The Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Emirati and Saudi Brands report was released this week, revealing the top ten most valuable brands in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The report also lists the top brands in the two Arab nations in terms of brand positioning and fastest-rising.
The report strives to provide an understanding of not just how big a company is in terms of physical assets or sales, but also the monetary worth of their brand’s influence and customer perception. The result is a dollar value assigned to brands based on their intangible value perceptions from the opinions of more than 50,000 people about 600 brands across 40 categories.
Amol Ghate, Managing Director MENAP, Insights Division at Kantar said: “Brands all over the world can look to Saudi and Emirati brands as exemplifying what can be achieved by those businesses that are relentless in their pursuit of brand growth and follow a clear blueprint.”
Top brands in the UAE
Telecom company e& (etisalat and) retains its top position as the most valuable brand in the UAE, topping the list for the second consecutive year. Kantar BrandZ assigns the telecom giant a brand value of $7.3 billion.
Kantar attributes this valuation to the brand’s worldwide recognition for sponsoring the Manchester City football club. It also credits e& for providing its Emirati users with some of the fastest 5G speeds globally and for becoming a major player in enterprise AI and CX support solutions.
This dual focus on brand visibility and quality innovation adds depth to Kantar’s valuation of e&, highlighting both its marketing reach and technical achievements.
The Kantar BrandZ report also listed airline Emirates, which grew its brand value by 15 per cent to $6.2 billion, and real estate giant Emaar, which grew 25 per cent to $4.4 billion, as the strongest brands in the UAE that can justify charging a premium by being seen as ‘worth it’.
“Over the last five years, the sustained growth achieved by top Saudi and Emirati brands has reached an incredible $47 billion. In terms of being Meaningful and Different, these brands have surpassed the global brand average, which is a clear testament to their brand strength,” said Ghate.
Top brands in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, locally-based Al Rajhi Bank takes the top spot at a brand value of $14 billion with an 11 per cent growth.
Kantar claims the domestic bank exemplifies the spirit of transformation that is driving the Saudi economy. Kantar further credits the bank’s high value to the efforts it has taken to expand its digital footprint. According to the report, Al Rajhi Bank has embraced new forms of marketing and has recently become the first Saudi bank to have an active TikTok account.
The report names dairy and food brand Saudia as the second-fastest riser. Its value grew by 50 per cent to $821 million, rising four places in the Saudi brand ranking. According to Kantar, this results from the brand benefiting from consumers turning to more local brands and its continued drive to enhance a sense of community with its consumers.
Saudi insurer Tawuniya is the fastest-rising brand overall in the report, up by 76 per cent to $1.2 billion. This is due to how the insurance provider has found new spaces for growth by diversifying into financial services, healthcare, and car maintenance, which according to Kantar, increases its trust-factor among consumers.
“Yet, more than 60 per cent of brands in the region still have low meaning amongst their consumers and are not seen as different,” said Ghate. “Brands that can better understand consumer needs and connect their brands in relevant and unique ways will find growth.”
The Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable Emirati and Saudi Brands report reveals that brands in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have collectively grown their brand value by 93 per cent over the last five years and are worth $97 billion today.
It aims to shine a light on how the most valuable Emirati and Saudi brands have successfully leveraged critical brand levers, including being meaningful and different, diversifying into new spaces, being more present and predisposing more people to buy at the right price.
