How to choose a marketing agency in Riyadh

The short answer: choose a marketing agency in Riyadh on proof, not promises: case studies with real figures in your sector, a Google, Meta or TikTok partnership you can verify, ad accounts in your own company's name, a valid commercial registration and VAT number, a team that writes and designs in Arabic first, and a clear monthly report. Ask about each before you sign, and check two of them yourself.

1. Start from your goal, not the agency's name

Decide what you need in the next 90 days: online sales, bookings, quote requests or brand building. An agency strong in identity design may not be the best at running ads, and the reverse. Ask each agency for a three-month plan with channels, budget split and the expected result.

2. Ask for real figures, not pretty screenshots

A good case study gives spend, result and cost per result: how many riyals went in, how many orders or bookings came out, at what cost. If a figure says "300% growth" with no base, ask: 300% of what, over which period?

3. Check the partner badge yourself

• Google Partner: the badge needs an optimisation score of at least 70%, $10,000 of ad spend over 90 days across managed accounts, and at least half of the account strategists certified. Premier Partner is the top 3% of partners in each country (Google Partners requirements).
• TikTok: partner agencies are listed in the TikTok partner directory.
• Meta: ask the agency to show the partnership in its Partner Center.

4. The ad account must be yours

The most important clause in the contract. Google explains that a client account keeps its data and can remove an agency's access at any time (ownership of client accounts). Ask for the Google Ads, Meta Business, TikTok and Snapchat accounts to be opened in your company's name with your payment method, and for the agency to get manager access only. You then keep your campaign data and audiences if you change agency.

5. Check the commercial registration and VAT number

• VAT number: ZATCA's VAT registration verification service is free and open to the public, searchable by VAT number or CR number (ZATCA).
• Commercial registration: CR data can be queried through the Ministry of Commerce and Saudi Business Center services (Ministry of Commerce).

6. Arabic first, and the platforms your audience uses

Your Saudi audience is spread across platforms. DataReportal's Digital 2026 report puts ad reach at: TikTok 38.6 million (aged 18 and over), YouTube 27.5 million, Snapchat 25.3 million, Instagram 18.2 million and X 15.0 million (DataReportal). These are ad audiences, not unique people. Ask the agency who writes the Arabic content, who shoots it, and whether it has real Snapchat and TikTok experience.

7. Compliance

• Mawthooq licence: issued by the General Authority for Media Regulation and required for individuals advertising products or services on social media in Saudi Arabia (GAMR). If a campaign uses influencers, make sure they hold it.
• Personal Data Protection Law: fully enforced since 14 September 2024. It requires consent and an easy opt-out when personal data is used for direct marketing, with fines of up to SAR 5 million (DLA Piper summary).

8. Questions for the first meeting

• Who will run my account day to day, and can I meet them?
• How do you measure results, and with which tracking (Pixel, GA4, CAPI)?
• What does the price include, and what is extra? Is ad spend separate from your fee?
• How often do we review results, and what does the monthly report look like?
• How long is the contract, and how does it end?

Warning signs

• Guaranteed results before they have studied your business.
• Refusing to open the ad accounts in your name.
• Prices with no written scope.
• Case studies with no figures or no dates.

In short

The best marketing agency in Riyadh is the one that has proven results on a goal like yours and works in the open: accounts in your name, figures you can check, and a clear report every month. Compare at least three agencies with the same questions, and pick the clearest one, not the loudest.