Adnoc named most valuable brand in UAE; Aramco leads in region

Dubai - Etisalat and Emirates are the two other UAE companies listed.

Three UAE companies have been ranked among the world's 500 most valuable brands, led by oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).

According to Brand Finance, Adnoc is the Middle East's fastest growing brand to achieve brand valuation of more than $10 billion. Its total brand value stood at $11.4 billion, growing by 28.5 per cent.

With a brand value of $11 billion, telecom giant Etisalat is the second most valuable brand and has been rated as the most valuable consumer brand for the third consecutive year. It is also the most valuable telecom brand in Middle East and Africa.

As the premier digital and telecommunications partner of the upcoming Expo2020 in Dubai, all eyes will be on Etisalat as it prepares to excite the Expo's expected 25 million visitors with a seamless 5G connectivity that brings the event's themes to life.

Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, is the third company from the UAE to be ranked as one of the most valuable brands.

Regionally, with a brand value of $46.8 billion, Saudi Aramco claims the title of the most valuable B2B brand in the Middle East and Africa and also the most valuable among the 44 new entrants in the ranking. The oil giant has been placed at 24th ranking globally.

Aramco is focused on leveraging its strength in upstream, while growing its downstream operations through acquisitions, both in Saudi Arabia and key global markets.

"The company must now focus on developing international perceptions of the brand in order to open it up further for partnerships and investment," Brand Finance said.

Brand Finance also ranked Adnoc Group CEO Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber this year in Brand Guardianship Index for the first time. He is the sole representative from the UAE.

He has helped the company to raise more than $19 billion over the past three years through the group's innovative global partnerships strategy and embedding digital technology initiatives across the organisation to improve performance.

Globally, Amazon makes history as first brand to exceed $200 billion value mark and retains title of world's most valuable brand for third consecutive year. Amazon's brand value has now reached $220.8 billion,

Google is the second most valuable global brand, jumping two positions, with brand value of $159.7 billion, followed by Apple at $140.5 billion, Microsoft at $117 billion and Samsung at $94.5 billion.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com