A junior runs your account
You meet the senior team in the pitch. After you sign, your budget goes to someone still learning on it.
Freelance Performance Marketer in Dubai
I'm Abhishek Thakral, a freelance performance marketer in Dubai running Meta Ads, Google Ads, TikTok and Snapchat for businesses in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, the UK, the US and Norway. You work with me directly, not an account manager: tracking fixed first, then budget behind the campaigns that bring qualified leads and sales.
14 LinkedIn recommendations, 3 from people at Google
Off-plan, Meta AdsAED 13.9K → 7.9M
Clinic, Google Ads47 patients · 2.03x
Brands I've run campaigns for
A performance marketer for brands in 7 countries and counting
Based in Dubai, I run paid ads for businesses across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, the UK, the US, Norway and beyond, with every campaign set up for its market's language, platforms, ad policies and working hours.
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
India
UK
USA
Norway- & more, globally
Paying an agency but still not sure what your ads are doing?
Reports full of vanity metrics
Impressions, clicks and CTR look great in the monthly PDF. Nobody can tell you how many leads became sales.
Locked into 6 to 12 months
Results dip in month two, and you're still paying until month twelve because of the contract.
Fees that grow with your spend
When the agency takes a percentage of ad spend, the easiest way to grow their fee is to grow your budget.
Slow replies, through a middleman
A simple change takes three emails and four days, because the person you talk to isn't the one touching the account.
The same template for everyone
Campaigns copied from the last client, with no thought for your market, your sales cycle or your margins.
Sound familiar? Most businesses that come to me have at least three of these. The fix usually starts with fixing tracking, not with spending more.
Freelance performance marketer vs agency: what changes for you
You get the senior experience an agency sells in the pitch, without the layers, the lock-in or the overheads you end up paying for.
Hi, I'm Abhishek. I've run paid ads for 40+ brands over 4+ years, agency-side and in-house, including at haus & haus, where I ran Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat and DV360 at the same time. Budgets from AED 5K a month to AED 850K a month. One rule on every account: fix the tracking first, then scale what closes.
Typical agency
Working with me
Who runs your ads
A junior executive, supervised
Me, hands-on, every week
How you're charged
% of ad spend plus setup fees
One flat fee, agreed upfront
Contract
6 to 12 month lock-in
Month to month
Reporting
Monthly PDF of clicks and reach
Weekly, tied to leads, sales and cost per result
Response time
Days, via an account manager
Direct on WhatsApp, within one business day
Tracking
Pixel installed, rarely checked
CAPI, GA4 and offline conversions fixed before scaling
Overheads
Office, sales team, management layers
None. Your fee pays for the work
When is an agency the better pick? If you need a large in-house creative studio or 24/7 cover across many markets. Full breakdown: freelancer vs agency for paid ads.
Performance marketing services, from paid ads to AI search
Pick one channel or run the full funnel. Every service starts with the same thing: tracking you can trust, so budget follows real leads and sales.
01
Meta Ads management
Facebook and Instagram campaigns built on Conversions API, lead quality and steady creative testing. Instant forms, WhatsApp or website leads.
Meta Ads in Dubai02
Google Ads management
Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen and YouTube, with offline conversion import so Google optimises for sales, not form fills.
Google Ads in DubaiNew
ChatGPT Ads (OpenAI)
Put your brand in front of people asking ChatGPT for recommendations, with measurement set up from the first test budget.
Learn more04
TikTok Ads
Native-looking creative and Spark Ads that reach younger UAE and GCC buyers, with the TikTok pixel and Events API set up properly.
Learn more05
Snapchat Ads
Big reach in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Lead generation and sales campaigns with the Snap pixel and Conversions API in place.
Learn more06
Programmatic (DV360)
Display, video and connected TV across premium publishers, with frequency caps and brand-safety controls you can see.
Learn more07
GEO for AI search
Generative engine optimisation so ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews mention your brand when buyers ask.
Learn more08
AI websites & landing pages
Fast landing pages built with AI tools and tested for conversion, connected to your CRM and tracking from day one.
Learn moreFrom first call to scaling campaigns, in four steps
No long onboarding decks. You'll know what's broken in week one and see campaigns running on clean data soon after.
Free campaign audit
A 30-minute call where I go through your ad accounts, tracking and funnel, and name the first three things to fix.
Day 1Tracking & plan
Pixel, Conversions API, GA4 and CRM events checked and fixed. You get a written plan with budgets, audiences and targets.
Week 1Launch & test
Campaigns go live with structured creative and audience tests, so we learn what works in weeks, not quarters.
Week 2Scale & report
Budget moves to what closes. Weekly reports in plain English, a monthly review call and WhatsApp access to me.
OngoingHow I've solved real problems for real businesses
Every number below comes from a live ad account I ran. Client names are withheld where the brand asked for confidentiality.
AED 7.9MProperty sold from AED 13.9K of Meta spend
780%Return on paid media for a full-funnel account
40+Brands scaled across 7 countries
AED 850KLargest monthly ad budget managed
AED 7.9Mof closed off-plan property from AED 13,869 of Meta spend, in 4 months
A Dubai off-plan brokerage needed buyers, not just cheap form fills
Meta spendAED 13,869
Property soldAED 7.9M
About 570x the ad spend, in closed sales
- The problem
- Off-plan buyers don't search for a project they've never heard of, so search alone couldn't build the pipeline.
- What I did
- Led with Meta to create demand, optimised to qualified leads and kept the best campaigns at AED 20–37 per lead.
47 patientsbooked from AED 15.4K of Google Ads in one month, a 2.03x return
A Dubai clinic's ROAS fell from 3.5x to 1.4x after one setting changed
- The problem
- Location targeting was showing ads to people interested in Dubai, not people in Dubai, and spend leaked abroad.
- What I did
- Fixed the location setting and exclusions, rebuilt search terms and brought ROAS back. Read the full story.
780%ROI on paid media, cost per lead down 34% in one month
Leads were coming in, but sales couldn't tell good from bad
- What I did
- Rebuilt CRM lifecycle stages and sent them back through Conversions API and offline conversions. SQL rate rose 11% month on month.
25 unitssold from 1,205 leads at about AED 36 each, over 7 months
A new developer with zero brand recognition needed a launch pipeline
- What I did
- Meta lead ads with qualifying questions, fast WhatsApp follow-up and weekly lead-quality reviews with the sales team.
+103%ROAS for Skeidar on a 30M NOK annual budget, AOV up 66%
A big furniture retailer's account had outgrown its structure
- What I did
- Full account restructure around Performance Max and product margins. Average order value went from 4,110 to 6,820 NOK.
Simple engagement models, quoted to your account
One flat fee, never a percentage of your ad spend. Tell me about your account and you'll get an exact quote within one business day. Market ranges are in my performance marketing cost guide.
Audit & Fix
For founders and in-house teams who want a senior second opinion before they spend more.
- Full audit of your Meta and Google accounts
- Pixel, Conversions API, GA4 and CRM tracking fixed
- Competitor and creative review
- 90-day plan with budgets and targets
- Handover call with your team
Growth
For businesses spending AED 10K+ a month on ads who want one senior person running them.
- Hands-on Meta and Google Ads management
- Ad copy, video scripts and creative direction
- Tracking kept clean as campaigns change
- Weekly reports tied to leads and sales
- Monthly strategy call and WhatsApp access
- Month to month, no lock-in
Scale Partner
For brands scaling across several platforms or countries that need a senior lead across the whole funnel.
- Everything in Growth
- TikTok, Snapchat, ChatGPT Ads and programmatic
- Landing pages and conversion rate testing
- GEO for AI search visibility
- Fortnightly strategy reviews
- Optional bonus tied to agreed targets
Not sure which fits? Book the free audit and I'll recommend one, or none if ads aren't the right move yet.
What clients and Google partners say
Public LinkedIn recommendations, three of them from people at Google. Nobody was paid or asked to be polite.
"Knows exactly when and what to scale for maximum ROI"
From the start, Abhishek demonstrated deep understanding of the digital marketing landscape. He takes a strategic, results-focused approach. His decisions are always guided by performance data and business impact.
Nour Choucair GoogleDigital Marketing Lead at Google"30% more conversions and a 25% better ROI"
He helped our company improve marketing results using data-driven strategies. His approach was easy to understand, and the results speak for themselves.
Tannu RClient, performance marketing consultancy"A substantial, positive impact on Skeidar's Google Ads"
Abhishek's technical expertise and dedication made a substantial, positive impact on Skeidar's Google Ads performance.
Michelle D'Mello GoogleGTM for YouTube Ads at Google"Undoubtedly one of the best in performance marketing"
I worked with him during the launch of 3 of our biggest activations, and the results were commendable.
Mitali SomaiyaGrowth & Performance Marketing Leader, client"Continuously optimised to improve lead quality"
I enjoyed working with Abhishek on our Meta ad campaigns and was consistently impressed by his expertise. He did a great job targeting the right audience.
Marianne LukeDemand Generation Manager, Informa Markets"Trust his ownership of marketing investments"
He is incredibly attention-oriented and was fantastic at providing new perspectives on how we were designing and launching performance campaigns.
Helene Nygard GoogleRetail Growth Lead at Google"Goes the extra mile to deliver the results"
He is the subject matter expert in digital marketing. He is committed to the best interest of the clients and goes the extra mile to deliver the desired results.
Rajesh RedlaDirector, Expertz Business Hub, client"We surpassed target almost every time"
Whenever he was on a project, hitting target was never in question. Easy to work with, hardworking, and very knowledgeable.
Cristina GosenCopywriter & Social Media Manager"A solid role in boosting lead flow"
Working with Abhishek at haus & haus was always easy and enjoyable. He was collaborative, made campaigns run smoothly, and boosted overall performance.
Jessica OliverMarketing & Design, haus & haus"Consistently scaled client campaigns"
Abhishek is an exceptional Performance Marketing Specialist whom I directly managed for over a year. A quick learner with a proactive approach, he consistently scaled client campaigns through creative strategies, an invaluable, solution-oriented team member.
Nihal RahmanPerformance Marketing Lead, my former manager"Fresh ideas, testing frameworks and tracking enhancements"
Abhishek has been proactive, hardworking and demonstrated extensive knowledge across paid media channels. He always brings fresh ideas, testing frameworks, tracking enhancements, and asks interesting questions to grow performance.
Jodie SmithSEO Account Director"Incredibly knowledgeable and extremely easy to work with"
It's not often you come across someone who is both incredibly knowledgeable and extremely easy to work with. Definitely a go-to for performance marketing insights and quick problem-solving.
Lara KoleilatSocial Media & Channel Strategy"Campaigns that drive measurable impact"
I had the pleasure of recruiting Abhishek, and he immediately impressed with his professionalism, expertise and results-driven mindset. He consistently delivers campaigns that drive measurable impact.
Chloe HarmanHead of Recruitment, Williams International"Reliable, talented, and easy to work with"
He was super quick, really easy to communicate with, and always made any changes I asked for without making the process feel complicated. The whole process was honestly really smooth, and I'm so happy with how the website turned out. I'd definitely recommend Abhishek to anyone looking for someone reliable, talented, and easy to work with.
Farah KamalOperations Manager, Racket World InternationalAll quotes are public. Verify them on LinkedIn.
Hiring a freelance performance marketer: common questions
Still unsure? Ask me on WhatsApp.
What does a freelance performance marketer do?
A freelance performance marketer plans, runs and optimises paid campaigns on platforms like Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat, and is measured on results such as cost per lead, booked calls and return on ad spend. With me that also covers fixing conversion tracking, writing ad copy, briefing creative and reporting on the leads and sales your ads produced.
How much does a freelance performance marketer cost in Dubai?
Senior freelancers in Dubai usually charge a flat monthly fee, while agencies often charge a retainer or a percentage of ad spend. My fee depends on the platforms, your ad spend and the scope, and it's fixed before we start. Request a quote and you'll have an exact number within one business day. Market ranges are in my guide to performance marketing costs in Dubai.
Is a freelance performance marketer better than an agency?
For most small and mid-sized businesses, a senior freelancer gives you more experience for the money: the person you hire is the person running your account, with no account manager in between and no long lock-in. An agency can make more sense if you need a large in-house creative studio or round-the-clock cover across many markets. More in freelancer vs agency for paid ads.
Which ad platforms do you manage?
Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (Search, Performance Max, Demand Gen and YouTube), TikTok, Snapchat, programmatic through DV360, and ChatGPT Ads. I also offer GEO for AI search visibility and AI-built landing pages that connect to your tracking and CRM. Not sure where to start? Read Meta vs Google Ads.
Do you work with businesses outside the UAE?
Yes. I'm based in Dubai and have run campaigns for brands in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, the United Kingdom, the United States and Norway. Calls are scheduled around your time zone and reports are in your currency.
How much ad spend do I need?
Around AED 10,000 a month in ad spend is where campaigns produce enough data to optimise properly. Below that, I'll tell you honestly on the audit call whether paid ads are the right move yet.
How soon will I see results?
Tracking fixes and the first tests usually go live in the first two weeks. Lead generation accounts often show a clear change in cost per qualified lead within 30 to 60 days. E-commerce and long sales cycles such as off-plan property take longer to read properly.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. Retainers run month to month and continue only while the numbers make it an easy decision for you.
Do you handle the ad creative?
Yes. I write the ad copy and video scripts, set the creative testing plan, and either brief your design team or produce the creatives for you.
Let's find where your ad budget is leaking
Book a free 30-minute campaign audit. I'll look at your accounts and tracking live on the call and tell you the first three things I'd fix, whether or not we work together.
Let's start with a simple talk
No pressure. Pick a time that suits you, or tell me about your account and I'll reply within one business day.