Podcast advertising in the UAE is driving strong consumer engagement and conversion, despite widespread assumptions that podcast ads are easily skipped or ignored, according to a new YouGov report.

UAE podcast ads report 2026 reveals that nearly nine in ten UAE media consumers (87%) have taken at least one action after hearing or seeing an ad on a podcast, radio, or streaming audio platform.

The most common actions include searching online for a brand or product (38%), visiting a brand’s website (35%) and talking to someone about it (35%).

The findings suggest that podcast advertising continues to influence audiences even when users do not fully engage with ads. Among podcast consumers who say they usually skip ads, 90% still report taking some form of conversion action.

At the same time, podcast advertising was found to be the least disruptive advertising format tested in the UAE. Only 21% of UAE media consumers describe podcast ads as annoying or disruptive, significantly lower than YouTube or other video platform ads (48%), social media ads (39%) and online display ads (35%).

The research also points to comparatively strong levels of trust in podcast advertising. More than one third of UAE media consumers (35%) say they trust podcast ads to be honest and reliable, while only 20% actively distrust them. Podcast ads were found to be less distrusted than both online display (25%) and social media advertising (28%).

Within podcast advertising itself, sponsorship mentions emerged as the most trusted format, with more than one in four podcast consumers (27%) describing them as the most honest and trustworthy type of podcast ad.

The report also highlights the UAE’s position as the most video-forward podcast market surveyed. Four in five UAE respondents (81%) consume podcasts, the highest level among all markets included in the study. Podcast content consumption in the UAE spans a broad range of genres, with health and wellness (39%), comedy (39%) and sports (38%) emerging as the most popular categories among podcast consumers. Podcasts are also increasingly integrated into everyday routines, with sleep time (31%) and commuting (29%) among the most common listening moments.

Three in five UAE podcast consumers (60%) say they prefer video podcasts, compared with just 20% who prefer audio-only formats and 18% who enjoy both equally. This rough proportion holds true across age cohorts and genders.

Heavy podcast consumption also skews toward video. 30% of UAE respondents watch five or more hours of video podcasts weekly, compared with 23% who listen to audio-only podcasts for the same duration.

Despite the rise of video podcasts, the findings suggest strong overlap between audio and video audiences. Around 68% of UAE respondents both listen to audio podcasts and watch video podcasts, indicating that most consumers can be reached across both formats.

Download the full report here.

Methodology

The report findings are based on YouGov Surveys conducted online between March 13 and April 1, 2026 among 950 nationally representative adults in the UAE and others in multiple international markets.

Subscribe to the YouGov newsletter