Google Expands Ads in AI Mode to 10 More Countries: Where the UAE and Clinics Stand
Google took ads in AI Mode to 10 more countries on 28 October 2026, with the UK next. The UAE is not listed. What it means for clinics running Google Ads.
On 28 October 2026 Google said ads in AI Mode are expanding to 10 more countries: Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore, with Brazil, Mexico and the UK planned for Q4. The UAE is not on either list. Google's help page also says it does not currently show ads inside AI Overviews for sensitive verticals, and it names healthcare. For a UAE clinic, nothing changes in the account today, but the way people search is changing, and your Search campaigns should be ready for it.
Last checked: 29 October 2026
What happened
Google announced the expansion in a post by Shashi Thakur, VP and GM of Google Search Ads, titled Ads in AI Mode expand to new markets, published on 28 October 2026, the same day Alphabet reported its third-quarter results.
The key points:
- 10 new markets now. Ads in AI Mode are scaling in Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore.
- 3 more in Q4 2026. Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
- Multiturn ads in the US. Google is launching ads that can show on follow-up questions in an AI Mode conversation, not only on the first query. Search Engine Roundtable quoted Google saying these ads are labelled "Sponsored".
- Longer questions. Google says AI Mode queries are, on average, three times longer than traditional searches.
On the earnings call, Google's Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler described this as taking the monetisation footprint "global for the first time", according to the call transcript and TechCrunch.
Why Google is pushing this now
Alphabet's third-quarter numbers explain the timing. The CFO said Google Search and other advertising revenue grew 12% to $63.3 billion. Search Engine Journal and TechCrunch both note that Search growth has slowed through 2026, from 19% in Q1 and 17% in Q2.
Schindler gave three reasons for the slowdown. Currency was the biggest, then retail and media trends, and then AI Mode: strong growth in AI Mode queries weighed on Search revenue because AI Mode monetises at a lower rate. He did not say how much lower. Put simply: more searching is moving into AI Mode, and Google wants ads there. More countries are likely to follow, but Google has not named them.
Where the UAE stands
| Placement | UAE status (29 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Ads in AI Mode | UAE not named in the 10 new markets or the Q4 list |
| Ads inside AI Overviews | UAE not on Google's country list, which is English only |
| Ads above or below AI Overviews | Eligible in markets where AI Overviews are available, per Google's help page |
| Healthcare ads inside AI Overviews | Not shown: Google lists healthcare as a sensitive vertical |
Google's help page About ads and AI Overviews lists the countries for ads inside AI Overviews as Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and the US, in English. The same page says Google currently does not show ads in AI Overviews for sensitive verticals, naming adult, alcohol, gambling, finance, healthcare and politics.
The help page does not say whether the same healthcare exclusion applies inside AI Mode, and Google's announcement does not mention verticals. So two things are unknown: when the UAE gets ads in AI Mode, and whether a clinic's ads will be eligible inside AI answers when it does. We will update this post if Google says more.
What it means for UAE clinics right now
Your ads still compete in the normal Search results above and below AI Overviews. The bigger shift is on the patient side. People are typing or speaking longer, more specific questions, for example "female dermatologist in Dubai Marina who treats acne scars and accepts my insurance", rather than "dermatologist Dubai".
Google's help page says ads inside AI Overviews rely on AI-powered targeting such as broad match, AI Max for Search and Performance Max. Exact and phrase match campaigns built around short keywords will catch fewer of these long questions, wherever they appear.
What to do this month
- Read your search terms report. Look for long, question-style searches already triggering your ads. They show you what patients actually ask. Our guide to negative keywords covers how to block the irrelevant ones.
- Test broad match or AI Max on one campaign. Start with your best converting service, keep a strong negative keyword list, and use conversion-based bidding. See our AI Max guide before switching it on.
- Make sure conversions are real. Broad targeting learns from what you count as a conversion. Count booked appointments, qualified calls and real WhatsApp enquiries, not page views.
- Answer the long questions on your landing pages. Doctor names, languages spoken, insurance accepted, prices where allowed, location and opening hours. AI answers and ads both draw on what your pages actually say.
- Keep ad copy compliant. Whatever the format, health ads in the UAE must follow the rules of your regulator, whether DHA, DoH or MOHAP, as well as Google's healthcare policies.
- If you advertise abroad, check now. Clinics that target patients in India, Pakistan, the Philippines or the UK through medical tourism campaigns are advertising in markets where AI Mode ads are already arriving or due in Q4.
Our take
This is not a switch UAE clinics need to flip. It is a signal. Google is moving its ad money into AI answers country by country, and Gulf markets will likely come later. Clinics that already run clean conversion tracking, broad targeting with tight negatives, and landing pages that answer real patient questions will be ready on day one. Clinics still running a handful of exact match keywords will not.
If you want your clinic's Google Ads set up for how patients search now, see Google Ads for clinics in Dubai or start here. For the earlier AI Mode ads test, read our post on ads for Personal Intelligence users.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries got ads in AI Mode on 28 October 2026?
Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Singapore. Google said Brazil, Mexico and the UK will follow in Q4 2026.
Are ads in AI Mode live in the UAE?
Not according to Google's 28 October announcement. The UAE is not in the 10 new markets or the Q4 list, and Google has not given a date for the UAE.
Can healthcare ads show inside AI Overviews?
Google's help page says it currently does not show ads in AI Overviews for sensitive verticals, and it lists healthcare among them. Ads can still show above or below AI Overviews in normal Search results.
What are multiturn ads?
Ads that can appear on follow-up questions during a back-and-forth AI Mode conversation, not only on the first search. Google is launching them in the US, labelled "Sponsored".
Do I need a new campaign to appear in AI Mode?
No. Google's help page says ads inside AI Overviews come from existing Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, and points to broad match, AI Max for Search and Performance Max. Google has not announced a separate AI Mode campaign type.
Sources
- Google: Ads in AI Mode expand to new markets (28 October 2026)
- Google Ads Help: About ads and AI Overviews
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Expands Ads In AI Mode In More Countries and Multiturn Ads In U.S. (28 October 2026)
- TechCrunch: Google expands AI Search ads globally as core ad growth slows (28 October 2026)
- Search Engine Journal: Google Says Lower AI Mode Monetization Weighed On Search Growth
- Alphabet Q3 2026 earnings call transcript
Published 29 Oct 2026 · Access One
What changed for our clients
UAE clinics, hospitals and home healthcare brands that scaled with Google Ads.
Valiant ClinicPremium clinicNew patients tripled in one quarter.
Rebuilt the account around high-intent searches, each with its own landing page.
Liv HospitalHospitalEvery lead source became easy to measure.
Offline conversions sent back to Google Ads, so the team sees where each booked patient came from.
Justlife Home HealthcareHome healthcareBooked patients per dirham roughly doubled.
Spend moved to Search around urgent needs like post-surgery care and elderly falls.
Doctors For YouHome healthcareClosing rate from under 8% to the high teens.
WhatsApp conversion tracking, Search rebuilt around intent and a new qualifying script.
Clinica RamitaAesthetic clinic, JumeirahWe've seen a real difference, not just with the number of leads, but in the quality of patients coming in.
Infinity DentalDental & aesthetic clinicAfter the Google campaigns were reworked, the leads became much more serious and relevant.
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