Etihad Airways, Huda Beauty and TikTok all made it into the top 10 list of the Middle East and Africa's 'most-loved' brands list.
Etihad Airways, Huda Beauty and TikTok all made it into the top 10 list of the Middle East and Africa's 'most-loved' brands list.
Etihad Airways, Huda Beauty and TikTok all made it into the top 10 list of the Middle East and Africa's 'most-loved' brands list.
Etihad Airways, Huda Beauty and TikTok all made it into the top 10 list of the Middle East and Africa's 'most-loved' brands list.

Etihad Airways tops new list of 'most-loved brands' in the Middle East and Africa


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

What is the brand that gets the most love on social media globally? According to a new report by media monitoring and analytics company TalkWalker, it's the toy production company Lego.

The firm analysed more than 264,000,000 conversations across social media, blogs, news and forums to figure out which brands were the most talked about.

Rounding out the list of the world's top five include Four Seasons Hotels, Singapore Airlines, Giant Hypermarket, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

When it comes to the Middle East and Africa region, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways leads the list.

Etihad Airways topped the list of TalkWalker's 'most-loved' brand in the Middle East and Africa region. Courtesy Etihad
Etihad Airways topped the list of TalkWalker's 'most-loved' brand in the Middle East and Africa region. Courtesy Etihad

The UAE national airline is followed by Four Seasons, Benefit Cosmetics, Hyatt Hotels, TikTok, Qatar Airways, Huda Beauty, InterContinental, Careem and HMD Global.

The results of the report were generated from a quarter of a billion conversations around 781 brands over the last six months of 2019.

Using AI-powered technology, and image and video analytics, Talkwalker was able to identify the labels people loved, even when the brand was not directly mentioned.

"We want to establish this report as the benchmark for brand love over the coming years," says Todd Grossman, Talkwalker's Americas chief executive.

"With expert knowledge garnered from working with some of the world's most-loved brands and marketers who are building them, we now see the opportunity for every brand to build those vital emotional connections."

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Company%20profile
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Bio:

Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour

Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people 

Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite food: Fish and vegetables

Favourite place to visit: London

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

If you go

Flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.

The stay

Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.

Ibrahim's play list

Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute

Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc

Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar

His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach

Also enjoys listening to Mozart

Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz

Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica 

Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods