Dubai Mall has emerged as the UAE’s most considered shopping destination, while Al Salam Mall leads the rankings in Saudi Arabia, according to new research by YouGov.
The findings, based on YouGov BrandIndex data, examine consumer consideration and net Buzz scores for malls in the UAE and Saudi Arabia between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026.
The study measures two aspects of mall performance: the likelihood of residents considering a mall for their next visit and the balance of positive and negative conversations or coverage they have heard about it.
Dubai Mall leads UAE rankings
Dubai Mall tops the UAE’s consideration rankings with a score of 34.4%, followed by Mall of the Emirates at 29.8%. Dubai Festival City Mall occupies third place with 20.2%.
City Centre Deira (19.3%) and City Centre Mirdif (17.5%) complete the top five.
The remaining positions in the top 10 are occupied by Abu Dhabi Mall (16.7%), Dubai Marina Mall (16.6%), Yas Mall (16.3%), Dubai Hills Mall (15.3%) and Ibn Battuta (14.9%).
Dubai Mall also leads the UAE’s Buzz (Net) rankings, recording a score of 39.6, ahead of Mall of the Emirates at 34.0 and Dubai Festival City Mall at 22.4.
The Buzz rankings show a narrower gap among the malls outside the top three, with only 2.5 points separating the destinations ranked fourth and tenth.
Majid Al Futtaim also has a strong presence in the UAE rankings, with three properties – Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif – featuring in the top 10.
Al Salam Mall leads in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, Al Salam Mall ranks first in consideration with a score of 21.9%, narrowly ahead of Red Sea Mall at 21.7% and Mall of Arabia at 21.0%.
All three are based in Jeddah, with less than one percentage point separating them.
Riyadh’s Al Mamlaka (Kingdom Tower) and Riyadh Gallery rank fourth and fifth, with scores of 20.0% and 19.9%, respectively.
Aziz Mall follows at 18.7%, while Dubai Mall ranks seventh with 17.6%, indicating its appeal among Saudi residents as a shopping and leisure destination outside the Kingdom.
Faisaliyah Mall (16.8%), Al Rashid Mall (16.1%) and Granada Mall (15.3%) complete the top 10.
Al Salam Mall also tops Saudi Arabia’s Buzz (Net) rankings, scoring 19.8. Al Mamlaka moves up to second place with 19.5, despite ranking fourth in consideration, while Red Sea Mall follows closely at 19.4.
Mall of Arabia and Riyadh Gallery also feature among the leading destinations, with Buzz scores of 18.6 and 17.8, respectively.
The research draws on YouGov BrandIndex data collected between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026. The rankings are based on nationally representative samples, with more than 6,460 respondents in the UAE and 5,560 in Saudi Arabia.
Consideration measures the percentage of respondents who would consider visiting a particular mall the next time they plan a visit. Buzz (Net) measures the balance between positive and negative things respondents have heard about a mall over the preceding two weeks.
The analysis covers brands tracked for at least 365 days during the study period. YouGov said the data analysis was conducted with the assistance of AI tools.
