DUBAI: Almarai, the Gulf’s largest dairy company, was named Saudi Arabia’s top brand in terms of quality and reputation, overtaking global brands in YouGov’s latest BrandIndex survey.
Al Baik, another homegrown brand, took second spot in the index for 2017. YouGov conducted 200 daily interviews and tracked 452 brands available in the Kingdom for the index.
Apple took third position, followed by WhatsApp in fourth place, YouTube in fifth, the Apple iPhone on sixth, Google in seventh, Samsung at eighth, Galaxy at ninth and Emirates at tenth.
The rankings measured the overall brand health by taking into account consumers’ perceptions of a brand’s quality, value, impression, satisfaction, reputation and whether they would recommend the brand to others.
Meanwhile, among the other companies that had marked improvements in their overall brand health in the Kingdom were Zain, Huawei, Al Rajhi Bank, Western Union, Snapchat, KFC and McDonald’s.
Technology brands meanwhile dominated the global list of healthiest brands with Google on top, followed by YouTube and Facebook. South Korean technology giant Samsung was fourth, followed by WhatsApp, Apple iPhone and Amazon. Japanese carmaker took the eighth spot, followed up German sports brand Adidas and consumer retailer Colgate closing the global list.
Almarai and Al Baik among Saudi Arabia’s best brands
Almarai and Al Baik among Saudi Arabia’s best brands
Mawani, Qatar Ports ink cooperation deal to boost regional maritime trade
RIYADH: The Saudi Ports Authority, or Mawani, and Qatar Ports Management Co. signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at boosting maritime and logistics cooperation, contributing to the development of the ports sector, raising operational efficiency, and supporting regional and international trade flows.
The MoU was signed by Mawani President Suliman Al-Mazroua and Qatar Ports Management Co. CEO Abdullah Mohammed Al-Khanji, in the presence of Qatari Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah.
The step reflects both sides’ commitment to building effective partnerships, exchanging expertise, establishing an organized framework for cooperation management, and developing joint investment opportunities in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and Qatar National Vision 2030.
The MoU outlines eight key areas of cooperation, including the exchange of best practices in port management and operations, and studying opportunities for direct maritime and land connectivity between the two countries’ ports to enhance trade efficiency.
It also includes collaboration in logistics services, exploring the establishment of joint maritime corridors serving bilateral and regional trade, and assessing the feasibility of creating shared regional distribution centers.
Both parties agreed to enhance cooperation in digital transformation and artificial intelligence, focusing on smart systems, data governance, and a unified maritime window to improve operational efficiency and remain at the forefront of technological progress in the maritime sector.
The MoU emphasizes maritime safety and environmental protection, including the exchange of expertise on marine pollution control and emergency response, the development of joint maritime emergency plans, and the establishment of a bilateral emergency communication line.
It also promotes collaboration to ensure compliance with international conventions, conduct joint exercises, and implement risk-monitoring systems.
Cooperation further extends to human capital development through joint training programs and on-the-ground expertise exchanges, as well as academic and research partnerships in maritime transport and logistics.
Regarding joint investment, both parties will explore local and international opportunities in ports and related services, coordinating with the private sector to support these initiatives.
The MoU also includes cooperation in cruise tourism through enhanced maritime connectivity and joint promotion of Gulf cruise routes, as well as coordination of positions in international maritime organizations and support for joint initiatives, notably “Green Ports” and “Safe Sea Corridors.”
This memorandum reflects the commitment of Mawani and Qatar Ports Management Co. to advancing the ports sector and boosting its role as a key driver of trade and economic growth, contributing to Gulf integration, and enhancing regional competitiveness in maritime services.
