Meta rolls out new generative AI features in UAE and Saudi

Tech and social media giant Meta is introducing a suite of generative AI features for ad creatives. The company is initially making them available in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.

Designed for advertising creatives, the tools will help boost productivity, personalization, and performance for advertisers across the board. The global rollout of these features is anticipated to be completed by 2024.

AI-powered advertising

One of Meta’s newest AI features is background generation. This will enable advertisers to generate multiple background options to suit their product images. 

Another tool is image expansion. Using this, people can dynamically adjust their creative assets to fit different aspect ratios on various platforms. Meta is the parent company of two giant social media sites, Facebook and Instagram.

The suite of tools also includes a text variation feature where users can produce different versions of their ad text based on their original copy. 

All of these innovations empower ad creatives to engage better with their respective target audiences while showcasing their offerings.

Read: ChatGPT-Plus can read images, hear your voice and answer back

What advertisers say

Meta previously tapped a select group of advertisers in Meta’s AI Sandbox to help test the said features. According to a survey involving the participants, the top benefit of these tools is saving a considerable amount of time weekly. This efficiency will help them facilitate more strategic work as they reduce the time they spend in doing labor-intensive editing tasks.

Nonetheless, while generative AI offers relief from creative fatigue, advertisers continue to seek customization features. Their goal is to better align outputs with their unique brand identity, covering both voice and visual style. 

A broader vision

Meanwhile, Meta notes that these initial features are only part of a broader vision. In the future, it plans to expand its offerings, enabling advertisers to generate ad copy that accentuates product features and create background images with tailored themes.

Additionally, the company is developing AI-driven business messaging on Messenger and WhatsApp to improve customer engagement, support, and commerce.

The Middle East and North Africa region is one of the top markets for the company. According to 2022 figures, 88.9 percent of UAE residents aged 13 and above are using Facebook, ranking fourth globally. Libya tops the list at 96.1 percent. 

Earlier this year, Meta also launched its inaugural metaverse academy in the region. Located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi, it offers training programs to a select number of students. This educational experience, which touches on extended reality and more, will equip graduates with the necessary skills to pursue a career in the metaverse and other related fields. 

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