The “Animalis” edition of the World Branding Awards saw 92 brands from 35 countries named “Brand of the Year” in a ceremony held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. The “Animalis” edition of the awards focused on pet and animal brands.
Animal Planet, FURminator, Hill’s Prescription Diet, Kong, Orijen, Pedigree, Petplan, Purina Pro Plan, Red Dingo, Tetra and Whiskas were announced as global winners. Equi-Trek (UK), Evidensia (Sweden), Fressnapf Maxi Zoo (Germany) and Horze (Finland) were also championed.
National tier winners from the UAE were Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo for Animal Education — Public Aquarium, and Dubai Kennels and Cattery, in the Travel Services — Relocation category.
Four NGOs — the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (Indonesia), The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (Kenya), The Jane Goodall Institute (United States) and Wildlife Friends Foundation (Thailand) — were also recognized for their work.
The awards celebrate the achievements of some of the greatest brands around the globe. Winners are judged through three streams: brand valuation, consumer market research, and public online voting. Each was named “brand of the year” in their respective categories.
The awards are organized by the World Branding Forum, a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing branding standards for the good of the branding community as well as consumers. It organizes and sponsors a range of educational programs, and has joint collaborations with leading universities and museums. The forum also publishes branding news on its website that reaches a global audience of over 4 million visitors.
“The Animalis edition of the awards pays tribute to the achievements of pet and animals brands from around the world. Consumer votes count toward 70 percent of the final score, so winning brands have to have built a strong relationship with their customers in order to win,” said Richard Rowles, chairman of the World Branding Forum.
“Over 60,000 pet and animal lovers from around the world voted for more than 800 brands from 35 countries. Winning brands have had to work hard to stand out from the tough competition,” said Peter Pek, chief executive of the forum.
UAE brands among winners of ‘World Branding Awards’
UAE brands among winners of ‘World Branding Awards’
Saudi Awwal Bank becomes first Middle East bank to earn 7-star CinOrg innovation accreditation
Saudi Awwal Bank has become the first bank in the Middle East to receive a 7‑star Certified Innovative Organization rating from the Global Innovation Institute, the highest recognition awarded by the institute.
The accreditation marks a significant step in SAB’s innovation strategy and follows an innovation maturity assessment conducted by the institute in December 2025. The review, which built on an earlier assessment in December 2023, raised the bank’s maturity level from “Champion” to “Leader.” The new rating reflects SAB’s institutionalized approach to innovation, its enterprise-wide impact and its ability to consistently deliver measurable results.
With the 7‑star rating, SAB becomes the first bank in the region to reach the highest innovation maturity level, strengthening its position as a regional reference point for innovation-led and future-ready banking.
In 2025, the bank opened its flagship Innovation Centre and secured six internationally recognized innovation awards, along with a lab accreditation. The centre has supported SAB’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies, encourage cross-functional collaboration and reinforce its standing as a regional leader in financial innovation.
Saeed Assiri, chief innovation banking officer at SAB, said the recognition reflects years of focused work to build a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
“By investing in SAB’s culture, governance and talent, innovation enables the bank to remain future-ready,” he said. “This milestone reinforces our role in accelerating financial innovation in Saudi Arabia and delivering long-term value for our customers.”
The certification adds to SAB’s broader efforts to strengthen its innovation capabilities as the Kingdom’s banking sector continues to evolve.
