Google Shopping shows your products with an image, a price and your store name when people search on Google. For e-commerce brands in the Middle East, Shopping ads and free product listings reach shoppers at the moment they compare products. This guide explains which Middle East countries support Google Shopping, how to build an Arabic product feed in Google Merchant Center, and how to run Shopping campaigns.
Where Google Shopping Works in the Middle East
Google Merchant Center lists eight Middle East countries where Shopping ads and free listings are available, each with its local currency. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Shopping tab is also available on Google. Arabic is a supported language for product data.
| Country | Currency | Shopping tab |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi riyal (SAR) | Yes |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE dirham (AED) | Yes |
| Egypt | Egyptian pound (EGP) | No |
| Kuwait | Kuwaiti dinar (KWD) | No |
| Bahrain | Bahraini dinar (BHD) | No |
| Oman | Omani rial (OMR) | No |
| Jordan | Jordanian dinar (JOD) | No |
| Lebanon | Lebanese pound (LBP) | No |
Qatar and Morocco were not in Google's list in November 2026. Google updates the list, so check it in Merchant Center before you plan a new country.
How to Set Up Google Merchant Center
- Create a Merchant Center account, then verify and claim your website.
- Add shipping settings for each country, with delivery costs and delivery times.
- Add your return policy.
- Create a product feed for each country and language you target, with prices in the local currency.
- Link Merchant Center to your Google Ads account.
How to Build an Arabic Product Feed
The product feed is the file that tells Google about each product. Its quality decides which searches your products appear for and how often people click. For Arabic markets:
- Write product titles in Arabic, with the words people search for: brand, product type, main features, size and colour. Use your Arabic keyword research to choose the terms.
- Match the feed language to the landing page. An Arabic feed should link to Arabic product pages.
- Use the local currency and the same price the customer sees at checkout, including VAT where it applies.
- Fill in the GTIN (barcode), brand and product category, so Google can match your products correctly.
- Use clear product images on a plain background, without promotional text on the image.
- Update stock and prices at least daily, so your ads do not show products that are sold out.
- Create a separate English feed if you also target English-speaking shoppers.
| Title | Arabic | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Weak | حذاء رياضي | Sports shoe |
| Strong | حذاء جري رجالي من [العلامة]، أسود، مقاس 42 | [Brand] men's running shoe, black, size 42 |
Common Google Shopping Feed Problems
- Price mismatch: the price in the feed is different from the price on the product page or at checkout.
- Language mismatch: an Arabic feed that links to English pages, or the other way round.
- Missing identifiers: products without a GTIN or brand.
- Image problems: watermarks, promotional text or placeholder images.
- Old stock data: products shown as available when they are sold out.
Merchant Center lists product issues like these in your account, so check it every week and fix them before they limit your ads.
Shopping Campaigns and Performance Max
You can run Shopping ads through Standard Shopping campaigns or through Performance Max. Standard Shopping gives you more control over bids and search terms. Performance Max uses your feed and other assets to show ads across Google's channels, including Search, YouTube and Display, and uses automation to find buyers. Many advertisers test both.
- Split campaigns by country, because currencies, prices and competition differ.
- Group products by margin or by best sellers, and give your most profitable products more budget.
- Add negative keywords in Standard Shopping to stop irrelevant searches.
- Track conversions and conversion value, so Smart Bidding can optimise for ROAS.
For the rest of your Google setup, see our guide to Google Ads in the Middle East.
Free Product Listings
In supported countries, Merchant Center also shows products for free on some Google surfaces, such as the Shopping tab. The same feed powers both the paid and the free listings, so a clean feed pays off twice.
Plan the Feed for Seasonal Peaks
Demand and competition rise during White Friday and Ramadan. Add sale prices to the feed with the sale price attribute before the offer starts, check stock levels, and raise budgets on your best products step by step.
Google Shopping Checklist
- Confirm that each target country is in Google's Merchant Center list.
- Set shipping, returns and local currency for each country.
- Write Arabic product titles from keyword research, linked to Arabic product pages.
- Fill in GTIN, brand and category for every product.
- Track conversion value and split campaigns by country.
If you also sell through marketplaces, see our comparison of Noon vs Amazon in the Middle East.
Conclusion
Google Shopping works in most Gulf markets and in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, and its results depend on the quality of your Arabic product feed. GOTOMENA sets up Merchant Center, builds Arabic feeds and runs Shopping and Performance Max campaigns through our Arabic Google Ads and PPC services. To plan your campaigns, contact our team.