Social media management in Dubai: what AED 3,000 and AED 10,000 a month actually buy.

If you have asked three Dubai agencies for a social media quote, you probably have three packages that are hard to compare. One offers 12 posts for AED 3,000, another offers full management for AED 9,000, and the third wants a strategy call before it will name a figure.

I run social media for our clients, so this is how I read those packages, and what I would look for if I were the one buying.

The three tiers most agencies sell

One Dubai agency publishes its price guide, and it splits the market like this:

For most small businesses, the step that matters is the one from the first tier to the second. It is not about posting more often. It is about short video, which both Instagram and TikTok push hardest, and about someone actually answering the people who comment and send messages.

What 12 static posts a month can and cannot do

Twelve well-made posts keep your page looking alive, and that matters when a buyer checks you out before calling. On their own, they rarely bring in new customers. If the brief is to look professional, the entry tier is fine. If the brief is to bring in enquiries, you need video, ads or both.

Questions to ask before you sign

• How many reels a month, and who films them: you, the agency or a production crew?
• Are the captions in English only, or in English and Arabic?
• Who replies to comments and direct messages, and how quickly?
• Is ad spend included, or is it on top of the fee?
• What does the monthly report show: likes, or enquiries and what each one cost?
• Who owns the accounts and the content if you stop working together?

Ad budget is almost never part of a management fee. Make sure both numbers are written on the quote.

How to tell if it is working

Followers and likes are easy to count and easy to buy. The numbers worth watching are the ones that end in a conversation: profile visits that turn into WhatsApp messages, enquiries from ads, and how much each of those cost. Ask for them in every report. If an agency cannot show them after three months, the content may look good, but it is not doing its job.

How we do it

We plan a month of posts and reels at a time, and you approve the calendar before anything goes out. Then we write the captions, design the carousels, edit the reels, post them and answer comments and messages. Our packages are priced on how much content you need, so tell us what you have in mind and we will quote it, or see what is included.