Ramadan 2027 ecommerce checklist: a 90-day plan for Salla and Zid stores

Short answer: Ramadan 2027 is expected to start on Monday 8 February 2027, based on astronomical calculations, with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March; the official dates depend on the moon sighting. For an online store in Saudi Arabia or Oman, that leaves about 100 days. Lock in stock and suppliers 90 days out, offers and landing pages at 60, ads and tracking at 30, then prepare shipping and customer service for the last ten days and set a clear last order date for delivery before Eid.

Last updated: October 2026

Ramadan 2027 dates to plan around

These dates are expected until the crescent is sighted, and Saudi Arabia and Oman can differ by a day. Gulf News reports that astronomical calculations put the start on 8 February, with the moon sought on the evening of 7 February. Jordan News, citing Saudi Arabia's Hijri calendar site, expects a 29-day month and Eid on Tuesday 9 March. The Umm al-Qura calendar gives the same dates.

Two notes. Founding Day has been an official holiday on 22 February every year since a royal order in January 2022 (Okaz); in 2027 it lands inside Ramadan, so plan any Founding Day content as part of the season. And Saudi public-sector salaries are normally paid on the 27th of the Gregorian month, but the Ministry of Finance has moved the date forward for occasions before, as it did in May 2026 (Okaz). 27 February 2027 is a Saturday, so watch for the ministry's announcement.

Why start 90 days before Ramadan?

Because shoppers start early too. In Snap's Ramadan 2026 data, reported by Campaign Middle East, 40% of Snapchatters in the region said they plan Ramadan three months or more ahead. TikTok's Ramadan page for advertisers, citing IPSOS research it commissioned in MENA in 2025, says 72% of its users spend more than they budgeted during Ramadan.

These are the platforms' own figures about their audiences, not independent statistics. But they match what every merchant sees: if you prepare during Ramadan, you are late. Suppliers are booked, WhatsApp templates are waiting for approval, and ad campaigns need time to learn.

The timeline for Salla and Zid stores

90 days out: stock and suppliers

• Start from your own data. Pull last Ramadan's reports: best sellers, what sold out early, what was left after Eid. New store with no history? Keep the range short and the quantities modest.
• Book suppliers early. Factories and wholesalers get busy before Ramadan, and imports need time for shipping and customs clearance.
• Choose three to five hero products to carry your offers and ads, instead of spreading budget across the whole catalogue.
• Order packaging with the stock. Gift boxes, cards and bags run out too.
• Test demand before you buy. Salla suggests adding a product at zero quantity and switching on "Notify me when available"; the number of sign-ups tells you how much demand there is before you commit (Salla Help, Arabic).

Discount licences in Saudi Arabia

Any advertised discount in Saudi Arabia needs a Ministry of Commerce licence before you announce it, issued online through the discounts platform. For Ramadan 2026 the ministry ran a season from 1 February to 26 March 2026 covering Ramadan goods and Eid essentials that did not count against stores' annual discount allowance (Okaz). At the time of writing, no Ramadan 2027 season has been announced. Without one, the standard rule applies: up to 90 discount days a year, with a single licence capped at 45 days (Okaz).

In Oman, the Consumer Protection Authority also monitors online promotions, so check its requirements for advertising a discount before the season.

60 days out: Ramadan offers, bundles and landing pages

One rule: never raise prices before the season to make the discount look bigger. Regulators look for it, and customers remember the old price.

Offer settings in Salla

Per Salla's help article on adding a new promotional offer (updated 26 October 2026, Arabic), you create offers from the Promotions page: buy X get Y, a fixed amount off, or a percentage off with a maximum discount. Each offer takes a start and end date, so you can build your Ramadan, last-ten-days and Eid offers now and let them run on schedule, and you decide whether an offer can be combined with a coupon.

Two more are worth knowing. Cart offers give up to three discount tiers by basket value or item count, with a progress bar at checkout; Salla says the feature is currently for stores in Saudi Arabia only. And Salla's gifting system lets shoppers send an order as a gift with a message and image, which suits Eid.

Offer settings in Zid

Zid's marketing bundles support buy X get Y at a discount or free, with start and end dates, a cap on how many bundles are available and how often one customer can use them. Coupons can be code-based or automatic, with free shipping and validity dates, and the gifting feature adds gift messages and cards.

Seasonal landing pages

An ad that opens your home page loses the shopper. Give each main offer its own page: the offer and its dates, product or bundle photos, price before and after, expected delivery time and one clear buy button. Zid's landing pages are available on its Professional and Business plans and report visits, orders and conversion rate per page.

Not sure where your store stands? Our free digital presence check reviews your store and pages and tells you what to fix before you spend on seasonal ads.

30 days out: Ramadan ad campaigns and tracking

Test tracking before you spend a riyal. Make sure the Snap, TikTok and Meta pixels record add-to-cart and purchase, and that your product catalogue syncs. Ask someone outside your team to buy a real product and check the event in each platform.

Plan for night-time shoppers. During Ramadan, commercial activity in Saudi Arabia shifts to the evening and runs past midnight, and that includes delivery apps and online retailers, according to Arab News (March 2026). The report is descriptive rather than a dataset, but it tells you where to look:

• Do not judge a campaign on daytime hours. Read results after iftar and late at night.
• On a tight budget, shift spend towards the evening after your first test week, not before.
• Staff support and fulfilment for the night. A question at 11 pm with nobody to answer it is a paid-for lost sale.

Get ads approved at least two weeks before launch; review queues fill up in season.

Final week: shipping and order volume

In Salla, under Store settings, Store options, Orders, you can (Salla Help):

• Set a daily order limit with a message customers see once it is reached; useful for handmade or made-to-order products.
• Set order intake days and times for seasonal products or your working hours.
• Set a minimum order value if shipping eats the margin on small orders.

On shipping:

• Ask your courier in writing for the last pick-up date before the Eid holiday and the restart date. Do not assume last year's answer.
• In Saudi Arabia, the Transport General Authority has required parcel companies since January 2026 to reject shipments without a valid National Address. Make the field clear at checkout and check it before dispatch.
• Show expected delivery times on product and landing pages, and update them if couriers slow down.

Then place one last end-to-end test order on an ordinary phone over mobile data: ad, landing page, payment, confirmation. Try every payment method, coupon and offer.

During Ramadan: abandoned carts, WhatsApp and support

• Salla: Marketing, Abandoned carts, Automatic reminders. Up to five reminders by SMS, email or WhatsApp for Salla WhatsApp subscribers (Salla FAQ).
• Zid: up to four automated SMS or email alerts; WhatsApp is a saved message you send manually per cart (Zid Help).
• Time reminders for the evening; a nudge that lands at iftar gets ignored. Get marketing consent before any promotional WhatsApp message, and submit new templates for Meta review well before the season.
• Publish your support hours, extend them into the night, and keep saved replies for the five usual questions: delivery date, order status, exchanges, payment and gift wrapping.

The last ten days and Eid

• Announce your last order date for delivery before Eid in a top bar, on landing pages and in ads. Work it out from the courier's last pick-up, not from hope.
• Turn offers into gifts: ready bundles, gift wrap, a card and the option to ship to someone else.
• After the cut-off, change the message to "order now, delivered after Eid".
• Over the holiday, show clear shipping and support times rather than closing the store.

Within a week of Eid, collect the numbers: sales, ad cost per order, recovered carts, returns and stock-outs. That is your Ramadan 2028 plan.

Ramadan 2027 ecommerce checklist

• Season product list and quantities; stock and packaging ordered 90 days out.
• "Notify me when available" on products likely to sell out.
• Saudi discount licence issued before any announcement, with matching percentages.
• Offers and coupons scheduled with start and end dates; coupon stacking decided.
• Gifting switched on and tested.
• One fast mobile landing page per main offer.
• Snap, TikTok and Meta pixels recording purchases; catalogue synced.
• Ads approved at least a week before Ramadan.
• WhatsApp templates approved; marketing consent collected.
• Abandoned-cart reminders timed for Ramadan evenings.
• Daily order limit and intake hours set to your capacity.
• Courier's last pick-up before Eid confirmed in writing.
• National Address field clear at checkout.
• Support hours published; saved replies ready.
• A full test order on an ordinary phone completed.

Common mistakes

• Starting on the first day of Ramadan.
• A store-wide discount with no goal, which eats margin without lifting basket size.
• Raising prices before the sale.
• Advertising a discount in Saudi Arabia before the licence is issued.
• Judging ads on daytime hours and pausing what would have sold at night.
• Promising pre-Eid delivery your courier cannot meet.
• A daytime-only support team when customers message after taraweeh.

Need your store ready for Ramadan 2027?

Naqla is a licensed Gulf company that builds Salla and Zid stores and prepares them for the season: offers and bundles, landing pages, Snap, TikTok and Meta tracking, abandoned carts and WhatsApp. See our Salla services or contact us to plan your store's Ramadan.

FAQ

When does Ramadan 2027 start?

It is expected to start on Monday 8 February 2027, per astronomical calculations and the Umm al-Qura calendar, with the moon sought on 7 February. The official date follows the sighting and can differ by a day between countries.

When is Eid al-Fitr 2027?

Tuesday 9 March if Ramadan has 29 days, or Wednesday 10 March if it completes 30. Plan your delivery cut-off on the earlier date.

When should I start preparing my online store for Ramadan?

About 90 days ahead, which means November 2026 for Ramadan 2027: stock first, then offers and landing pages, then ads and tracking.

Do I need a licence for Ramadan discounts on my Saudi online store?

Yes. You need a Ministry of Commerce discount licence before you advertise any discount. A special Ramadan season ran in 2026 outside the annual allowance; none had been announced for 2027 at the time of writing.

Does this plan work for a store in Oman?

Yes, in structure. The start date may differ by a day, and couriers and discount advertising rules differ, so talk to your courier and check the Consumer Protection Authority's requirements early.

How do I handle the order rush in the last ten days?

Set a daily order limit if capacity is tight, announce your last order date for delivery before Eid, prepare packaging in advance and extend support hours into the night.