The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has secured the top spot as the world’s most strong and stable economy in the global soft power ranking. It is the second year in a row that the UAE has retained its 10th position in the ranking. The ranking measures the strength of a nation’s brand and its ability to influence others through persuasion rather than force of arms.
The UAE received a 10/10 score for a strong and stable economy, ranking first in that category, and scored highly for future growth potential and generosity. Its score of 59.7 out of 100 was up compared to last year. The Brand Finance’s Chief Executive David Haigh emphasized the importance of being a strong and stable economy, which is the most important factor in terms of reputation and influence.
Saudi Arabia rose one place to 18th and is seeing stronger perceptions following significant investments in tourism and football. Qatar was 21st and Turkey 25th, with Ankara credited with using its soft power to try to mediate in regional conflicts. Hard military might nations saw a drop in their soft power. Russia slipped three places to 16th, while Israel has fallen five spots to 32nd, as the wars of Ukraine and Gaza continue.
The ranking shows the importance of a strategic approach to nation branding where defense spending tends to have more priority. The US and Britain held their positions as the top two, while China jumped to third. American standing has recovered during Joe Biden’s presidency after a serious erosion in Donald Trump’s term. Japan stayed fourth, while China’s rise pushed Germany down to fifth.
The rankings are based on a survey of about 170,000 people from more than 100 countries. The rising soft power of Gulf nations reflects higher scores in the influence and reputation, international relations, and business and trade categories.
