New Brand Finance data shows two third of Middle Eastern brands in the global ranking stand out for double-digit growth
LONDON, 20 January 2026 – Two thirds of the 12 Middle Eastern brands ranked in the Global 500 2026 rankings recording double digit growth in their brand value, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy.
The region’s two energy giants, Aramco (brand value up 14% to USD47.3 billion) and ADNOC (brand value up 11% to USD21.1 billion), lead the Middle Eastern brands in the Global 500 rankings this year, supported by strong oil prices, continued investments in energy infrastructure, and strategic expansions in downstream and international markets.
Aramco strengthened its global footprint in 2025 by completing a USD3 billion international sukuk issuance that underscored investor confidence and by signing 17 memoranda of understanding and agreements with major US companies valued at more than USD30 billion to support strategic energy and advanced materials initiatives.
Meanwhile, ADNOC announced a USD150 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026 - 2030, secured a landmark gas pre-production export financing transaction of up to USD11 billion to advance its Hail and Ghasha gas development and expanded its green financing portfolio with a USD2 billion sustainability‑linked facility, reinforcing its commitment to long‑term smart growth and capital efficiency.
Savio D’Souza, Managing Director Middle East and Africa, Brand Finance, commented:
“The region’s most valuable and strongest brands continue to increase their presence on the global stage. The region is leveraging its natural strengths into broader economic, soft power and brand influence through its champion brands across diverse sectors.”
stc group has once again been recognised as the most valuable telecom brand in the Middle East for the sixth consecutive year and it ranks 9th among the world’s most valuable telecom brands. The stc brand increased its value by 9% to USD17.6 billion and retained its position as the Middle East’s strongest brand in the Global 500 2026, achieving a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88.6 out of 100 and an AAA brand strength rating.
This performance reflects stc’s sustained brand momentum throughout 2025, a year marked by continued growth driven by successful expansion into fintech and IT services through a combination of organic growth, M&A activity, and strategic partnerships. This was underpinned by a clear strategic direction, ongoing investment in innovation, and a sustained focus on operational excellence and financial strength.
Taken together, these developments demonstrate that stc’s growth in 2025 has been strategic as well as financial driven by ecosystem expansion, innovation leadership, and global partnerships that continue to reinforce the brand’s stature. As a result, stc is increasingly positioned as a digital enabler aligned with national transformation agendas such as Vision 2030, and as a credible competitor on the global technology stage.
Qatar Airways (brand value up 34% to USD5.2 billion). The airline delivered its highest-ever revenue in 2025, up 6% year on year, underpinned by a strong recovery in global air-travel demand. Passenger numbers climbed from 40 million to 43.1 million in 2024/25 as international travel continued to rebound post-pandemic. Growth was further supported by the resilience of Qatar Airways Cargo, which recorded around 17% revenue growth, helping the group offset wider economic uncertainty and trade volatility.
Other notable Middle Eastern brand achievements include:
Global Insights: NVIDIA’s brand now more valuable than Facebook and Walmart; Microsoft closes in on Apple
The strong performance of Middle Eastern brands aligns with broader global trends highlighted in the Brand Finance Global 500 2026 ranking.
Apple retains its position as the world’s most valuable brand with a 6% brand value growth to USD607.6 billion. Behind Apple, Microsoft, (Up 23% to USD565.2 billion) Google, (up 5% to USD433.1 billion) and Amazon (up 4% to USD369.9 billion) have retained second, third, and fourth positions in the Global 500 ranking, demonstrating the continued dominance of leading US technology brands.
NVIDIA has climbed four ranks from 2025 to become the world’s fifth-most valuable brand. NVIDIA’s brand value has more than doubled since 20254, rising 110% to USD184.3 billion, reflecting its central role in powering global AI infrastructure.
YouTube has become the world’s strongest brand, with a BSI score of 95.3 out of 100, rising from eighth place in 2025. WeChat has slipped to second place with a BSI score of 95.1 out of 100, while Microsoft climbs eight places to third with 94.7. All three brands, YouTube, WeChat and Microsoft, retain the AAA+ rating, highlighting their enduring strength and global influence.
Revolut has emerged as the fastest growing brand among the world’s 500 most valuable brands.
These results underscore the enduring power of strong branding in driving growth, resilience, and innovation, both in the Middle East and globally.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
