Apple has topped an index of the world's best brands for the 10th year in a row, leading a band of technology companies on top of a list that shows how dominant the sector has become over the past decade, according to consultancy Interbrand.
The iPhone maker is the world's most valuable company with a market capitalisation of about $2.2 trillion. Its brand value rose 18 per cent to $482.2 billion from $408.3bn a year ago, New York-based Interbrand said in its ranking of 100 companies.
The top five brands all belong to the technology industry. US software company Microsoft climbed one place to second as its brand value surged 32 per cent — the best in this year's rankings — to $278.3bn, overtaking Amazon, the world's biggest online marketplace, which slipped to third as its brand value increased 10 per cent to $274.8bn.
Internet company Google and Samsung Electronics, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer, retained their spots at fourth and fifth, respectively. California-based Google's brand value jumped 28 per cent year-on-year to $251.6bn, while Seoul-based Samsung posted a 17 per cent annual growth to $87.7bn.
“Humanity will advance more in the next 50 years than it has in all of history — a shift driven largely by technology. This acceleration will fundamentally shift how we engage with each other, with business and with the world at large,” Gonzalo Brujó, global chief executive of Interbrand, said in the report.
Toyota, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Disney and Nike rounded out the top 10, all maintaining their same ranks from 2021 and with a combined brand value of about $274bn — which is still short of the value of each of the top three.
However, the top 10 can be considered a “super league”, as their business models have been built on a “foundation of exceptional experiences and strong integrity”, Interbrand said.
“These companies can move in multiple directions, growing their share in customers’ lives, along with their brand value and market cap,” it said. The top five brands on the list have a combined market cap of almost $6.2tn as of Saturday, according to market data.
The technology sector has emerged as some of the best-performing stocks over the past years, as demand for consumer electronics and services has grown exponentially, especially with the introduction of products and smart technologies.
Cupertino-based Apple, in particular, has thrived, even during the coronavirus pandemic, being able to carry on with product launches — most notably its flagship iPhone, iPads and Mac computers — and expand the scope of its services — which has become a vital cog of its business — despite extremely tight market conditions as a result of the global health crisis.
That resulted in several quarterly earnings records for the company over the past couple of years, which helped the company hit the $3tn market cap level in January.
Brand Finance, a London-based consultancy, has also ranked Apple as the world's most valuable brand, with a value of $355.1bn.
Technology stocks, however, have underperformed in 2022, baffling analysts as to how companies that are supposed to be the pillars of a global economy that is increasingly being digitalised can quickly fall out of favour.
In late October, shares in megacaps Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook owner Meta Platforms tumbled after reporting their third-quarter earnings, wiping out $477bn in combined market value in the trading session after the results. Apple was the only stock to gain at the time.
The sector is battling a number of challenges, including supply issues, rising currencies, high inflation and an uncertain economic future. Lately, this has prompted technology companies to reconsider their strategies and even cut staff — Apple being no exception.
Humanity will advance more in the next 50 years than it has in all of history — a shift driven largely by technology. This acceleration will fundamentally shift how we engage with each other, with business and with the world at large
Gonzalo Brujó,
global chief executive of Interbrand
Nevertheless, the top brands are forecast to continue their upwards pace, as the leaders of these “super brands” understand how, where and when to deploy their brand as an asset against emerging customer needs in perpetually-changing landscape, Interbrand said.
“The brand is a vehicle through which the business is able to address a range of different customer needs, through an extended portfolio of differentiated products and services. These companies leverage the utility in their brand to drive exponential growth,” it said.
“Brands have never had as much power and responsibility, and on such a scale.”
The cumulative value of the top 10 brands on Interbrand's list is at $1.65tn, which is greater than the combined value of the next 90 companies, which is at $1.44tn. Overall, aggregate value of the 100 brands exceeded $3tn for the first time.
Microsoft's 32 per cent rise is tied with Tesla, the world's biggest electric vehicle maker, and French luxury fashion house Chanel. In terms of rankings, US payments company MasterCard climbed the most, rising nine spots to 41st.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
