Survey: Trust in government, banks and media is higher in the UAE

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Trust in government in the UAE is among the highest in the world at 67 per cent, a survey shows.

The Global Trust Barometer Survey carried-out by internationally-known public relations firm Edelman, which for the first time included the views of opinion formers from the UAE, revealed UAE opinion formers have relatively high levels of trust across most institutions, including government, business and media.

The survey showed trust in the UAE banks is high at 75 per cent, compared to levels as low as 29 per cent in the US and 19 per cent in Germany.

The 2010 Edelman Trust Barometer survey sampled 4,875 informed public in two age groups (25-34 and 35-64) in 22 countries. The sample comprised college-educated; household income in the top quartile for their age in their country; read or watch business/news media at least several times a week; follow public policy issues in the news at least several times a week.

As is common across the globe, technology is the most trusted industry sector in the UAE, among all surveyed age groups, the firm said in a Press release.

UAE trust in media is higher than in most Western countries, but lower than other regional emerging markets such as Singapore, Indonesia, 
and India.

Social networking sites were among the least credible sources of information in the UAE, while traditional channels such as company websites and newspaper articles were highly rated, it said.

Commenting on this year's global survey, Ben Morton, General Manager of Edelman Middle East and Africa said that while global trust in business is up, it remains fragile.

"The recent short-term actions by companies are largely seen as reactions to the crisis and there is concern that lessons will not have been learnt and companies will return to old habits," he said.

For the first time, this year's survey shows that trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services. In the United States and in much of Western Europe, those two attributes rank higher than product quality, and far outrank financial returns, which sits at or near the bottom of 10 criteria in all regions. This is in stark contrast to 2006 when financial performance was in third place in a list of 10 attributes shaping trust in the United States.

"We are seeing across the globe that the development of trust is a critical driver in any business model," 
added Morton.

"The UAE findings are no different. Companies need to engage their stakeholders directly, and through a variety of channels - one-way, one-channel communication will no longer work." For the third straight year, NGOs are the most trusted institution in eight countries, including the US, UK, Germany, and France.

In China, trust in NGOs has surged by 25 points since 2004 from 31 to 56 per cent - possibly a reflection of growing affluence and the demand for environmental responsibility and public health.

UAE's trust in non-governmental organizations is relatively low at 45 per cent (US: 63 pc; Netherlands: 74 pc). Technology remains the single most trusted industry sector, with 79 per cent saying they trust this sector to do what is right, up from 76 per cent in 2009. Banks, however, are third from the bottom, barely above media companies and insurance.

Source: Middle East North Africa Financial News (MENAFN).
Link: http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093299635&src=NLEN.