Social Media Management Cost in Saudi Arabia: What a Monthly Package Should Include

There is no fixed price for social media management in Saudi Arabia, because what is called a “monthly package” can mean nothing more than designs at one provider, and at another a plan, Arabic content, video, replies to customers and a monthly report. A fair price is one backed by a clear written scope of work: the number of platforms, the number of posts and short videos, who writes the Arabic content, whether video means filming or editing only, message response hours, approval rounds and the shape of the report, with ads management and its budget separated from the management fee.

This guide quotes no figures, because a number without a scope of work is no use for comparison. Instead it explains what raises or lowers the price, what should be written into a quotation, the warning signs and a practical way to compare several proposals, along with two Saudi regulations worth knowing before you contract.

What determines the monthly price of social media management?

Prices differ because the work itself differs. These are the main factors that change the cost, and what to ask about each:

For the logic of agency pricing in general (fixed fees, a monthly subscription with a defined scope, or performance-linked fees), see our article on marketing agency fees in Saudi Arabia.

Why is the number of posts not enough for comparison?

An offer that says “16 designs a month” describes only the output you can see. Most of what you pay for is what you cannot see: setting the month’s goal, turning a technical service or product into a message the buyer understands, writing it in sound and suitable Arabic, getting it approved, then replying to those who engage and knowing which content led to an actual enquiry.

When the offer is merely a number of designs, these parts are missing or squeezed. The common result: an account that looks active but generates no business; good designs without a clear message, comments unanswered for days, and nobody able to say where the last customer came from.

What should the monthly package include in writing?

Not every business needs every item in the same depth; the needs of a new clinic differ from those of a well-known industrial supplier. But you should know what you are buying and what you are not. Ask for the quotation to state these items explicitly:

• The monthly plan: the month’s goal, content themes, the services or offers to focus on, and the date the plan is delivered before design begins. (See what a monthly content plan should include.)
• Platforms by name: such as Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat and LinkedIn, and what is delivered on each platform specifically.
• Quantities by format: the number of static posts, carousels, stories and short videos, and what happens to unused items in the month.
• Content writing: the language, the style (simplified Modern Standard Arabic or a dialect close to the audience) and whether the English version is included.
• Video: whether it includes filming and how many days, or editing only, and who provides licensed music and effects.
• Publishing and account management: scheduling, profile updates, pinned posts and Story highlight icons.
• Community management: response hours, expected response time, how serious enquiries are passed to the sales team, and how complaints are handled.
• The monthly report: its date, its contents, its link to enquiries or orders where possible, and next month’s recommendations.
• Approval rounds: the number of revision rounds, the response time expected from you, and what happens if approval is delayed.
• Ownership and permissions: that the accounts and the ads account stay registered in your company’s name, that the provider receives access permission and not ownership, and that source design files are handed over as agreed.
• Contract term and termination conditions: the notice period, and what is handed over when the engagement ends.

Ads management: a separate item from account management

Account management means content and engagement, while paid ads are different work: building campaigns, choosing the audience, testing and daily monitoring. So it is wise for the offer to show two separate lines:

• The ads management fee: a fixed amount or a percentage of spend, stating the platforms and the number of campaigns.
• The ad budget itself: preferably paid from an ads account registered in your company’s name and with your payment method, so campaign data and history stay with you if the provider changes.

If you find an offer combining “account management with ads” in a single number, ask: how much of this is actual ad spend and how much is the management fee? For more detail on this side, see our performance marketing and paid advertising service page.

Also ask whether the price includes value added tax, since the tax applies to most goods and services according to the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, and the difference between “inclusive” and “exclusive” can make two close offers look far apart.

Two Saudi regulations worth knowing before you contract

The Mawthooq licence when working with content creators

If the package includes ads with celebrities or content creators, know that the General Authority for Media Regulation issues a licence to individuals to provide advertising content on social media platforms, valid for 3 years, and one of its obligations is that ads may be displayed only through an account registered with the Authority and linked to the licence (General Authority for Media Regulation, as of November 2026). In practice: ask the provider to verify the content creator’s licence and the linked account before payment, and to document it. As for the obligations of the advertising company itself, confirm them directly with the Authority or your legal adviser.

The Personal Data Protection Law when collecting leads

Many packages include sign-up forms, “leave your number” campaigns or WhatsApp messages. Here the Personal Data Protection Law issued by SDAIA applies, and among its basics:

• Consent is in principle the basis for processing, and the data subject may withdraw it at any time (Article 5), with specific exceptions in Article 6.
• Collect only the minimum data needed for the purpose (Article 11), so do not ask in the form for what you do not need.
• Make a privacy policy available when collecting data (Article 12), and tell the person the purpose of collection and whether the data is mandatory or optional (Article 13).
• Do not use personal communication channels to send advertising material except with the recipient’s consent, and provide a clear way to stop receiving it (Article 25).

For practical detail and later amendments to the regulations, see our article on consent for direct marketing under the Personal Data Protection Law. This is general information and not legal advice.

Warning signs in quotations

• Only a number of designs, with no plan, content writing, replies or report.
• Promises of a specific number of followers or engagement, especially if how it will be achieved is not explained; this can mean fake followers who do not buy.
• Creating the accounts or the ads account in the provider’s name instead of your company’s, or asking for the main account’s password instead of access permission.
• Merging the ad budget with the management fee into one undetailed figure.
• “Unlimited revisions” with no definition; this often turns later into a dispute over what is included.
• Literally translated content in past work samples, or Arabic that does not suit your audience.
• No mention of response hours, even though messages are often the first point from which an enquiry arrives.
• A long contract with no trial period or clear termination conditions.

How do you compare several quotations?

1. Standardise the request first: send everyone the same description: the platforms, the goals, approximate quantities, and whether you have a visual identity and filming material.
2. Turn each offer into an items table: put the eleven items listed above in rows and the offers in columns, and write “included”, “not included” or “unclear”.
3. Ask about every “unclear” cell in writing before comparing on price.
4. Separate the ads: compare management fee with management fee, and ad spend separately.
5. Ask for work samples in a similar sector, and ask who wrote the content and who designed it, and whether the same team will work on your account.
6. Ask about the first 30 days: what will be delivered in the first week and when the first report arrives.
7. Decide on value, not the lowest number: the cheapest offer with no replies and no report may in fact cost more if it does not generate a single enquiry.

Common mistakes when contracting

• Starting without a clear goal: do you want enquiries, branch visits, recruitment or trust-building with corporate buyers? The goal changes the platforms, the content and the price.
• Slow approval on your side: if content needs the approval of three people, the plan will be late however good the provider. Appoint one authorised person.
• Not handing over information: a provider cannot explain a service whose details were never explained to them; set aside an onboarding session at the start.
• Judging in the first month: the first month is often setup and testing; evaluate once patterns emerge, but ask for a report from the start.
• Ignoring replies: the best post is worthless if a customer’s price question goes unanswered.

To see the scope of the account management service as we offer it, visit our social media management page.