ChatGPT Ads adds 26 countries, but names no Middle East market.
OpenAI has opened ChatGPT advertising in 26 more countries, bringing the total to 89. It says more than 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns since ads launched just over eight months ago.
The 21 October announcement adds 14 Latin American markets, among them Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, plus 12 across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The only ones OpenAI names in that second group are Nigeria, South Africa, Serbia, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Advertisers in the new markets can buy through technology partners or self-serve through Ads Manager. Ads still appear only on the Free and Go plans; Plus, Pro and Enterprise stay ad-free. OpenAI repeated that conversations are kept private from advertisers and that ads do not influence answers.
The rollout has been quick. PPC Land counts nine live markets in mid-August, 31 European markets and India in late August, and seven Southeast Asian markets plus Taiwan on 23 September. OpenAI's own figure for weekly ChatGPT users is 1.2 billion, but the ad-eligible audience in each market is smaller and has not been published.
A lot is missing. OpenAI names only 11 of the 26 new countries and no Middle Eastern market, so it is not clear from the announcement whether Saudi Arabia or any GCC country is newly included. There are no billing currencies, minimum spends, language support details or targeting options for the new markets, and the 100,000 figure is cumulative rather than a count of active advertisers.
Gulf advertisers and agencies should check Ads Manager directly to see whether their market is now listed before planning budgets. If it is, the practical questions are Arabic ad copy support, local billing, and how ChatGPT placements will be measured against search.
Why it matters
ChatGPT is becoming a buyable channel in most major markets, but OpenAI has not said which Middle East countries are now live.
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