Yes, it's possible, and it's actually a feature Meta rolled out called WhatsApp Status Ads. Here's how it works based on what I've set up for clients:
These ads are full-screen, vertical ads that appear inside the Status section of WhatsApp, and instead of redirecting users to a website, they encourage viewers to start a direct conversation with the business. So it's less of a "click to website" ad and more of a "click to chat" ad.
Yes, you manage it through Meta Business Manager, same place where you run your Facebook and Instagram ads. Here's the basic process:
First, you need a WhatsApp Business account, either through the WhatsApp Business app or the Business API. Then you connect it to Meta Business Manager by linking your WhatsApp number to your Facebook page, making sure both are in the same business portfolio to avoid any mismatched branding issues in the ad preview.
When setting up the campaign in Ads Manager, you use the Messages objective, but the key part is selecting WhatsApp Status as the placement so the ad shows up inside WhatsApp itself. One thing to note, WhatsApp Status placement currently requires Instagram Stories to also be included if you're selecting it manually, so keep that in mind while choosing placements.
Once it's live, when someone taps your Status ad, they see a clear call-to-action like "Send Message," and one tap takes them straight into a WhatsApp chat with your business.
For UAE/Dubai specifically, targeting works the same way as regular Meta ads, you can target by location (city-level targeting works fine for Dubai/UAE), language (Arabic + English), age, and interests. So yes, you can absolutely run this for a UAE-based audience.
This format works really well for service-based businesses, clinics, real estate, and coaching/training institutes since the whole point is getting someone into a direct conversation fast rather than sending them to a website where they might drop off.
One thing I'll mention. This is a relatively newer placement, so I'd recommend testing with a small budget first and keeping your creative short (under 30 seconds if video) with a strong, simple CTA like "Chat with us now."