Even though having numerous studies on gender role portrayals in television advertising, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lacks studies about advertisements aired on TV. This paper endeavors a fresh study about gender stereotypes in television commercials on three Saudi Channels, viz. MBC, ART, and Al-Arabiya, using Hofstede’s 6-D Model, comprising Masculinity Index and Critical Culture Theory, in order to determine gender roles as portrayed in media. Two hundred advertisements were recorded and those featuring prominent adult characters were coded in order to determine how gender is reflected in television commercials. The results indicate that gender role portrayals are stereotypical in nature cutting across channels, with air times making little difference in terms of the portrayals. Men were portrayed in huge proportion as the primary gender characters and primary narrators, and also found in work and professional settings, while women were depicted at home and without outside employment. Limitations and recommendations for the future are discussed.

Keywords: Gender Role Portrayals, Advertisement, Hofstede’s 6-D Model, Masculinity Index, Critical Culture Theory, and Saudi Arabia.