The results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center show that Ukrainians’ attitude toward the United Arab Emirates remains stable and is characterized by a combination of moderate positivity and a significant proportion of neutral assessments. Overall, 38.7% of respondents describe their attitude as positive, which is virtually unchanged from August 2025 (38.3%). At the same time, negative attitudes have decreased slightly—from 6.3% to 6.1%.
The distribution of responses indicates a predominance of neutral perceptions: 52.4% of respondents do not have a clearly formed opinion regarding the UAE. The positive segment consists of 10.7% who selected “completely positive” and 28.0% who selected “mostly positive.” This pattern indicates a generally favorable backdrop, though without a high level of emotional engagement.
Negative assessments remain relatively low: 4.2% of respondents chose “mostly negative,” and 1.9% chose “completely negative.” The share of those who could not decide is 2.8%. This confirms that the UAE does not evoke significant negative perceptions in Ukrainian society, yet it also does not form a clearly positive image.
The change between August 2025 and March 2026 is minimal. A slight increase in positive assessments is accompanied by an equally slight decrease in negative ones, indicating a stabilization of attitudes. At the same time, a key characteristic remains the high proportion of neutral responses, which exceeds half of all respondents.
In a broader context, this means that Ukrainians perceive the UAE as an economically interesting country, but one that is not close enough or well understood. The absence of sharp fluctuations in the indicators confirms that the established image is stable but not deeply integrated into the public consciousness.
“In the case of countries such as the United Arab Emirates, we see a typical example of a predominantly neutral perception. This means that Ukrainians’ level of knowledge and experience of interaction with this country remains limited, even despite economic contacts. At the same time, this creates potential for the positive image to grow, provided there is a more active presence in Ukraine’s information and economic spheres,” noted Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Thus, the survey results indicate that Ukrainians’ attitudes toward the UAE are stable and moderately positive, though neutrality remains the dominant feature. This opens opportunities for further shaping the country’s image through economic cooperation, investment, and public diplomacy.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, the United Arab Emirates ranks 38th in total trade volume with Ukraine, amounting to $456.7 million. At the same time, Ukraine has a trade surplus with the UAE of $214.1 million, as exports of Ukrainian goods exceed imports.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UAE, UKRAINE, URAKIN
