UAE ranks first globally in government confidence index

The UAE claimed the top position in the 2026 Government Trust Index, said a report published by the New York-based Edelman Group.

The UAE achieved a score of 80 out of 100, marking an increase from its previous year's score of 72.

According to the annual survey conducted by Edelman, an American public relations and marketing consultancy firm, the UAE recorded the most significant rise in public trust across governments, business leaders, and the media compared to the previous year's results. China, which tied with the UAE for the top spot, also saw its score improve, moving from 77 points last year to 80 this year—although this increase was more modest than the UAE's growth.

The top five countries in the index are UAE (80), China (80), India (74), Indonesia (73), Saudi Arabia (73), and Nigeria (72).

The survey revealed a decline in trust among developed countries for the second year in a row, with scores as follows: the United States (47 points), South Korea (46), Spain (45), Germany (44), the United Kingdom (44), France (42), and Japan (38).

In its statement accompanying the survey results, released ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the company highlighted the UAE's notable progress. This achievement comes at a time when global skepticism towards governments and institutions is intensifying due to rising geopolitical tensions, nationalism, and increasing economic concerns.

The study, conducted across 28 countries with 37,500 participants, pointed to a growing distrust in institutions and their leaders, prompting individuals to find a sense of stability and confidence within their workplaces.

Trust in governments and business leaders appear to be increasing in developing nations while showing a downward trend in developed countries.

Richard Edelman, the CEO of the company, noted that distrust has now become the prevailing sentiment.

The survey covered 28 countries, including the UAE, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer indicates that 70% of the 33,938 respondents from 28 countries are reluctant or unwilling to trust individuals who differ from them in values, sources of information, methods of addressing societal issues, or backgrounds. This sentiment spans various income levels, genders, age groups, and applies to both developing and developed nations.

Over the past 25 years, the Trust Barometer has tracked a consistent decline in trust toward institutions and their leaders. It highlights a global trust disparity of 15 points between high- and low-income earners, with the United States showing the largest divide—a 29-point gap between the general public and elites.

Six in ten respondents expressed that actions by corporations and governments have caused them harm, served only the interests of a select few, and perpetuated a system that disproportionately benefits the wealthy. In recent times, the collective mood appears to have shifted from alarm and outrage to a sense of guarded isolation.

The Trust and AI Index highlighted that opposition to the increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in countries like the US, UK, and Germany outweighs support by a margin of more than two to one. Furthermore, 70% of Americans believe that CEOs are not being transparent about the extent of job losses attributed to AI.

Even more concerning is a growing global sense of despair. Across developed economies, only 15% on average feel optimistic that the next generation will experience better conditions. This sentiment has also deteriorated sharply in Asia-Pacific nations like Singapore, Thailand, India, and China, where optimism has dropped by double digits compared to last year.

The report underscores the urgent necessity for a "trust mediator" to foster progress and collaboration, even in divided circumstances, by emphasizing mutual interests and turning insights into meaningful actions.

A trustworthy and close employer is positioned to serve as this primary trust mediator. Although there is broad anticipation for organizations to fulfill this role, 58% of people believe that employers are the only ones effectively accomplishing it.

Workplaces today have become the safest environments for addressing contentious issues, largely due to the presence of well-defined codes of conduct. Employers play a crucial role in translating large-scale challenges—such as the rise of artificial intelligence, globalization, and economic pressures—into actionable solutions. Most significantly, these efforts yield visible and impactful changes in daily life when leaders make and follow through on their commitments.

Sixty-five per cent of employees are concerned that trade policies and tariffs could negatively impact their employers. Additionally, 54% of low-income earners and 44% of middle-income earners feel they will be excluded from benefiting significantly from generative AI.

Just 32% of respondents think the next generation will be better off, with especially low confidence observed in France (6%), Germany (8%), Canada (16%), and the United States (21%), where optimism has dropped by nine points.

The report highlighted that 65% of respondents voiced significant worries about foreign entities spreading disinformation in national media to deepen internal divides. In contrast, only 39% reported accessing news from ideologically opposing viewpoints at least once a week.

Additionally, the report identified key events over the last five years that have most influenced trust in people and institutions. These include inflation (54%), the proliferation of misinformation (50%), the COVID-19 pandemic (43%), trade wars (37%), and the rising adoption of generative AI platforms (37%).

Recent significant events have led to a decline in trust for various corporate and public figures, with national government leaders (-16), major media organizations (-11), and foreign business leaders (-6) experiencing the largest setbacks. On the other hand, individuals in closer proximity, such as neighbors, family, and friends (+11), colleagues (+11), and even the CEO (+9), have seen trust levels improve.

For the first time, the business sector is viewed as more ethical than non-governmental organizations. In the past year, corporate ethics ratings increased by four points to 20, while NGO scores dropped by two points to 17. Consequently, the business sector has emerged as the most ethical and efficient among different organizational groups, further solidifying a trend that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic.