Ramadan offers on WhatsApp: a campaign plan for salons and spas in the Gulf

When are Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in 2027?

Saudi Arabia's official Hijri calendar, Umm Al-Qura, lists 1 Ramadan 1448 as Monday 8 February 2027. Eid al-Fitr, 1 Shawwal, falls on Tuesday 9 March 2027 (annual reference, checked 6 November 2026).

The calendar is calculated in advance, and Ramadan and Eid begin with the official moon-sighting announcement, so leave a day of slack. For branches outside Saudi Arabia, plan around each country's own official announcement. Sha'ban starts on Saturday 9 January 2027: your last month to collect opt-in and prepare templates and designs.

What does a Ramadan to Eid campaign calendar look like for a salon?

The calendar has five phases, each with its own message, audience and date. Phase 1 collects opt-in at booking, at reception and on your website, and every offer after it is a marketing template Meta must approve.

You fill in each [your offer] once the slot count is set.

Which rules apply to Ramadan offers on WhatsApp?

Every offer is a Meta-approved marketing template, sent only to clients who gave you their number and agreed to messages from your salon by name.

1. Write opt-in wording that says the client is agreeing to messages from your salon, names the salon and lists the types of messages. Meta's tips suggest one opt-in that covers each type you'll send, or a separate opt-in per type, so a client who agreed only to reminders hasn't agreed to offers.
2. Ask your provider how it handles consent, storage and deletion under Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) or the UAE's Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021.
3. Submit templates before Ramadan: review can take up to 24 hours, and a rejection means edits and a second review. Meta doesn't translate templates, so submit Arabic and English versions.
4. Add a quick-reply button to stop offers, and honour every opt-out. A client who stopped your offers in WhatsApp's Offers and announcements setting won't receive them at all.

Meta charges template messages by category and the recipient's country. Since 1 October 2026, it also charges replies inside the 24-hour customer service window, after a monthly free tier of 1,000 per business number. Check Meta's current rate card.

How many clients can you message per day before Eid?

Meta caps how many different customers you can message outside the customer service window in any 24 hours, shared across all numbers in your Meta Business portfolio. Meta's messaging limits page (checked November 2026) says new portfolios start at 250, and WhatsApp Manager shows your current limit under Account tools.

• At a limit of 250, reaching 1,000 opted-in clients takes at least four days, so start well before the pre-Eid rush. To reach 2,000, complete one of Meta's scaling paths before Ramadan, such as verifying your business. Meta then reviews your message quality and either approves the increase or keeps your current limit.
• Meta rates your number's quality on the last 7 days of customer feedback, such as block reasons. Each template is rated too, and one with negative feedback or low read rates can be paused.
• WhatsApp may also limit how many marketing templates one person receives from all businesses, based on their recent read rate and how full their inbox is. In a season full of offers, send fewer messages to better-chosen groups.

How do Click-to-WhatsApp ads bring in new clients during Ramadan?

Click-to-WhatsApp ads send people who tap the ad straight into a WhatsApp chat with your salon. The client writes first, so a customer service window opens and your team can reply without a template.

• One offer per ad, and the first reply talks about that same offer.
• Collect her opt-in to offers in a way Meta accepts, such as a website form, SMS, a phone menu or in person. Clearly state your business name and that she is opting in to receive your messages, so she can get your Eid message.
• Judge each ad by the attended appointments it brought, not clicks. Ad spend is paid to Meta, separate from any provider's fee.

As of November 2026, Meta's pricing page describes a "free entry point" window for chats a client starts from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad using WhatsApp's phone app. If your team replies within the customer service window, the free entry point window opens from that reply and can stay open for up to 7 days. While it is open, Meta doesn't charge for marketing, utility, authentication or service messages.

How do you avoid promising more bookings than your staff can take?

Count your slots before the offer goes out, send in waves, and stop when the days fill. An offer that brings bookings you can't serve loses you the client days before Eid.

1. Count bookable slots per day: specialists on shift × evening hours ÷ length of the service.
2. Hold time first for brides, groups and the days before Eid.
3. Split the opted-in list into groups, such as regulars, last Ramadan's clients and ad leads, and send to one group at a time.
4. Compare booking requests with free slots every day. When a day fills, hold the next wave and offer the waiting list or a post-Eid date instead of overbooking.
5. Reception confirms every booking. The assistant only records the request.

What should a salon measure after Ramadan and Eid?

Judge the campaign by attended appointments, not messages sent, and compare it with last Ramadan, not an ordinary month.

Where HumAI fits, and when you don't need us

Ramadan and Eid campaigns are part of Managed Customer Growth. We plan the season, write each campaign in Arabic and English, design its visuals and send it to clients who agreed to offers. You approve each draft, with its message, audience, timing and budget, before anything is sent.

HumAI is a Meta Tech Provider: official platform, not unofficial apps, so your number isn't exposed to the bans those tools cause. Meta's policies still apply to every number.

You may not need us: for a short list of regulars who saved your number, broadcast lists in the WhatsApp Business app are enough. Come back when you want to reach more clients or run ads.