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KFSH&RC is ranked among the top 15 hospitals globally according to healthcare professionals

30 January 2025
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Twelve hospitals from the MENA region are now recognised among the world’s top 100 according to new data from Brand Finance

  • King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) is the strongest hospital brand in the MENA region for the 3rd year running
  • Growing perception of Qatari and Moroccan hospitals bolsters the region’s growing influence as a healthcare hub.
  • Brand Finance's annual survey of 2,500 healthcare professionals across 30 countries reveals insights into healthcare brand perceptions and factors influencing their decision to work at and recommend hospitals.

LONDON, 30th January 2024 – Healthcare professionals perceive King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) to be the leading academic medical centre in the Middle East and North Africa, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand evaluation consultancy. KFSH&RC has risen five places in the ranking of the world’s top 250 hospitals to 15th globally. The research showed that a large proportion of healthcare professionals recall discussing KFSH&RC, which also received high scores for research recommendations. This strong reputation is likely driven by its pioneering leadership in robotic surgery innovations.

Andrew Campbell, Valuation Director, Brand Finance Middle East commented:

"The Middle East is rapidly establishing itself as a global healthcare hub, attracting both medical professionals and international patients through thriving medical tourism. Significant investments by regional governments have led to the rise of world-class academic medical centres, many now recognised among the top 250 hospitals globally. With continued focus on innovation, infrastructure, and talent development, these institutions are poised to further enhance their global presence and build productive relationships locally and outside the region."

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the only UAE-based hospital in the top 100 of the ranking, placed 22nd, with strong regional familiarity and the highest international familiarity among MENA hospitals – benefitting from association with its US counterpart which ranks at 8th globally.

Hospitals from Qatar and Morocco showed impressive gains in the 2025 ranking, with three Moroccan hospitals entering the top 100, led by Mohammed VI University Hospital Center at 28th. Qatar also featured four hospitals, with Hamad General Hospital leading at 44th.

For the first time the study also highlights what makes a hospital attractive for employment and what drives healthcare professionals to recommend a hospital for patient care, research, or education.

When considering employment at hospitals:

  • For employment in clinical work: healthcare professionals prioritise ‘a well-run organisation’.
  • For research roles: the focus shifts to hospitals with ‘a leading medical program’.
  • For education and training: ‘integrated between teaching, research, and patient care’ is most important.

When recommending hospitals:

  • For patient care and for medical training: professionals recommend ‘organisations that medical professionals are proud to have trained or worked at’
  • For medical research collaboration: a hospitals’ ability to ‘attract top medical students’ is the key factor.

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About Brand Finance

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 evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance, 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.

Definition of Brand

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

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 Valuation Approach

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.

Disclaimer

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.

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