According to Insight Discovery’s seventh annual Worst Reputation in the UAE survey, for the first time, social media influencers have been ranked as the UAE’s most distrusted profession. Influencers overtook credit card issuers, who, along with recruiters, had previously held the top spot for most of the past six years.
The results highlight growing public concern over transparency, accountability, and misleading promotions within the influencer industry. In this year’s survey, 21% of UAE residents identified influencers as having the worst reputation, followed by telemarketers and call centres (19%), credit card issuers (13%), recruitment companies (11%), and real estate agents (8%). Other professions, such as internal recruiters, financial advisers, and executive search firms, also featured but ranked lower
The shift in public perception marks a dramatic change from previous years, when recruiters consistently topped the list. The rise of influencers in this ranking is largely attributed to concerns over undisclosed promotions, lack of transparency, and the potential harm caused by misleading advice. Insight Discovery believes “finfluencers”, who often promote unregulated investment schemes and make outlandish claims, were a driver for creating distrust amongst influencers.
Nigel Sillitoe, CEO of Insight Discovery, commented, ‘The rise of influencers to the top of this list is a clear wake-up call for the industry. As audiences tire of the behaviour of some influencers and grow more conscious of the risks linked to unregulated online advice, the demand for greater transparency and accountability has never been stronger. The recent licensing regime introduced by the UAE government and the Securities and Commodities Authority for influencers is a vital step towards rebuilding trust and protecting consumers’
The study also reveals no significant gender divide in how professions are perceived, with men and women sharing similar views on reputational standing. However, social media influencers top the worst reputation list for Westerners, Arab expats, and Emiratis, while Asians (23%) are most critical of telemarketers. In Dubai, real estate agents are viewed unfavourably by 10% of residents, especially among middle-income earners and professionals aged 25-44. Bank financial advisers face scepticism, ranking among the least reputable for Emiratis (9%) and Abu Dhabi residents (8%), while independent financial advisers fare little better among Westerners (11%) and high-income earners (9%). Internal recruiters also suffer from a poor image across multiple groups, including Emiratis (10%) and Arab expats (7%).
