Ask shoppers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia which brands they would recommend to a friend, and the answers run from airlines to milk and skincare. YouGov's Most Recommended Brands 2026 puts Emirates first in the UAE with 92.8% and Saudia first in Saudi Arabia with 92.4%. Below the national carriers, the lists fill up with the things people eat, drink and put on their skin.
The top 10s
The UAE's most recommended brands:
1. Emirates, 92.8%
2. Galaxy (Samsung), 90.8%
3. iPhone, 90.3%
4. Emaar, 90.1%
5. Almarai, 89.7% (tied)
5. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, 89.7% (tied)
7. Nike, 89.5%
8. adidas, 88.1%
9. Emirates Group, 87.6% (tied)
9. Dior Beauty, 87.6% (tied)
Saudi Arabia's most recommended brands:
1. Saudia, 92.4%
2. Emaar, 89.3%
3. adidas, 89.1%
4. Qiddiya, 88.9%
5. Hilton, 88.6%
6. Chanel Beauty, 88.5%
7. Albaik, 88.3%
8. Galaxy (Samsung), 87.8%
9. Dior Beauty, 87.8%
10. Huda Beauty, 87.7%
Four brands made both lists: Emaar, adidas, Samsung's Galaxy and Dior Beauty.
Food: Almarai leads the UAE
Almarai's 89.7% tied it for fifth place in the UAE with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and made it the country's most recommended food brand. Behind it in the food category came Baskin-Robbins (84.6%), Nestlé Fitness (84.4%), Britannia (83.4%) and Galaxy chocolate (83.3%), which means the Galaxy name shows up twice in the UAE rankings, once for Samsung's phones and once for the chocolate bar.
Dining: Albaik wins in both countries
Albaik had the strongest showing of any restaurant brand. It ranked seventh on Saudi Arabia's overall list and topped the dining category in both countries. In the UAE it led with 85.8%, ahead of Cheesecake Factory (82.4%), TGI Friday's (79.4%), KFC (78.3%) and Pizza Hut (78%). In Saudi Arabia, its closest dining rival was Al Tazaj at 82.5%, followed by Costa Coffee (76.5%).
Beauty: three names in Saudi Arabia's top 10
Beauty took more of Saudi Arabia's top 10 than any other category, with Chanel Beauty, Dior Beauty and Huda Beauty all scoring above 87.5%. Dior Beauty was the only beauty brand to make both countries' lists.
The biggest climbers
The brands that gained the most year on year were largely everyday names. In the UAE, Vanish rose 6.1 points, Mentos 5.8 and Président 5.1. In Saudi Arabia, Burger King climbed 6.3 points to 72.8%, while Starbucks and HungerStation each gained more than five.
How YouGov ranks them
YouGov built the rankings from its BrandIndex data between July 2025 and June 2026, asking current customers which brands they would recommend to a friend or colleague. Brands needed a sample of at least 300 and six months of scores to qualify, and the climbers needed at least 18 months of scores. "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."
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