The inaugural wave of Edelman’s UAE and KSA Sentiment Trackers reveals overwhelmingly positive international sentiment toward both nations as destinations for business expansion, investment, and career relocation.
The UAE secured an overall Sentiment Score of 84 out of 100, closely followed by Saudi Arabia (KSA) at 81. Across both countries, future confidence emerged as the highest-performing metric, while perceived stability registered as the lowest score.
Conducted between May 29 and June 8, 2026, the research surveyed 1,200 respondents—including business leaders, investment decision-makers, and internationally mobile professionals—across the US, UK, France, India, and Mainland China.
Core Sentiment Breakdown: Confidence Leads
Edelman measures sentiment across four core pillars: perception, momentum, confidence, and stability.
• UAE (Overall Score: 84): Confidence led at 87%, followed by perception (86%), momentum (83%), and stability (81%). Geographically, the US recorded the highest sentiment toward the UAE (89), followed by the UK and India (83 each), France (80), and Mainland China (80).
• KSA (Overall Score: 81): Confidence led at 83%, followed by perception (81%), momentum (81%), and stability (78%). The US also led sentiment toward KSA (85), followed by India (83), France (81), Mainland China (75), and the UK (75).
While confidence remains exceptionally high in both markets, Edelman notes that comparatively lower stability scores serve as an ongoing watchpoint.
Talent Sentiment: Safety and Relocation Drivers
Global talent views both nations favorably, with the UAE recording a Talent Sentiment Score of 88 and KSA registering 83. Notably, talent without any prior direct connection to either country exhibited even stronger sentiment (94 for the UAE and 87 for KSA), indicating that external reputation plays a powerful role in shaping pre-experience perceptions.
• Top Relocation Drivers: A safe environment led decisions for both markets (37% for the UAE, 38% for KSA), followed closely by competitive compensation (34% in both). Career growth opportunities were cited by 34% for the UAE, while 33% looked to stability or career progression in KSA.
• Barriers: Political and geopolitical instability topped the list of concerns for the UAE (41%), followed by security concerns (34%). For KSA, security concerns led at 39%, followed by geopolitical instability (37%).
Investor Sentiment and Market Exposure
Investor sentiment stood at 82 for the UAE and 79 for KSA, driven heavily by robust confidence scores (86% and 80%, respectively).
• Key Investment Drivers: Government support was cited as the primary catalyst by 32% of UAE investors and 33% of KSA investors, followed by attractive market opportunities and access to new regions.
• Regional Variations: India recorded the highest investor sentiment toward both nations, scoring an impressive 92 for the UAE and 94 for KSA. Furthermore, investors with direct market exposure exhibited significantly higher sentiment (87 for the UAE and 94 for KSA) compared to those with only a broader Middle East investment mandate.
