DUBAI: Television news channel Al Jazeera won the top spot in a list of the best-known Arab brands compiled by Forbes magazine’s Arabic edition, besting Dubai-based Emirates airlines.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which has been criticised by Washington for airing messages from al Qaeda leaders, ranked first in the online survey in 19 Arab countries that tested a brand’s trust, recognition and adaptability, Forbes Arabia said.

The list of 40 brands, the first complied by Forbes Arabia, was dominated by the United Arab Emirates, home to many of the Gulf Arab firms that are expanding outside the region, backed by governments looking to invest record oil revenues.

“(The) list looks at companies that have created strong brands not only in Arab countries but that are also gaining recognition worldwide,” said Sulaiman al-Hattlan, editor of the Arabic edition of Forbes magazine, which compiles an annual list of the world’s billionaires, in a statement. —Reuters