Revealed: The most recommended brands in Saudi Arabia

Emaar has topped a list of most recommended brands among customers in Saudi Arabia, according to data from market research company YouGov.

Emirates which was at the top of the list last year, closely followed at number two, while fast food chain Al Baik moved up to the third spot from sixth last year.

The advocacy rankings by YouGov’s daily brand tracking tool BrandIndex, considered how much current and former customers endorsed brands over the past year by asking respondents, "Would you recommend the brand to a friend or colleague?" or “Would you tell a friend or colleague to avoid the brand?”

The rankings showcase a mix of brands including travel, real estate, consumer brands and financial services. Apple, iPhone and Almarai saw a drop in their ranks this year while Saudi payment network Mada remained in the same position.

Universal Japan, Legoland Water Park (Dubai) and Damac featured on the fifth, eighth and tenth spots, respectively.

"Brand advocacy is an indicator of a brand’s performance in terms of customer service and satisfaction. A recommendation from friend or family is one of the most powerful votes of confidence and provides invaluable endorsement for a brand,” said Scott Booth, Head of YouGov BrandIndex - MENA.

YouGov also revealed the brands that have the most improved level of customer advocacy in the twelve months.

Korean carmaker Kia performed considerably better among consumers and saw the biggest improvement in its Recommend score, which rose from 23.7 last year to 37.0 this year.

Beverage brands seem to be resonating particularly well with Saudi consumers. Brands like Bison, Power Horse, Coca-Cola Zero, Red Bull and Pepsi Max have registered significant improvement in their brand advocacy scores this year, YouGov said.