Muscat: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ( KSA ), ranks seventh in the world among the most optimistic countries, as per the annual Trust Index 2023.
The Annual Trust Index 2023 Survey by Edelman - a leading global company in the field of strategic communication and public relations - revealed that the Kingdom ranks seventh among the most optimistic and confident countries among those under study.
The report, which is concerned with measuring the levels of trust in the four main institutions in the Kingdom: (the government, the business sector, non-governmental organizations, and the media), included more than 32,000 in 28 countries, showed that the trust index in the Saudi government achieved a rate of 83%, and is the highest compared to the global average of trust in governments, which was at around 50%, according to the opinions of participants from the countries under study.
The report, titled: "Navigating a World of Intellectual Conflict", discussed issues of mistrust amid the economic repercussions the world is witnessing, and effective ways to work on building trust in institutions in light of a world full of diverse opinions.
The survey revealed the emergence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the report as one of the most trusted and friendly countries. The report also revealed that Saudi Arabia ranks seventh among the most optimistic countries in the study, defying the prevailing trend and global economic repercussions.
The study revealed high levels of trust in all institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the business sector, the survey recorded that the trust rate reached 73%, while it showed that 79% of Saudi employees trust the employer.
It indicated that starting next June, 37% of the participants will purchase products and services based on their principles and values.
As for the trust index in non-governmental organizations, it ranked third with a rate of 66%, as the World Health Organization (WHO) was ranked among the most trusted global organizations, ahead of both the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU).
Commenting on the survey results, Kenana Dahlan, CEO of Edelman Saudi Arabia, said: “The Edelman Trust Index has proven to be an important tool that contributes to shedding light on critical global challenges. In Saudi Arabia, the results indicated an increase in trust towards the government, which now plays a major role in driving positive change alongside the business sector, in addition to that, the study showed that Saudi Arabia emerged as the most unified country among all the countries surveyed, which indicates the amount of cohesion and national solidarity felt by citizens.”
As for the global level; The report also indicated that validated and reliable information is a strong factor in building trust in all four organizations surveyed. He also noted that low-income households had lower levels of trust than high-income households, but globally this trust gap was closed when both had access to reliable information.