The question isn't which platform is "better", it's which one matches how your specific customer already searches and scrolls. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason a paid ad budget in Egypt underperforms.
Google Ads captures existing intent
Someone typing "clinic near me" or "wedding photographer Cairo prices" has already decided they need the service and is actively looking. Google Ads puts your business in front of that decision at the exact moment it's happening, which is why it tends to convert at a lower cost per lead for services people actively search for by name or need.
Meta Ads, Facebook and Instagram, creates demand
Nobody searches "cute home décor I didn't know I wanted," but a well-targeted Instagram ad can introduce that product to exactly the right audience based on interests and behavior. Meta is stronger for visually compelling products, impulse-friendly price points, and brand awareness. It reaches people before they know they're looking, not after.
Where each tends to win in the Egyptian market
Real estate, education, and B2B services with a clear, searched-for need generally see stronger early results on Google. Fashion, F&B, beauty, and home goods generally see stronger early results on Meta, because the buying decision is often visual and impulse-driven rather than search-driven.
The honest answer for most businesses is both, sequenced correctly
Meta builds awareness and warms an audience, then Google captures the demand that awareness created once people start actively searching. Running only one in isolation usually leaves real budget on the table.
Start with a small, deliberate test on whichever platform matches your customer's likely first move, search or scroll, track cost per lead for two to four weeks, then expand into the second platform once you have a clear read on what a lead actually costs you.