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Two 2025 reports, one on soft power and the other on ��������’s reputation, indicate that the Kingdom’s overall ranking has slipped a little but it has gained in nation brand value and positive media coverage.

The annual Global Soft Power Index evaluates 193 nations based on 173,000 responses across 102 research markets. It measures familiarity, reputation and influence, covering 35 nation brand attributes across eight soft power pillars.

The US maintained its position at the top of the index but its overall score stagnated. It leads in familiarity and influence — ranking first in three of the eight soft power pillars: international relations, education and science, and media and communications — but it declined in reputation, particularly governance and people and values.

China, meanwhile, replaced the UK in second place for the first time. Its improvement is attributed to its strategic efforts to enhance its global image, including through Belt and Road infrastructure projects, a renewed focus on sustainable development, stronger product brands, and the country’s reopening to visitors after the COVID-19 pandemic. It addressed perceived weaknesses, particularly the country’s people and values, improving its scores on five of the lowest-ranked attributes from the previous year.

�������� scored highly in familiarity, business and trade, reputation, international relations, and influence

Maha Akeel

Countries in the Middle East generally experienced a decline in the rankings but the UAE was an exception, as it retained its 10th position, buoyed by strong perceptions of business and trade, international relations, and overall influence. �������� dropped two positions to 20th. It scored highly in familiarity, business and trade, reputation, international relations, and influence, but not so much in governance, sustainable future, education and science, media and communication, and people and values. The decline in perceptions of the Gulf countries came mainly from respondents in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, who view the region less favorably than before.

On the other hand, the UAE and �������� ranked 14th and 15th, respectively, in the 2025 Nation Brand Value ranking, both seeing an increase. Nation brand value represents the monetary worth of a country’s reputation and image, shaped by its economic performance and global standing.

�������� has demonstrated strong economic performance and has made significant strides in science and technology by making strategic investments under Vision 2030, prioritizing digital transformation and renewable energy.

The Global Soft Power Index report highlighted the role of sports and tourism in soft power. The growing economic impact of the sports industry makes it an emerging field of soft power.

Tourism has also become a strategic asset for economic and reputational growth. Over the past five years, the importance of being perceived as a desirable travel destination has risen dramatically, progressing from the 17th most significant determinant of reputation in 2020 to the second most influential factor in 2025, surpassed only by the strong and stable economy category. Being an attractive destination enhances familiarity, reinforces cultural prestige and stimulates economic engagement, including investments and consumer trust in products and services, as well as work and study considerations.

We can clearly see the soft power impact of sports and tourism in the Saudi experience being reflected in increased positive media coverage. According to Carma’s 5th Annual Kingdom Reputation Report, sports continued to dominate media coverage and social media conversations on �������� in 2024 — although there was a subtle reduction in volume and some negative coverage. Meanwhile, the economy and tourism and entertainment were the themes that drove positive coverage.

The Carma report analyzed media coverage — mainstream and social media — of �������� across 33 regional and international markets in 2024, as well as public opinion surveys in five markets (the UK, US, Singapore, India and Russia), which were not representative but indicative.

Diplomacy, sports, economy, and tourism were the major drivers of mainstream and social media coverage of ��������, regionally and internationally. Interestingly, in the Western media, there was a significant reduction in coverage of human rights issues, which was mostly negative but less so in 2024 than in previous years. There was less coverage, whether positive or negative, of culture, environment and oil, and, surprisingly, very little coverage of women’s empowerment and humanitarian efforts. It seems that, in the Western media, if the news is not negative it does not receive much attention.

Sports continued to dominate media coverage and social media conversations on �������� in 2024

Maha Akeel

Meanwhile, the share of Vision 2030 in the overall coverage of �������� has consistently increased over the past five years, accounting for 60 percent in 2024. It particularly appears in coverage related to economic and social development.

However, the survey across five markets found that 51 percent of the public reported hearing some news about ��������, mostly about political affairs, oil, tourism and Hajj. So, there is a difference between what the media focused on and what resonated with the public.

Confirming the Global Soft Power Index ranking of �������� on familiarity, the reputation survey found that only 33 percent said they know quite a lot about ��������, while 19 percent said they know nothing. Particularly in the UK and the US, despite leading the Western media coverage about ��������, the public’s knowledge is still comparably low, with 24 percent and 27 percent, respectively, saying they know nothing about ��������.

Overall, positive coverage rose in the mainstream media by 25 percent from 2023 to 2024, while negative content remained stable. But negativity has declined by 55 percent since 2020. However, on social media platforms, the share of negativity ranged from 37 percent to 51 percent, which could be related to the prevalence of misinformation, disinformation and fake news on social media.

Negative public opinion from the surveys in the five markets was about 16 percent, with the highest levels being in the US and the UK, which correlates with the negative media coverage in these two countries. However, in general, there was a strong shift toward positive sentiments about ��������, with respondents expressing a high interest in traveling, working, relocating and doing business in the Kingdom, particularly those in India and Singapore.

Experts emphasize that understanding soft power is crucial as it shapes global perceptions, influences diplomacy and drives economic prosperity. The stronger a nation’s soft power, the greater its ability to attract investments, market its products and services, promote tourism, and attract talent. �������� has obviously made considerable progress in strengthening its soft power and is reaping the benefits. I expect the numbers for 2025 to be even better.

• Maha Akeel is a Saudi expert in communications, social development and international relations. She is a member of the UN’s Senior Women Talent Pipeline. X: @MahaAkeel1