UAE trust in government among highest in world, survey finds

Edelman Trust Barometer records high confidence in the Emirates in government, business, NGOs and the media

UAE residents are optimistic about the future, a global report found. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

Levels of trust in major institutions in the UAE, including government and business, are among the highest in the world, according to an annual international report.

The Emirates was ranked third out of 28 countries surveyed in the latest edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, with trust in government, business, non-governmental organisations and the media averaging 74 per cent, behind only China at 83 per cent and Indonesia, with 75 per cent.

Saudi Arabia, the other Gulf nation included, also performed well, coming fifth with an average level of trust of 71 per cent.

The lowest levels of trust were recorded in Argentina (42 per cent), Japan (38 per cent) and South Korea (36 per cent).

In the UAE, government came out as the most trusted institution, with 86 per cent regarding it as trustworthy, followed by business at 78 per cent, non-governmental organisations at 70 per cent and the media at 62 per cent.

The country performed well in terms of economic optimism, with 72 per cent of respondents expecting themselves and their family to be better off in five year, the fourth-highest figure in the survey and well above the average of 40 per cent.

UAE remains united amid global division

In a statement released to coincide with the publication this month of the UAE version of the Edelman Trust Barometer, the main report of which was released in January, public relations company Edelman said that the high scores recorded in the Emirates were because institutions were “seen as competent and ethical”.

At a time when societies are sometimes perceived to be polarised, the UAE was ranked, alongside Saudi Arabia and clutch of Asian nations including China, India and Indonesia, as one of the least polarised nations.

Edelman said that high levels of trust in UAE institutions resulted in “a sense of cohesion and unity”, while in other countries high levels of inequality, a lack of trust in government and an absence of shared identity have resulted in polarisation and “weakened social fabric”.

Omar Qirem, chief executive of Edelman Middle East, said that economic optimism had declined globally, with most countries recording all-time lows and more than half of respondents saying their country had become more divided. Yet he said “the UAE bucks this trend”.

“The UAE’s clear long-term social and economic policies have seen the country become one of the most popular and sought-after destinations in the world, attracting expats, businesses and tourists, while preserving the country’s unique cultural heritage and identity,” he said.

Putting faith in science

Among “institutional leaders” in the UAE, journalists were the least trusted, achieving a figure of 61 per cent, while scientists were the most trusted, at 84 per cent.

Speaking to the media in January, Alison Taylor, a professor of corporate responsibility and ethics at the Stern School of Business, part of New York University, said that the “trust” spoken of in the Edelman report was better thought of as “reputation”.

The survey found a high expectation that companies would act on key issues, with 84 per cent of respondents saying that they expected chief executives to “take a public stand” on the treatment of employees. They were expected to take a stand on discrimination (said 81 per cent of respondents), on climate change (79 per cent), the wealth gap (77 per cent) and immigration (69 per cent).

“Businesses and governments together can play an integral role in delivering results that push us towards a more just, secure and thriving society,” Mr Qirem said.

Dr David Roberts, an associate professor at King’s College London and author of Security Politics in the Gulf Monarchies, said that while he had limited faith in surveys of the kind published by Edelman, there were factors that would mean the UAE would tend to perform well.

“What you can say about the UAE is that it’s a highly functioning state,” he said. “They have got an awful lot of digitalisation going on, so a lot of functions of being a citizen are easy to access.

“It’s fair to say that a lot of people in Europe and America, they look at the Gulf, the UAE, Dubai … and look at the broad tax environment — a very, very low tax environment — and they see it as a huge opportunity.”

He also said the country could be a good place to set up a business from a cost and regulatory perspective, which may be another factor resulting in positive scores in surveys.

“From a purely commercial perspective, the Gulf can be a good place to locate yourself,” he said.

The latest report, the 23rd edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer, was based on surveys conducted online between November 1 and 28 last year.

Countries worldwide were surveyed, with the 28 nations being located in South America, North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia.

More than 32,000 respondents took part in the survey, answering questions online, with around 1,150 people involved in each country.