Black Friday falls on Friday, 27 November 2026, with Cyber Monday on 30 November. In the Middle East the same day is called White Friday, and in most markets it has grown from one day into a whole week, or even a month, of offers. Shoppers plan for it, compare prices and wait for the messages.
That makes it the busiest week of the year for attention, not just for sales. Every brand sends at the same time, so the businesses that win are the ones that plan early, send to the right people and say something specific.
This guide is a complete plan you can follow, whatever you sell: products, appointments, meals or subscriptions.
Start with the offer, not the discount
The deepest discount is not always the best offer. Decide what you can afford and what your customers actually want:
- A clear discount on selected products or services, with the price before and after.
- A bundle, such as two products for the price of one and a half, or a treatment package.
- A gift with purchase, or free delivery above a basket value.
- Early access for your existing customers, before the offer opens to everyone.
- Something only for this week, such as a limited edition, extra booking slots or an annual plan at a lower price.
Write the offer in one sentence a customer can repeat. If you can't, it is too complicated.
Check the rules where you sell
Discount rules differ by country. In Saudi Arabia, for example, discount campaigns need a discount license from the Ministry of Commerce, issued online. The license must be displayed in the store, including on online stores, and products must show the price before and after the discount. Fake or misleading discounts are reported and penalised. Apply for the license early, and check the current rules on the Ministry's platform. In the EU, a price reduction must be shown against the lowest price of the previous 30 days. Wherever you sell, check the local consumer rules before you announce prices.
The timeline: six weeks to one week after
When | What to do |
|---|---|
6 to 4 weeks before (now) | Decide the offer. Apply for any license you need. Submit WhatsApp message templates for approval. Check your site, checkout and stock. |
4 to 2 weeks before | Grow the list: an on-site pop-up for early access, a post asking people to comment for a reminder. Clean your contact list. |
2 weeks before | Tease the offer without the details. Tell people when it starts and how to get early access. |
3 to 1 days before | Give early access to your customers and regulars. Remind everyone who signed up. |
The day | Announce on every channel at once. Put the offer on your site's home page and a banner on every page. |
During the week | Remind people who opened but didn't buy. Recover abandoned carts. Tell people when sold-out items are back. |
After | Thank buyers. Ask for reviews. Turn first-time buyers into second-time buyers before they forget you. |
If you are reading this in October, you are on time. If it is already the week before, skip to the last three rows and focus on the people who already know you.
Send the right message to the right people
Sending one message to everyone is the most common Black Friday mistake. Your contacts are not all in the same place:
- New people who just found you need the offer explained, plus a reason to trust you: reviews, delivery times, a clear return policy.
- Interested people who looked but didn't buy need a reminder of the exact thing they looked at, and the answer to what stopped them.
- Customers who bought once should get early access. It makes them feel known and spreads your sales over more days.
- Regulars deserve the best offer, or a gift, before anyone else.
- Fans who recommend you can get a code to share with friends.
- Gone quiet customers who haven't bought in a long time: Black Friday is the best reason of the year to come back. A short "we miss you" with a real offer works better than a generic blast.
Which channel for what
Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
Early access and the launch message to customers who opted in | Marketing templates need Meta's approval, so submit them weeks before. Too many messages hurt your number's quality rating. | |
The full offer with images, and reminders | Everyone sends on the day. A clear subject line with the offer wins over a clever one. | |
SMS | A short launch alert for people without WhatsApp opt-in | Keep it to one or two messages for the whole week. |
Push notifications | Instant alerts to people who allowed them on your site or app | Time-sensitive only: "starts now", "ends tonight". |
On-site pop-up and banner | Capturing emails or numbers before, showing the offer during | Don't block the page on mobile. One pop-up per visit. |
Instagram comments | "Comment EARLY for early access" posts | Reply in DM with the exact thing promised. See our comment-to-DM guide. |
You don't need every channel. Two channels done well beat six done badly.
Messages that work
Early access (WhatsApp, to customers):
"Hi Sara, Black Friday opens to everyone on Friday, but you can shop it now. 30% off the new collection until Thursday at midnight. [Shop early]"
Launch day (email subject line):
"Black Friday is here: 30% off everything, free delivery over 200"
Reminder to people who looked (push or WhatsApp):
"The dress you liked is still in your size, and still 30% off until tonight."
After the sale (WhatsApp or email):
"Thank you for your order, Ahmed. How did it arrive? Your review helps others choose, and takes 20 seconds."
Each message names one offer, one deadline and one action. Use the customer's name only where you have it, and write in the language they use with you.
If you don't sell products
Black Friday is not only for stores.
- Clinics and salons: a package price for a set of sessions, booked in December. Fill the quiet weeks ahead, not just the week itself.
- Restaurants and cafés: a voucher bought this week and used later, or a family meal deal on the weekend.
- SaaS and online services: an annual plan at a lower price, or an extra month free. Send it to people who are on a trial or the monthly plan.
- Agencies and freelancers: a fixed-price package for January, sold in November.
Mistakes to avoid
- Raising prices before the discount. Customers notice, and in many countries, including Saudi Arabia and the EU, it can also break the discount rules.
- Messaging people who never agreed to hear from you. It costs you trust and, on WhatsApp, the health of your number.
- Sending five messages in one day. Plan the whole week: one launch, one reminder, one last call.
- A site that can't take the traffic. Test checkout, payment and delivery options before the day.
- Forgetting the week after. First-time buyers from Black Friday are the easiest people to turn into regulars, if you follow up within a few weeks.
How Hamla can run Black Friday for you
Tell Hamla the outcome you want, for example "Get 150 orders in Black Friday week" or "Fill 80 appointments in December". Hamla plans the campaign around it: who to contact in which order, on which channel, with what message, in Arabic, English or the language your customers use.
Hamla then prepares everything for you to review: the early-access message to your customers, the launch email, the on-site pop-up and banner, the reminders and the cart recovery. Nothing reaches a customer until you approve it. During the week, Hamla shows what each channel brought, and after it ends, it proposes the follow-up for your new customers.
Hamla works with the tools you already use, including Salla, Zid, Shopify and your own website.
Start this week
Pick your offer, apply for any license you need, and submit your WhatsApp templates. Those three steps take the longest to come back, so starting now gives you time for the rest. Try Hamla and ask it to plan your Black Friday.
