UAE ranks among world's most trusted governments

Dubai - The survey of 34,000 respondents in 28 markets revealed that trust in the UAE remains high.

Respondents in 28 markets endorsed strong trust in the UAE across all major institutions, while ranking its government among most trusted in the world despite economic challenges and future uncertainty, a survey has revealed.
The survey of 34,000 respondents in 28 markets conducted for Edelman UAE Trust Barometer revealed that trust in the UAE remains high. This year, for the UAE, government remains the most trusted of all four institutions, above businesses, NGOs and the media."
The research, conducted by Edelman Intelligence, shows that trust in the UAE government was endorsed by 55 per cent of respondents who believe it serves the interests of everyone equally and fairly. The UAE government also ranks highest in competence and ethics, doing best at international alliances and defence, safe and modern infrastructure and regulating emerging tech.
A survey conducted in January by Edelman found that the UAE government is most trusted by its citizens in the world. That survey ranked the UAE first, with 83 points for trust in local government and 81 points for trust in the federal government.
The latest study reveals that societal leaders faced significant challengesin the UAE, with 52 per cent of respondents saying they do not have confidence that our current societal leaders will be able to address our country's challenges successfully. When asked about competence and ethics, the ranking of media has declined ten points, with many respondents indicating it serves the interests of only the few and less now have trust that it serves the interests of everyone equally and fairly.
Omar Qirem, CEO, Edelman Middle East, said respondents felt that as business leaders, CEOs must take a strong lead, with 94 per cent of them saying it is important that they speak out on key issues, and 77 per cent saying CEOs should take the lead on change rather than waiting for government to impose it. "Having said that, the UAE benefits from strong leadership and trust in Government - unlike other parts of the world."
"In 2020, ethical drivers are three times more important to company trust than competence, with 73 per cent in the UAE indicating a company can take actions that both increase profits and improve conditions in communities where it operates. These findings confirm that trust is undeniably linked to doing what is right - a key consideration for business leaders looking to the future," Qirem said.
Ed Williams, president & CEO, Edelman EMEA said the findings of the 2020 Trust Barometer present a vivid picture of the rapidly changing world we live in. In the short time since this report was launched in January, there has been a remarkable change in the trust landscape, captured in the 2020 Spring Update.
"An uncertain outlook for the future is leading people to question whether the current economic system as a whole is working - with nearly half saying that the system is failing them. The good news is that every institution has the opportunity to earn trust by focusing on just a handful of its greatest opportunities for growth."
The 2020 Edelman UAE Trust Barometer indicates that building trust for the future requires paying fair wages, focusing on education and retraining, embracing an all-stakeholders model and fostering partnerships across institutions.
- issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com