Dubai - Edelman announced on Sunday that Omar Qirem will join the firm as CEO of Edelman Middle East. An Edelman returnee, Omar will report to Carol Potter, President & CEO, Edelman EMEA.
Omar re-joins Edelman from Saudi Arabian family business Abdul Latif Jameel where he was Director of Communications. In this role, he was responsible for international communications.
Born and raised in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Omar has two decades of communications experience in the British government, as well as agency and corporate roles in the Middle East. During this time, he has provided communications counsel for private-sector campaigns, major government initiatives, B2B marketing, and reputation management.
Carol Potter, President & CEO, Edelman EMEA said of the appointment: “Omar returns to Edelman with a raft of experience leading and executing strategic communications programmes across multiple sectors and markets. He brings our clients and teams in the UAE deep market knowledge and expertise, as well as a strong understanding of government and public policy engagement. I am delighted to announce this appointment for our operations in the Middle East.”
Prior to Abdul Latif Jameel, Omar was a director in Edelman Saudi Arabia from 2012-2016, and was also responsible for public affairs and crisis in the Middle East. During this time, he advised clients including UAE and Saudi Arabian government entities, a global energy business, and private sector clients.
Speaking of his new role, Omar Qirem said: “Having grown up in Saudi Arabia and lived in the United Arab Emirates for a number of years, I feel very passionate about the Middle East. It is clear the whole region is transforming, and Edelman - with its current team, regional experience, global network, deep sector capabilities and local expertise - is well-placed to help clients succeed. I really look forward to starting in the near future.”
Omar joins an executive leadership team in the Middle East including: Teri O’Donnell, Managing Director, Reputation; Ayesha Karumbaya, Global Client Lead; and Bhavna Thapar, Director, Brand and Jared Robinson, CFO.
Based in Dubai, from September, Omar will spend time travelling across all of Edelman’s offices in the Middle East.
Omar previously contributed to Gulf News, when he guest starred on the Dirhams and Dollars business podcast as a Crisis and Communications expert, which you can listen to here.
He succeeds Tod Donhauser, who has returned home to the US, as Managing Director of Edelman’s Bay area.
