- Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027 by astronomical calculation (officially confirmed by moon sighting), with Eid al-Fitr around 10 March.
- Businesses whose Ramadan campaigns succeed start preparing three months ahead: the list, templates, bot and team.
- Customer behaviour changes: quiet days, a peak from iftar until late at night, and the last ten nights as the season for gifts and Eid shopping.
- Fewer, smarter messages beat one a day: honour opt-outs and let AI answer at night.
Ramadan in Saudi Arabia is not only a month of worship; it is a whole season in which people's time, buying and communication change. Restaurants work around iftar and suhoor, stores around Eid clothes and gifts, clinics around after-Taraweeh appointments, and companies around greetings and offers. WhatsApp is where customers are all night.
The problem is that most businesses remember Ramadan campaigns a week before: templates not approved, a list full of old numbers and a team too small for the replies. This article gives you a Ramadan WhatsApp campaign plan starting now (November 2026) through Eid, with clear monthly steps, ideas by business type, sending times and how to let an AI agent cover the night.
The plan suits restaurants, stores, clinics and service companies; adapt the examples to your business, but keep the order: the list first, then templates, then automation and the team.
When does Ramadan 2027 start?
By astronomical calculation, the first day of Ramadan 1448 is expected around Monday 8 February 2027, and Eid al-Fitr around 10 March 2027. The official date depends on moon sighting, so keep your plan flexible by a day or two. Note that Founding Day (22 February) will fall roughly mid-Ramadan, so if you plan Founding Day offers, merge them into the Ramadan plan rather than running two competing campaigns.
The monthly plan from now to Eid
| Month | What to do |
|---|---|
| November – December 2026 | Clean the list, collect consents (website forms, store, website chat), activate the WhatsApp API if you have not, and apply for the green tick if eligible |
| December 2026 – January 2027 | Write templates and submit them for approval, build chatbot flows, prepare the AI knowledge base (Ramadan hours, offers, questions) |
| January 2027 | A small test campaign to measure engagement and number quality, plan Ramadan shifts, prepare audience segments |
| Last week before Ramadan | A "Ramadan Kareem" campaign announcing new working hours; test the bot and AI on real questions |
| Ramadan | Campaigns in stages (start, middle, last ten nights), daily monitoring of reports and replies |
| Eid and after | Eid greetings, order follow-up, a satisfaction survey and a lessons report for next year |
Why start early? Because a WhatsApp number's daily messaging limit rises gradually with usage and quality, templates need approval and the green tick takes time. Whoever starts in January enters Ramadan with a strong number and ready templates.
1. A consent-based list: the basis of every campaign
The biggest reason WhatsApp numbers get limited in peak seasons is messaging people who never agreed. From now until Ramadan, focus on collecting real consent:
- An "I'd like to receive offers on WhatsApp" box on website forms and the store checkout.
- A button in website chat or a bot welcome message that asks the customer.
- Customers who bought from you and contacted you recently.
Remove numbers that have never engaged in a year and numbers that asked to stop messages. A small engaged list performs better than a large cold one.
2. Templates: write them now and submit for approval
Every message you start (outside the 24-hour window) must use a Meta-approved template. Prepare a set of Ramadan templates early:
| Business | Ramadan template ideas |
|---|---|
| Restaurants | Iftar and suhoor menus, pre-orders for gatherings, new working hours, last-ten-nights offer |
| Stores | Eid collection, last delivery date before Eid, Ramadan gifts, free shipping for a limited period |
| Clinics | After-Taraweeh appointments, appointment reminders, health tips for fasting, Eid packages |
| Real estate and cars | Ramadan offers, showroom visits after iftar, greetings to the year's customers |
| Services and companies | Ramadan and Eid greetings, Ramadan office hours, renewal reminders |
Template-writing tips: a short first line with the benefit, a clear image, one button (order now, book an appointment) and the customer's name if available. Avoid hype, heavy emoji and repeated words. Service messages such as appointment reminders and order confirmations belong to the utility category, not marketing, so do not mix them.
3. Sending times in Ramadan
Ramadan turns the clock around, and timing makes a big difference to engagement:
- Morning to noon: usually lower engagement; suitable for service messages and reminders.
- The hour before sunset: avoid it for marketing; people are busy with iftar — except restaurants for quick-order messages.
- After iftar and after Taraweeh: the best time for offers and campaigns, when people are free and browsing.
- Late night before suhoor: good engagement, but do not send campaigns very late; keep it for replying to customers.
Spread campaigns across the month: start of Ramadan (greetings and hours), the middle (main offers), the last ten nights (Eid gifts and last delivery dates), then Eid. Three or four campaigns a month are enough for most businesses.
4. Opt-outs and respect for the customer
In Ramadan people are more sensitive to annoying messages, and Meta itself limits how many marketing messages one person receives, so an extra message may not even be delivered. So:
- Add a "Stop promotions" button to marketing templates; customers who tap it are excluded from future campaigns automatically.
- Do not send the same person more than one marketing message within a few days.
- Watch reports and number quality after each campaign; if they rise, pause and review.
- Keep Ramadan content respectful and fitting for the month; a greeting should not be a disguised ad.
For details read how to send bulk WhatsApp messages without a ban, and see Klamna WhatsApp campaigns: segments, scheduling, fair sending pace and delivery and read reports.
5. AI covers the night
The time customers write most in Ramadan is exactly when your team is smallest: after Taraweeh until suhoor. Instead of messages piling up until morning:
- A WhatsApp chatbot with a Ramadan menu: "Menu", "Order now", "Ramadan hours", "Book an appointment", "Talk to an agent".
- An AI agent answering open questions from your company knowledge base in Saudi dialect, booking appointments and handing over to the team when a decision is needed. You can require an agent's approval before certain actions (such as a discount or exception).
- A conversation summary: when an agent picks up the chat in the morning, they find a summary of what the customer wanted instead of reading everything.
6. Prepare the team for Ramadan shifts
Campaign replies need people. Plan Ramadan shifts from January: a short day shift and a stronger shift after iftar, with iftar breaks staggered. With attendance and shifts each agent joins chats and queues at shift start, and chats are assigned only to available agents. After each campaign, review the reports: how many replied, how many became orders, and which segment engaged most.
Common Ramadan campaign mistakes
- Starting late: templates approved only on day five of Ramadan, missing the month's most important days.
- A message every day: reports and opt-outs rise, and your number pays the price in the last ten nights, the most important buying period.
- The same message for everyone: a customer who bought yesterday and one silent for a year do not deserve the same offer.
- A campaign with no team: sending at 10 pm after the team's shift ends leaves hundreds of replies unanswered.
- Outdated information: working hours in the bot and AI were never updated, so they tell customers "open until 5" while you are open until 2 am.
- Forgetting Eid: the last delivery date before Eid must be clear in messages, or complaints pile up in the final days of the month.
How to measure Ramadan campaign success
- Read rate: was the message read? A low rate means weak timing or opening line.
- Reply and click rate: did the button drive engagement?
- Conversion: how many orders or appointments came from the campaign.
- Opt-outs and reports: if they rise, the message or audience is wrong.
- Response time to customers: a campaign that brings replies nobody answers does more harm than good.
Want to start your Ramadan plan now? Build your own package and see the price before paying at sign-up, or talk to us and we will prepare templates, the bot and AI with you before the season.
FAQ
When should I start preparing Ramadan 2027 campaigns?
In November and December: the list and consents first, then templates in December and January, and testing weeks before Ramadan.
Are Ramadan greeting messages free?
Messages a business starts with a template are charged by Meta category, and greetings are usually classed as marketing. Your replies within the 24-hour window after a customer messages you follow different rules.
What is the best time to send a campaign in Ramadan?
Usually after iftar and after Taraweeh. Avoid the hour before sunset for marketing, and test on a small segment before sending to everyone.
Does the AI reply in Saudi dialect?
Yes. It answers from your company knowledge base in a style close to your customers, and hands over to an agent when a decision is needed.
How many campaigns should I send in Ramadan?
Three or four campaigns spread across the month are enough for most businesses, plus service messages as needed.