Ramadan 2027 in Morocco: calendar, budgets and creatives that work

Ramadan changes everything in a Moroccan media plan: the schedule, the mood, what people buy and when they buy it. The brands that win this month don't improvise it in February. Their calendar, their videos and their customer service are ready before day one. Here's how to prepare a Ramadan campaign in Morocco in 2027, step by step.

When does Ramadan 2027 start in Morocco?

Monday, February 8, 2027 is the most likely date, with a one-day margin. The new moon falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027, the day of an annular solar eclipse that NASA places at 16:00 UT. Astronomical calculations for the Saudi Hijri calendar, reported by Jordan News, put the first day of Ramadan 1448 on February 8.

In Morocco, that calculation doesn't settle it. The Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs has the crescent moon observed on the evening of the 29th of Sha'ban, then announces the date. In 2026, the announcement came on Wednesday, February 18, for a start the next day, Thursday, February 19, according to TelQuel. Expect the same scenario: confirmation the day before, not earlier.

Two other dates matter for your planning:

• Eid al-Fitr, expected on Tuesday, March 9 or Wednesday, March 10, 2027, depending on whether the month lasts 29 or 30 days.
• The switch to GMT. Morocco turns its clocks back one hour during Ramadan. In 2026, it went back to GMT on February 15, then to GMT+1 on March 22, according to Le360. The 2027 dates will be set by official announcement, a few days ahead. When they are, check your scheduled posts and your customer service hours.

When should you launch your campaigns, and with what budget?

Ramadan is one of the biggest moments for advertising in Morocco. According to Imperium figures reported by Morocco World News, advertising investment reached nearly MAD 452 million over the first ten days of Ramadan 2025, with 859 advertisers. Television took 68.2% of it. Digital accounted for only 7.1%, but it was the fastest-growing: +30.7% year over year. Food came out on top, with MAD 135 million.

The practical consequence: on Meta and TikTok, more and more money is chasing the same screens, at the same hours. The brand that shows up ready on February 8 already has a head start. The calendar below follows that logic.

On budget, don't burn it all in the first week. A simple split to start with: about a quarter before Ramadan to build your audiences, half during the month, and a quarter held in reserve for the home stretch before Eid. Then adjust based on your own cost per order. With our Meta ads team, this budget is paid directly to Meta or TikTok, into an account in your name, with no commission.

What time is your audience available?

During Ramadan, the day shifts. Mornings are slow, late afternoon is spent in the kitchen or in traffic, and the real day begins after iftar (ftour), the meal that breaks the fast.

• Before iftar — last-minute shopping, getting the meal ready. People glance at their phones, rarely for long.
• Iftar — a time for the table and the family, with the TV on. It's no coincidence that television captures more than two-thirds of the month's ad investment.
• The evening and the night — going out, TV series, social media. The night stretches until suhoor (shour). That's when people finally have time to compare, ask a question, place an order.

These are general benchmarks. Your audience keeps its own hours. Look at the hourly breakdown of your results from last Ramadan in Ads Manager, and align your budget peaks, your posts and above all your teams with it. An ad that generates messages at 11 p.m. is useless if nobody replies before noon the next day.

Which creatives work during Ramadan, and which should you avoid?

Ramadan rewards brands that talk like family, not like salespeople. The ingredients are well known: family, the table, sharing, generosity. The whole challenge is to show them without falling into cliché.

Do

• Show a Moroccan table — harira, chebakia, sellou, dates, msemen. Not the golden lanterns and crescents of generic Gulf visuals: they say “regional ad,” not “home.”
• Speak Darija, especially in video, and keep French for audiences who actually live in it every day. Our guide Darija or French walks through this choice.
• Keep it real — the race against the clock before iftar, the overflowing table, the neighbor ringing the bell with a plate. A real-life scene beats a studio set.
• Bet on kind-hearted humor — the tone of the iftar-time sitcoms. You laugh at yourself, never at others.
• Set a deadline — “order by Thursday, delivered before Eid.” No date, no urgency.

Avoid

• Promotional overkill — garish “-70%” offers from the very first evening clash with the spirit of the month.
• Religion as a selling point — twisting a verse or a symbol to sell something offends. Respect is enough.
• Inappropriate outfits and attitudes — even for a fashion brand, restraint is a must during the month.
• Mocking the fast — tiredness can raise a smile, never at the expense of those who are fasting.
• A single video for the whole month — ad fatigue sets in fast. Plan several variations.

To produce these variations in the right format, follow our guide to Reels and short-form video in Morocco.

WhatsApp and cash on delivery: are you ready for the nights?

In Morocco, a large share of online sales is closed on WhatsApp and paid cash on delivery. During Ramadan, that machine runs at night. Set it up before February 8:

• Quick replies ready to go — prices, sizes, lead times, delivery areas. In Darija and in French.
• An up-to-date catalog in WhatsApp Business, with prices in dirhams.
• Someone who answers in the evening, at least until midnight. Organize the shifts before the month, not during it.
• A confirmation before shipping — a message or a call to confirm the address and the time slot. It's your best defense against parcels refused on delivery.
• An order cutoff date before Eid — get it from your courier, announce it early, repeat it often.

The full setup is in our guide to WhatsApp Business for selling in Morocco.

Your Ramadan 2027 checklist

• Mark Monday, February 8, 2027 as the likely date, with a plan B for the 9th.
• Sign off on the offer and the brief before mid-December 2026.
• Shoot at least three vertical video variations, in Darija and in French.
• Check that the table, sets and outfits are Moroccan, not generic.
• Start prospecting in mid-January and collect WhatsApp contacts.
• Keep a budget reserve for the second half of the month and for Eid.
• Set your ad delivery times based on your own hourly data.
• Staff a WhatsApp shift in the evening, until at least midnight.
• Update your scheduled posts after the switch to GMT.
• Agree with your courier on the order cutoff date before Eid.
• Prepare your Eid greetings and the follow-up with the month's customers.

Sources

• NASA — Eclipses During 2027, annular solar eclipse of February 6, 2027 (new moon).
• Jordan News — Date of the First Day of Ramadan 2027 According to Astronomical Calculations, projection: start on Monday, February 8, 2027.
• TelQuel — Jeudi 19 février, 1er jour du mois de Ramadan au Maroc (in French), crescent moon sighting by the Ministry of Habous (2026).
• Le360 — Ramadan : le Maroc passe à l’heure GMT ce dimanche 15 février (in French), 2026 clock change.
• Morocco World News — Advertising Investments During Ramadan Reach MAD 452 Million in First 10 Days, Imperium data, March 2025.