UGC videos and Saudi content creators for your ads

What is UGC and why does it work in Saudi Arabia?

UGC stands for user generated content. In marketing it has come to mean videos a brand commissions from creators who film the product naturally, as if sharing their experience with friends: unboxing, trying it, the result and an honest opinion.

It works because people trust others like themselves more than polished ads. On Snapchat and TikTok in particular, a video shot by a real person on a phone, in their own dialect, feels like part of the feed, so people watch it instead of skipping it. In Saudi Arabia, variety adds real value: one creator from Riyadh and another from Jeddah or Dammam, with different dialects and ages, makes your brand feel close to several audiences.

The difference between UGC and influencers matters. A UGC creator doesn’t need a big following, because the video usually runs from your brand’s account or as a paid ad; the value is in the content, not the audience. That is why it usually costs less, and you can produce more videos to test.

How much does a UGC video cost in Saudi Arabia?

There is no standard rate for UGC videos in Saudi Arabia, and prices vary widely with several factors. The first is the creator’s experience, filming quality and presence on camera. The second is length and complexity: a simple product test costs less than a video with several scenes or a special location. The third is how many versions and hooks you need, and whether editing and on screen text are included.

Usage rights matter too. A video you will run as a paid ad for months is different from one posted organically once, and some creators price by usage period and platforms. If a creator is asked to publish the video on their own account as an ad, it becomes influencer advertising that requires a Mawthooq licence, and the cost changes.

Our advice is to judge a video by its performance, not its price. A video that costs more but lowers your cost per purchase is better value than a cheap one that doesn’t sell. That is why we order several versions, test them and rebook the creators whose videos perform best.

How we make UGC that sells

A video that sells starts with a clear brief, not a camera. We work out with the brand who the buyer is, what problem the product solves and which objection stops people buying, then write different hooks for each angle. The first two seconds decide whether the viewer keeps watching.

Next we pick the right creator from Zad: someone who genuinely resembles your audience, with a dialect and style that suit your brand. We give enough direction without killing their spontaneity, because a video read off a script loses the very thing that makes UGC work. We ask them to film several hooks and extra product shots so we have room in the edit.

Then we prepare the cuts: a short version for Snapchat and a slightly longer one for TikTok, with on screen text for people watching without sound. Finally we test them in campaigns and compare cost per purchase for each video. You can also start on your own with our free UGC ad ideas generator, which gives you hooks and a ready script in Saudi dialect for your product.

Common UGC mistakes

The first mistake is turning UGC into a traditional ad: studio lighting, a formal script and a creator reading product features like a presenter. That removes the spontaneity that makes people trust the video. The second is stopping at one video, when a winning ad needs several faces and hooks tested before the winner is clear.

Other mistakes include choosing creators who don’t resemble your audience, or ignoring dialect and cultural context. A video in an unfamiliar dialect, or with details that don’t fit local taste, can hurt trust instead of building it. Many brands also fail to agree usage rights upfront, then discover later that they can’t run the video as a paid ad.

Finally, not measuring. UGC isn’t an end in itself but a way to lower cost per purchase. If you don’t track each video’s performance in campaigns, you won’t know which creator or hook deserves a repeat. Because Zeal handles production and ads together, every video is tied to its real numbers.