Indicators of Cultural Alienation in the Institutional Brands of Saudi Entities and Their Impact on the Saudi Public

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Abstract

This study aimed to identify indicators of cultural alienation in the institutional brands of Saudi entities and their impact on the Saudi public. This stemmed from observing the growing linguistic, visual, and communicative transformations in institutional identities, and the potential decline in the presence of Saudi cultural references within institutional brands. The study’s problem was to uncover indicators of cultural alienation in institutional brands and analyze their impact on the Saudi public’s perception and attitudes towards these brands, given the limited studies on this topic in the Saudi environment. To achieve the study’s objectives, the researcher adopted a Mixed Methods approach, utilizing critical analysis and a questionnaire. The analysis tool was a critical analysis guide prepared by the researcher, comprising three main dimensions: the linguistic dimension, the visual dimension, and the communicative dimension, applied to three selected Saudi entities. The researcher also used a questionnaire as a tool to collect quantitative data from the Saudi public, with the final sample consisting of (51) Saudi citizens. The results of the critical analysis showed that indicators of cultural alienation are not linked to the adoption of modernity itself, but rather emerge when the development of an institutional brand or its practices leads to a decline in the presence of Saudi cultural references. In the linguistic dimension, the indicator was the replacement of the Arabic name with an English abbreviation as the primary identifier for the entity. In the visual dimension, it appeared as the absence of a modern visual alternative inspired by Saudi culture, and reliance on English abbreviations and abstract design elements. As for the communicative dimension, it was represented by the application of foreign communication practices without adapting them to the cultural and social specificity of Saudi society. The questionnaire results also showed a clear tendency among the sample members to prefer institutional brands that reflect Saudi cultural identity in their linguistic, visual, and communicative elements. It confirmed that the presence of these elements contributes to enhancing feelings of authenticity, belonging, trust, and connection with the entity, while their decline negatively affects the public’s perception of the institutional brand. The study concluded that indicators of cultural alienation may appear in one dimension of an institutional brand without necessarily extending to other dimensions, suggesting that they represent partial, treatable indicators rather than a general characteristic of the institutional brand. The study recommended the necessity of achieving a balance between developing institutional brands and preserving Saudi cultural references, and enhancing their presence in the linguistic, visual, and communicative dimensions to contribute to building institutional brands more connected to the Saudi public.

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Student Name:

Basil Omar Almutairi

Supervisor Name :

Abdullah Elnaqlah (trainer)

Academic Year :

2026

Specialization :

Master of Visual Brand Design

Basil Omar Almutairi. (2026). Indicators of Cultural Alienation in the Institutional Logos of Saudi Entities and Their Impact on the Saudi Audience [Master's Thesis, Anas Academy]. Anas Academy Research Repository. https://research.anasacademy.uk
Basil Omar Almutairi. (2026). Indicators of Cultural Alienation in the Institutional Logos of Saudi Entities and Their Impact on the Saudi Audience [Master's Thesis, Anas Academy]. Anas Academy Research Repository. https://research.anasacademy.uk