The UAE has once again emerged as one the most trusting countries in the world according to the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer. While many nations grapple with declining trust due to concerns such as misinformation and higher costs of living driven by inflation, the UAE continues to reaffirm its stability, achieving high confidence levels in both governments and businesses.
Five of the largest 10 global economies are among the least trusting nations on the Trust Index: Japan was the least trusting at 37, Germany at 41, the UK at 43, the U.S. at 47 and France at 48.
Meanwhile, China at 77, Indonesia at 76, India at 75, and the UAE at 72, once again sat atop the Trust Index as the most trusting nations surveyed.
The UAE was first included in the Edelman Trust Barometer in 2010 and has consistently ranked among the most trusted nations surveyed, with respondents seeing the country’s leadership and its institutions as worthy of trust due to their competence and ethics.
“The data tells a compelling success story: trust has remained consistently high in the UAE for over a decade. This stands in stark contrast to much of the rest of the world, which continues to grapple with a global trust crisis. That erosion of trust has led to widespread pessimism,” said Omar Qirem, CEO of Edelman Middle East.
UAE government among the most trusted globally
The latest report, which surveyed over 33,000 respondents in 28 countries, revealed that trust in the UAE’s government is among the highest globally. At 82 percent, the UAE government is the most trusted institution in the country. The global average for trust in government is 52 percent.
The UAE has also achieved strong levels of confidence in business. Business is the only institution trusted globally, at 62 percent, while in the UAE, 76 percent of respondents say they trust business to do what is right.
In addition, trust in professionals and societal influencers remains high in the UAE. Teachers (85 percent) and citizens (79 percent) enjoy substantial levels of trust, indicating that trust is influenced by individual circles and built locally.
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer also reveals that trust and optimism are linked. 60 percent of people in the UAE believe that the next generation will be better off than today, compared to the 36 percent global average.
“The UAE has demonstrated that when institutions act with integrity and competence, trust flourishes. Where trust thrives, optimism overcomes uncertainty, paving the way for a brighter future – one that everyone can believe in,” added Qirem.
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High trust in global institutions
Despite concerns about globalization and potential economic recession, UAE respondents maintained faith in global institutions. The UAE is one of only ten countries that trust in the United Nations and only one of eight that trust the European Union.
In contrast to the UAE’s stability, the global picture reveals a deepening crisis of trust. The breakdown in the social contract globally, resulting in a trust crisis, has been caused by a mass-class divide, a lack of credible information sources and a belief that systems work against individuals, not for them.
The report revealed that 63 percent of individuals globally say it is becoming harder to distinguish between credible sources and intentionally deceptive information. Respondents are increasingly fearing intentionally being misled, including by journalists and media. In addition, two in three people globally believe the wealthy don’t pay their fair share of taxes and are the source of many problems.
Furthermore, only 36 percent of people worldwide believe the next generation will be better off than today, with the lowest optimism being only 9 percent in France.
