World Congress to discuss trends in the PR industry

Dubai The three-day 20th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) which begins in Dubai Tuesday marks the first time the event is being hosted in the Middle East.

The congress will be held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and will feature a line-up of over 35 speakers from around the world, who will share their views on the changing political landscape, challenges and opportunities in the Public Relations (PR) sector, the future of the media, social media trends, and PR in the Middle East.

More than 500 delegates from are expected to attend. Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (Sabic) have signed up as headline strategic partners.

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the event's diamond sponsor.

"The event, being hosted in the Middle East for the first time, is a testament to the importance the region plays today in the global communications landscape.

"It also further demonstrates the region's potential for investment and growth opportunities in the field of public relations, capitalising on each other's experiences and demonstrating some of Sabic's global role in this regard," said Samir Al Abdrabbuh, vice-president of corporate communications at Sabic.

According to Rami Halawani, marketing and corporate communications director at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the PR industry in Dubai is valued at over $500 million.

A number of sessions will be hosted centring on three themes; ‘From Arab Street to Wall Street, Communications in the Age of Dialogue'; ‘The Changing Political Landscape,' and ‘The Future of the Media.'

Harold Burson, founding chairman of Burson-Marsteller and a pioneer in modern PR, will share his insights into communications based on his 65 years of experience in the industry.

Other speakers include Malaysia's former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the opposition People's Justice Party, Anwar Ebrahim, British public relations guru and chairman of Chime Communications Lord Bell, former head of Al Jazeera and co-founder of the Sharq Forum Wadah Khanfar, general manager of Al Arabiya TV Abdul Rahman Al Rashid and Roger Fisk, who played a key role in Barack Obama's poll campaign.