News room

The acquisition of Grayling Dubai from its parent company Huntsworth plc by its CEO, Loretta Ahmed, has been completed, creating a new independent agency for the region. The business will retain close ties to the Grayling network as it remains an affiliate partner for its Middle East mandates. Staying under the Grayling brand in the […]

By: Lama Abdelbarr   According to Talkwalker’s influencer marketing survey, 69% of respondents ranked influencer marketing as a strategic priority for 2019. That’s no surprise, given that influencer marketing has been proven to deliver 11 times higher ROI than traditional forms of digital marketing. If it’s done right. That’s why we put together some key guidelines […]

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) MENA has announced the launch of PRCA Lebanon. ​ PRCA Lebanon will be the latest chapter of PRCA MENA, the professional membership association representing PR and communications consultancies, in-house communications teams, and individuals throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. PRCA Lebanon will be chaired by Beirut-based industry […]

When it comes to measurement and evaluation, how confident are you discussing measurement with clients? According to the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) 2017 world report, 83% of respondents in the MENA region still use advertising value equivalents (AVE’s) because they say that it’s expected by clients. We, as an industry, are ambitious and creative, pushing […]

Following the successful inaugural edition of FinTech Abu Dhabi Summit in 2017, markettiers were delighted to come on board once again to support with maximising awareness around the 2nd edition of the Summit, an event exclusively designed and organised by an international financial centre – Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). BRIEF: FinTech AD 2018 Deliver […]

In response to the changing client-consultancy relations in PR and communications in MENA, and to meet our commitment to uphold best practice, PRCA MENA has launched its new Client-Consultancy Charter. Developed through consultations with members, the ten-point Charter is intended to help PR consultancies and client organisations work as effectively as possible together, and to avoid the common […]

Leanne Foy MPRCA, General Manager, PRCA MENA, is leaving the association on 16th August, 2018, after taking PRCA MENA from launch to great success over the last two years. Foy will be replaced as General Manager by Melissa Cannon MPRCA, who has supported Foy in her role since 1st May, 2018. Foy is leaving the […]

Guinness World Records, the world record adjudicator, has continued its partnership agreement with PRCA MENA for a second year. The collaboration aims to strengthen the existing relationship and connect members and organisations to create bespoke record-breaking campaigns that engage audiences through unforgettable moments. Leila Issa, Senior Marketing Manager, Guinness World Records, said: “We are pleased […]

We are delighted to announce that we will be media partners of this year’s MENA Search Awards, being held at the Madinat Jumeirah Resort in Dubai, on Thursday 20 September.   Last year, the first MENA Search Awards went off with a bang, so this year it’s going to be bigger and better than ever, […]

PRCA MENA has announced the shortlist for the Young PR Lions MENA competition to find the best young PR professionals in the country. Eight teams have been shortlisted to win the accolade this year and one of them will be heading to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to take part in the international […]

The PRCA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) across the EMENA region. The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a global network of communication professionals committed to improving organisational effectiveness through strategic communications. Established in 1970, IABC serves members in more than 70 countries […]

We are delighted to announce the full shortlist for the PRCA MENA Awards 2018. Campaign Categories: Regional Campaign of the Year Brazen – Wadi shops for success Matrix PR – Face It All With Himalaya Seven Media – Abu Dhabi  Formula One Grand Prix Seven Media – Image Nation Shamal Communications – Arabian Travel Market […]

Helsinki, ICCO Global Summit, October 6th, 2017 – Leading international networking group GWPR (Global Women in PR) revealed that although women represent two-thirds of the global PR industry, 78% of the CEOs in the top 30 PR agencies worldwide* are men and that they also occupy 62% of seats at the PR boardroom table. The […]

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) announced today that it has imposed its most serious sanctions on Bell Pottinger, following the industry regulator’s investigation into Bell Pottinger’s work for Oakbay Capital in South Africa. The investigation followed a complaint from the Democratic Alliance. Bell Pottinger’s membership has been terminated with immediate effect. Bell Pottinger will not be […]

Cancellation Terms PRCA does not offer any refunds on training courses booked, only a transfer (of the same cost value) is eligible. Should a PRCA Member book and pay Non Member rate, a credit note for the cost difference will be issued. We cannot issue a refund for the cost difference. Transfer Policy If you […]

The Public Relations and Communications Association in the Middle East and North Africa (PRCA MENA) has revealed the findings of its first Digital PR and Communications Report, with insights across the following key areas: In-house budgeting for paid media continues to rise Web design and build is a huge growth area for PR and communications […]

PRCA MENA is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Action UAE for the launch of its own training academy. The CPD-accredited programme includes both face-to-face training in the region as well as online training webinars and will be overseen from PRCA MENA’s office in Dubai. PR and communications professionals will be allocated a training […]

PRCA MENA is pleased to announce that the Weber Shandwick team of Angelina Hedra and Viviana Villasmil have won the MENA Young Lions PR Competition, and will go on to represent the region at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, sponsored by ICCO. This is the second year PRCA MENA has run the competition which this year […]

Awards and PR often seem to go hand in hand. Whilst there are ample opportunities to submit your best work for recognition amongst industry peers, I was particularly excited about this one! The PRCA MENA Awards held on February 8th was a first for the industry body in the region, since coming to the Middle […]

Napolean Bonaparte once said – “Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.” The inaugural PRCA Awards 2017 saw Matrix PR, one of the oldest agencies in the region, do just that. On a cold winter night, a room full of regional PR professionals set the […]

The inaugural PRCA MENA Awards 2017 celebrated the very best individuals, teams, and campaigns from the PR and communications industry from across the Middle East and North Africa. Leading practitioners attended the awards at the H Hotel in Dubai on the evening of Wednesday, 8th February. The event, hosted by broadcaster and journalist Katie Fielder, saw […]

By Claire Walker, CEO and founder, Firefly Communications You’ll be searching for a needle in a haystack if you want to identify any business executive who can make the time to write their own content (though, more often than not, the ideas are still theirs!). An ongoing stream of relevant and timely content is critical […]

Wow! What a year 2016 was… some people are calling it the worse year in recent memory (although I suppose that mainly depends on which side of the political fence you sit), but the long list of celebrity deaths, economic turmoil, hacking controversies, acts of terror and natural disasters were enough to make us all […]

PRCA MENA is pleased to announce that MCG Associates will be the headline sponsors of the inaugural PRCA MENA Awards. MCG Associates is an international talent consultancy with offices in Dubai, London and Hong Kong. The agency specialises in the marketing, digital and communications sectors and its services include recruitment, executive search, training, pitch brokerage and […]

2016 will perhaps be remembered as the year of the unexpected – political, economic, even sports… we have learned that the only thing that you can anticipate is that things will evolve and shift over the next 12 months. With 2017 bringing in more change, what are a few of the trends that we are […]

The blurring lines between marketing, PR and social media, which have characterised the communications business over the past 12 months, look set to shape the outlook for 2017. Companies have a larger-than-ever mix of earned, paid and owned media channels at their disposal and our responsibility as communications professionals is to comprehensively advise clients and […]

The received wisdom in PR has it that print media is the only thing that counts in the Middle East and North Africa. If you’re not in the print edition then, as far as clients are concerned, it doesn’t count. But is that wisdom accurate? Study after study has shown that millennials, at least, no […]

Looking back on 2016, it’s difficult to remember more uncertain times. Life in a PR agency certainly always has more than its fair share of ups and downs, but this year it has felt harder than usual to predict and anticipate what exactly is around the corner. A major silver lining is the fact that […]

PRCA MENA is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Instinctif Partners for the launch of its own training academy. The CPD-accredited programme includes both face-to-face training in the region as well as webinars and will be overseen from PRCA MENA’s office in Dubai. PR and communications professionals will be allocated a training budget […]

PRCA MENA is pleased to announce the names of people who will be judging the inaugural PRCA MENA Awards. The PRCA MENA Awards are to be judged by 19 of the biggest names from the PR and communications industry, comprising an international panel. They are: Liam Maguire MPRCA, Head of Media Relations, Good Relations Alison […]

PRCA MENA is thrilled to announce that the inaugural PRCA MENA Awards are officially open for entries! The PRCA MENA Awards will take place on February 8th and will seek out and celebrate the very best campaigns, teams, and individuals from the region over the past year. You can find out information on the Awards […]