The Global Soft Power Index 2023, issued on Thursday, places the UAE among the top 10 soft power heavyweights in the world for the first time. The UAE is the only Middle Eastern country to make a list.
The index is a research study that Brand Finance, a brand evaluation firm, conducts annually to gauge consumer impressions of 121 national brands in more than 100 regions worldwide.
The news was made during the yearly Global Soft Power Conference in London, England, in front of a crowd of world leaders and celebrities, including former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The performance of the UAE stands out in the top 10 which has seen little significant change. The Emirates received the best score of any Middle Eastern nation brand for the fourth consecutive year, but this year’s improvement of +3.2 to 55.2 has resulted in a rise of five rankings, enabling it to capture 10th place in the global ranking for the first time.
The UAE has made impressive growth in all major and sub-indicators, reflecting the prestigious position the nation has attained, making it one of the most developed nations in the world in terms of beneficial influence and excellent reputation.
The UAE, the only Arab and Middle Eastern nation to join the top ten list, moved from 15th place on the general index in 2022 to 10th place in 2023, recording the highest jump among the top ten nations.
The Global Soft Power Index examines opinions of national brands across 35 traits organized under 8 Soft Power Pillars in addition to the three core performance indicators of Familiarity, Reputation, and Influence. This year has seen significant gains in the Emirates’ Reputation and Influence.
