UAE Government is among most trusted entities, says survey

Edelman’s global survey released annually at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, has revealed UAE opinion-formers have relatively high levels of trust across most institutions, including government, business and media. Trust in government in the UAE is among the highest in the world at 67 per cent, while trust in banks is high at 75 per cent, compared to levels as low as 29 per cent in the United States and 19 per cent in Germany.

As is common across the world, technology is the most trusted industry sector in the UAE among all surveyed groups. The UAE’s trust in media is higher than in most Western countries, but lower than other regional emerging markets such as Singapore, Indonesia and India. While social networking websites were among the least credible sources of information in the UAE, even as traditional channels such as company websites and newspaper articles were highly rated

The Global Trust Barometer Survey for the first time included the views of opinion-formers from the UAE. This is the tenth year Edelman has conducted this global survey. Ben Morton, General Manager of Edelman Middle East and Africa, said: “While global trust in business is up, it remains fragile. “The recent short-term actions by companies are largely seen as reactions to the crisis and there is concern that lessons will not have been learnt and companies will return to old habits.”

For the first time, this year’s survey shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services.