta Ads Manager.
Select Create Audience â†’ Lookalike Audience.

Choose Your Source

Select your Custom Audience (e.g., past buyers from UAE).

Select Audience Location

Enter United Arab Emirates (or specific cities like Dubai).

Choose Audience Size

Facebook allows 1%–10% similarity.
1% Lookalike = very similar but smaller group.
10% Lookalike = bigger audience but less accurate.

Tip: Start with 1%–3% Lookalikes for the best results.

Best Strategies to Scale Business with Lookalike Audiences in UAE

Combine with Retargeting

Use Lookalike for cold audiences (new people).

Retarget website visitors with offers.

This balance keeps Facebook Ads cost in UAE low.

Create Multiple Lookalikes

Buyers, Add-to-Cart users, Website visitors.

Test each to see which performs best.

Use for Small Budgets

Even with AED 50–100 per day, Lookalikes work well for small businesses in UAE.

Keep Updating Your Source Audience

Refresh your Custom Audience every month for better accuracy.

FAQs About Facebook Lookalike Audiences in UAE

Q1: Do Lookalike Audiences increase Facebook Ads cost in UAE?
No, they usually reduce cost because targeting is more accurate.

Q2: Can small businesses use Lookalikes in UAE?
Yes, even small businesses can scale faster with Lookalikes.

Q3: How big should my Custom Audience be?
At least 100–1,000 people for better results.

Q4: What’s better – Custom Audience or Lookalike?
Use Custom Audiences for retargeting and Lookalikes for scaling.

Final Thoughts

If you are serious about growing your business with Facebook Ads in the UAE, then Lookalike Audiences should be part of your strategy. They allow you to:

Attract new customers who closely match your current audience.
Reduce Facebook Ads cost UAE.
Scale campaigns without wasting money.

Start small, test different Lookalikes, and combine them with retargeting for maximum ROI.

Want to learn the basics first? Read our guide on Facebook Ads Basics for UAE Businesses.