Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
Five UAE brands are among the top 10 Middle Eastern brands in the latest rankings issued by Brand Finance, underscoring the strength and resilience of the UAE’s corporate sector amid a challenging geopolitical and economic backdrop.
Brand Finance released its list of the top 150 brands in the Middle East for 2026 along with sectoral analysis and commentary on regional brand performance.
The five UAE brands in the top 10 are ADNOC at second position, e& at fourth, Emirates airline at fifth, Emirates NBD at ninth and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) at 10th place.
“The Middle East continues to show strong brand value resilience, with many of the region’s leading brands maintaining momentum despite a more challenging geopolitical and economic backdrop,” Brand Finance said in the report.
According to the report, the total brand value of the Middle East’s top 150 brands reached $245.3 billion in 2026.
The UAE accounted for 37.1% of the region’s total brand value, ranking second after Saudi Arabia’s 45.4%.
The report also showed the UAE had the second-highest number of brands in the regional rankings after Saudi Arabia. Several UAE banking, airline, telecom, healthcare and energy brands featured prominently across sectoral lists.
ADNOC retained its position as the region’s second most valuable brand for the seventh consecutive year, with its brand value rising 11% to $21.1 billion from $18.9 billion in 2025.
Brand Finance said ADNOC’s performance underscored “the resilience of the UAE’s key sectors and the strength of its national energy champion.”
The report added that ADNOC had recorded “exceptional long-term growth”, with brand value rising 354% since 2017.
Telecom major e& retained its fourth rank in the region, with brand value rising 7% to $16.4 billion from $15.3 billion last year.
Brand Finance attributed the growth to e&’s “continued transformation into a global technology group.”
The report noted that the company recorded a 23% year-on-year increase in revenues to Dh72.9 billion in 2025 and expanded its subscriber base to more than 244 million globally.
Emirates airline climbed one place to fifth position in the regional rankings, with brand value jumping 27% to $10.6 billion from $8.3 billion a year earlier.
The report linked Emirates’ rise to sustained global travel demand, growing preference for premium cabins and strong performance by Emirates SkyCargo.
Emirates NBD emerged as one of the fastest-rising UAE banking brands, climbing three places to ninth position. Its brand value rose 34% to $6.1 billion from $4.5 billion in 2025.
Brand Finance said Emirates NBD’s growth was driven by expanded lending, higher transaction volumes, improved international diversification and digital transformation initiatives.
FAB rounded off the top 10 with a brand value of $5.5 billion, up 21% from $4.5 billion last year, while improving its regional ranking from 13th to 10th place.
According to the report, FAB’s momentum was supported by record financial performance in 2025, with net profit rising around 24% to Dh21.1 billion.
The broader report highlighted the resilience of UAE brands across sectors ranging from energy and banking to aviation and healthcare.
In the airline sector, Brand Finance said Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways were now recognised globally as among the world’s most aspirational premium airline brands.
The report said Emirates led global rankings for premium perception in international markets at 54%, ahead of several established international airlines.
In banking, the report highlighted Emirates NBD and FAB among the top five banking brands in the Middle East. ADCB, Mashreq, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank also featured strongly in sector-specific rankings.
The healthcare section of the report also highlighted the growing prominence of UAE healthcare brands. PureHealth was described as the region’s largest integrated healthcare platform, while SEHA and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City were ranked among the region’s leading healthcare brands.
Separately, the report’s soft power rankings placed the UAE first in the Middle East with a score of 59.4 out of 100.
Brand Finance said the UAE ranked eighth globally for influence and seventh worldwide as a preferred destination for investment, reflecting perceptions of openness, connectivity and economic opportunity.
“The country’s success reflects a balanced strategy built on global connectivity, economic openness, and active international engagement,” the report said.
The remaining five brands in the regional top 10 were from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Saudi energy giant Aramco retained its position as the Middle East’s most valuable brand for the seventh consecutive year with a brand value of $47.3 billion.
Saudi telecom operator stc ranked third with a brand value of $17.6 billion, while Al Rajhi Bank and SNB secured the seventh and eighth positions with brand values of $9.8 billion and $6.2 billion, respectively.
Qatar National Bank (QNB) was ranked sixth with a brand value of $10.4 billion.
