Emirates leads the UAE with a positive Recommend score of 92.8% among current customers, while Saudia takes first place in Saudi Arabia at 92.4%, according to YouGov BrandIndex data from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
In the UAE, Samsung’s Galaxy (90.8%) and Apple’s iPhone (90.3%) rank second and third, followed by Emaar (90.1%). Almarai and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque tie for fifth at 89.7%.
In Saudi Arabia, Emaar comes second (89.3%), followed by adidas (89.1%), Qiddiya (88.9%) and Hilton (88.6%). Emaar, adidas, Galaxy and Dior Beauty appear in the top 10 of both countries.
The report also tracks year-on-year gains. Tiffany Break was the UAE’s most improved brand, rising 8.5 points to 80.6%. In Saudi Arabia, Bupa Arabia led with a 7.3-point increase to 81.1%.
Albaik topped the quick-service restaurant category in both markets, scoring 85.8% in the UAE and 88.3% in Saudi Arabia.
The study also found that consumers are far more likely to share positive brand experiences than negative ones. In both countries, 78% shared a positive experience in the past three months, compared with 28% who shared a negative one. Those with bad experiences were more likely to contact the brand directly than to post on social media.
“Strong brands are not built on visibility alone,” said Imran Ahmed, Regional Vice President of YouGov MENA. “They earn trust by consistently delivering products, services and experiences that customers are willing to endorse.”
The survey of 946 respondents in the UAE and 1,002 in Saudi Arabia ran from June 9 to July 8, 2026.
