Edelman today released the UAE edition of its 2025 Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust – From We to Me, revealing that while trust in brands remains exceptionally high, consumers in the Emirates are raising the bar on what they expect from the companies they buy from.
As the UAE accelerates its national drive to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) across every sector1, the research shows that this is reshaping how trust is built, and how brands are discovered. In this new landscape, authenticity and earned credibility have become critical to visibility and influence.
In the UAE, brand trust is among the highest globally, with 87% of consumers trusting the brands they use. Trust now ranks alongside value for money and quality as a top driver of purchase consideration, but expectations are intensifying. More than half (53%) say that if a brand stays silent on societal issues, they will assume it is either doing nothing or hiding something, while 72% believe brands that authentically reflect today’s culture are more effective in building trust than brands that ignore culture.
“Brands in the UAE are in a strong position, but with that trust comes a clear expectation,” said Deepanshi Tandon, Head of Brand, Edelman UAE. “People want brands that understand their needs, reflect their values, and show up authentically – not just through paid messaging, but across the full spectrum of communications: earned, owned, and experiential. Trust today is shaped by consistency and genuine connection.”
The UAE is entering what Edelman calls a “Golden Era of Earned”, where trust and discovery converge in AI-powered environments. 70% of consumers in the UAE using generative AI platforms – with 95% of them using it for shopping in some way like researching brands, comparing products or summarizing reviews – the credibility of what AI surfaces has become as critical as advertising itself.
This signals a fundamental shift: earned trust now fuels AI discovery. What people say about a brand – through reviews, recommendations, and social proof – directly shapes what AI platforms learn and share. In a country positioning itself as a global AI hub, this means that trust-rich, peer-driven narratives will determine which brands people see first.
“AI is rewriting the rules of influence,” said Tandon. “In the UAE, where AI is embedded in the country’s vision for the future, brand trust will increasingly be decided not by what companies pay to say, but by what AI learns from what people say about them.”
The UAE’s story reflects a broader global transformation as consumers no longer see brand purpose solely in terms of societal impact and increasingly want personal relevance.
Consumers in the UAE say it is very or extremely important for brands to make them feel good (73%), give them optimism (70%), help them do good (70%), teach and educate them (67%), and provide them with a sense of community (64%) – all higher than the global 15 average. This shift underscores that trust here is deeply personal and no longer abstract.
Edelman’s research shows that while trust has become both a top purchase driver and a fragile asset, brands in the UAE are uniquely well-positioned to lead. In turbulent times, consumers increasingly look to them as stabilising forces, filling the void left by institutions.
- UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, The United Arab Emirates’ Government Platform ↩︎
