Leading Emirati, Saudi brands double value in 2 years

Leading Emirati and Saudi brands have more than doubled their total value in the last two years, growing faster than any other global ranking done by Kantar, a leading marketing data and analytics company.

The value of the most valuable Emirati and Saudi brands assessed by Kantar BrandZ has grown by 110 per cent, “helped by consistent investment in infrastructure and the shared goal of economic diversification in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The rate of growth is well ahead of the next-best performing market, India, which achieved 82 per cent growth in brand value over the last two years,” Kantar BrandZ said.

Valued at $11.8 billion, Etisalat, the top UAE brand, comes from the telecom sector and has rebranded at a group level as e& which is in line with the group's recent positioning as a global technology and investment conglomerate that digitally empowers societies, Kantar said in a statement.

Among the top 10 UAE brands, there are four banks – FAB ($7.7 billion), ADCB ($1.04 billion), Emirates NBD ($904 million) and DIB ($619 million) – while Adnoc came in third ($3.2 billion) and Emirates at fourth ($3.2 billion).

Real estate leader Emaar (No.10; $3.0 billion) experienced a 67 per cent rise in brand value since 2020, and has developed its reputation for many of the more innovative and distinctive developments across the region.

STC, the Saudi telecom brand, is the most valuable brand in the overall ranking, increasing its brand value to $16 billion (+66 per cent). The Saudi telecom provider has benefitted from both the rollout of 5G, as well as a major diversification in its offer to include digital payments and entertainment services.

— issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com