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 LeadsEdelman 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 DriversGlobal 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 ExposureInvestor 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.

Simon Shaw has concluded his tenure as Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at King Salman Park Foundation in Riyadh, marking the end of an in-house leadership role he took up after several years of consulting across the Middle East.Shaw announced his departure in a LinkedIn post, describing his time with the foundation as an important professional chapter and an opportunity to contribute to one of the major projects associated with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.During his tenure, Shaw said he helped shape the organisation's brand direction and strengthen its marketing and communications capabilities, while building a team to support the next phase of King Salman Park's development.The role also represented a move from regional consulting into a full-time leadership position in Riyadh. Shaw said the experience deepened his understanding of Saudi Arabia, its culture and the scale of the transformation underway in the Kingdom.With a professional background spanning strategy, creativity and architecture, Shaw said the opportunity to contribute to a project bringing together nature, culture and community was particularly significant.Reflecting on his departure, he said he was proud of the direction established for the King Salman Park brand, the development of its marketing and communications capabilities and the team assembled to support the project's future.He also thanked colleagues and partners involved during his tenure and said he looked forward to seeing the park's vision develop for the people of Riyadh.Shaw is now working as an independent adviser as he considers his next professional chapter. He said his advisory work will draw on his international consulting experience and in-house leadership background.His areas of focus will include strategy, brand development, corporate reputation, creative transformation, communications and marketing.The departure comes as Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in large-scale cultural, tourism, entertainment and urban-development projects under Vision 2030, creating demand for senior expertise across branding, communications and reputation management.King Salman Park is one of Riyadh's major urban-development projects and is designed to create a large-scale destination combining green spaces, cultural facilities, recreational attractions and community infrastructure.Shaw's departure leaves his next permanent leadership move open, with the communications and marketing executive indicating that he will initially focus on independent advisory work.Simon Shaw has concluded his tenure as Chief Communications & Marketing Officer at King Salman Park Foundation in Riyadh, marking the end of an in-house leadership role he took up after several years of consulting across the Middle East.Shaw announced his departure in a LinkedIn post, describing his time with the foundation as an important professional chapter and an opportunity to contribute to one of the major projects associated with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.During his tenure, Shaw said he helped shape the organisation's brand direction and strengthen its marketing and communications capabilities, while building a team to support the next phase of King Salman Park's development.The role also represented a move from regional consulting into a full-time leadership position in Riyadh. Shaw said the experience deepened his understanding of Saudi Arabia, its culture and the scale of the transformation underway in the Kingdom.With a professional background spanning strategy, creativity and architecture, Shaw said the opportunity to contribute to a project bringing together nature, culture and community was particularly significant.Reflecting on his departure, he said he was proud of the direction established for the King Salman Park brand, the development of its marketing and communications capabilities and the team assembled to support the project's future.He also thanked colleagues and partners involved during his tenure and said he looked forward to seeing the park's vision develop for the people of Riyadh.Shaw is now working as an independent adviser as he considers his next professional chapter. He said his advisory work will draw on his international consulting experience and in-house leadership background.His areas of focus will include strategy, brand development, corporate reputation, creative transformation, communications and marketing.The departure comes as Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in large-scale cultural, tourism, entertainment and urban-development projects under Vision 2030, creating demand for senior expertise across branding, communications and reputation management.Prior to King Salman Park Foundation, he had worked with Burson as Global Chief Creative Officer.

Snap Inc. has officially promoted Rowan Saghayroun to the position of Head of Communications for Saudi Arabia (KSA), marking a strategic expansion of her leadership within the tech giant's regional operations.In her newly elevated role, Saghayroun is based out of Riyadh, where she will take direct charge of building Snap’s corporate story, leading regional media relations, and driving localized brand strategy across the Kingdom. She officially stepped into the position in July 2026 after previously serving as Communications Manager at Snap, where she helped establish and execute the platform's regional communication initiatives.Taking to LinkedIn to share the career update, Saghayroun expressed her enthusiasm for leading the market from the ground: "Excited to share that I’ve stepped into a new role as Head of Communications for KSA at Snap Inc. Looking forward to being on the ground in Riyadh and continuing to build Snap’s story here."Strategic Market Context• Riyadh Expansion: Placing senior executive leadership directly on the ground in Riyadh aligns with a broader trend among global tech firms tapping into Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiatives, which heavily emphasize digital transformation and creative industries.• Core Audience Engagement: Saudi Arabia represents one of Snapchat’s most active global markets per capita, with massive daily active user engagement and a highly vibrant creator economy. Having dedicated local leadership will enable Snap to manage cultural nuances and forge deeper partnerships within the Kingdom's booming advertising and tech ecosystem.

MSL Group Middle East has appointed Samah Mohtar as Senior Manager, strengthening its strategic communications and media relations capabilities in Saudi Arabia.Based in Riyadh, Mohtar will lead strategic communications and media engagement for a portfolio of local, regional and international clients. His remit will include developing communications strategies, shaping brand messaging and working with cross-functional teams to deliver campaigns driven by storytelling and reputation-building.His areas of expertise include media relations, crisis and reputation management, and strategic communications planning.Mohtar joins MSL Group Middle East from Hewar Group, where he spent more than five years and most recently served as Account Manager. During his tenure, he worked with government and private-sector organisations across a range of mandates, including large-scale projects and high-profile communications campaigns.His experience across both government and corporate accounts adds to MSL Group Middle East’s capabilities as brands and organisations in the region increasingly focus on reputation, stakeholder engagement and strategic storytelling.The appointment also comes as Riyadh continues to attract major government-led initiatives, private-sector investment and international brands, increasing demand for communications specialists with experience navigating complex stakeholder environments.In his new role, Mohtar will work with MSL’s wider teams to support clients through integrated communications programmes spanning media engagement, reputation management and strategic storytelling.(Source: telummedia.com)

The Saudi Minister of Tourism, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb unveiled a program that will significantly boost the country?ÇÖs fast-growing tourism sector. The ambitious Tourism Investment Enabler Program (TIEP) aims to make it easier and more cost-effective to do business in Saudi tourism for international and local investors to prosper in one of the most competitive tourism investment environments in the world with multiple initiatives. The flagship Hospitality Investment Enablers, part of the wider TIEP, is designed by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment. This initiative will facilitate and increase the supply of accommodation capacity in targeted tourism destinations, enhancing the diversity of the Kingdom?ÇÖs offering, and marking a pivotal move to position Saudi Arabia as a leading global tourism destination. This comprehensive initiative will aim to catalyze private investments in key tourism sites across the Kingdom by up to SAR 42 billion ($11 billion) and drive projected annual GDP increase of SAR 16 billion ($4 billion) by 2030. The flagship initiative includes a range of strategic enablers designed to improve business operations and project viability. Key enablers include facilitating access to government-owned land under favorable terms, streamlining project development processes, and reducing barriers to market entry. Multiple regulatory adjustments are part of the effort to lower operational costs and encourage industry growth. A notable aspect of the initiative is its focus on benefiting local communities across tourism destinations. By localizing services such as contracting, design, and consulting, the program aims to create a direct positive impact on various sectors. This approach, coupled with over $800 billion invested to transform the tourism landscape, underscores Saudi Arabia's commitment to enhancing industry standards and providing lucrative opportunities for investors. Saudi Arabia expects the initiative to significantly impact the socio-economic landscape, creating 42,000 new room keys and approximately 120,000 job opportunities, furthering talent development and supporting Saudization efforts. The wider TIEP includes regulatory reforms across tourism licensing for multiple types and scales of operations now available to better fit the specific needs of investors. The Ministry of Tourism has worked with partners across government to achieve a more streamlined investment pathway, pushing annual government fees down bynearly 22% with a goal to reduce further in the near future. Another key initiative of TIEP is the Tourism Investment One Stop Shop, which will be launched later this year in collaboration with the Saudi Business Center. The One Stop Shop will offer all Tourism ecosystem services under one roof, and support investors through their full investment journey in addition to online integration and digital experiences. His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister for Tourism said: ?Ç£Saudi Arabia offers the world a rich diversity of culture and experiences. Vision 2030 has put Saudi Arabia on the pathway to become a global tourism powerhouse with the tourism sector in Saudi being a key driver of economic diversification. ?Ç£In 2023, we saw a 390% increase in demand for tourism activity licenses and this is just the beginning. Over the next 10 years, Saudi Arabia will be the world?ÇÖs top investor in this sector as we continue to unlock our country?ÇÖs potential.?Ç¥  One of Vision 2030?ÇÖs key targets of welcoming 100 million tourists has already been achieved seven years ahead of schedule, and the Tourism Investment Enablers Program is a key catalyst to achieving an even more ambitious target of 150 million annual tourists.