I have previously wrote about being focused on continuous growth and lifelong learning in the ten years ahead, and the article below is a continuation of this topic.

One result of the Covid-19 pandemic was the large amount of time spent thinking alone during the lockdown, which provided many of us the opportunity to slow down and consider the directions our lives were going in.

This report is intended for readers who are interested in shifting their focus to sustainability after having a marketing agency experience similar to my time as a member of Publicis Groupe for several years in Dubai Media City. As a lot of people wish to have new chapters in their careers after advertising, marketing and communication, the below is bit of a sneak peak as to how they can transition.

The journey I have undergone the last few years has shown me that I can transition from modeling in advertisements for clients of Big Four advertising agencies ahead of COP28 to studying climate models in courses created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The key to pursuing this new direction is identifying opportunities for local learning and embracing new information.

Sustainability start:

The journey to accomplishing something meaningful often starts within, since internal motivation is often what propels transitions that can seem difficult at first.

Similar to how a workout routine often requires months of dedication and consistency to lead to visible results, the path to learning about new topics often requires an individual to be self-driven and enthusiastic about doing the work behind the scenes when nobody is watching.

Fortunately, the growth of online cohorts that present free learning opportunities has allowed for people around the world to learn about sustainability while staying involved in their careers.

During the summer of 2025, there are both cohort-based learning and on-demand educational opportunities available for everyone interested in learning about the climate space.

The Paris-based online education startup INCO Academy is launching a free live 5-week Green Digital Certificate course on August 4 which covers topics such as the essentials of reporting within ESG strategy and the environmental considerations of AI usage.

The course is delivered several times per year in collaboration with partners across the MENA region including the Union for the Mediterranean, Egypt-based San3a Tech, Tunisia-based AgriLab and Orange Morocco.

The Mastering En-ROADS course delivered by Climate Interactive is also available on-demand: it focuses on teaching students how to utilize a climate simulation platform developed by the MIT Sloan School of Management, Climate Interactive and Ventana Systems.

The course is also delivered in a live month-long cohort called En-ROADS Climate Ambassador Camp that features global participants who started taking part in the latest edition on July 1.

The opportunity to join global cohorts thanks to online learning encourages learning new forms of data visualization which are relevant to storytelling strategies and opportunities to connect with those interested in growing within the field of sustainability.
As the second half of this decade begins in July 2025, this halfway point offers us the chance to explore the various ways we can continue developing by seeking world-class educational opportunities.

Jawad’s journey from promoting products in FMCG marketing roles to providing free recipes online before launching her Oath overnight oats product – which celebrated a product packaging redesign in June 2025 through local in-person events at restaurants – illustrates the importance of community building through genuine efforts.

Jawad ended her panel appearance on SFA main stage with actionable advice for individuals interested in making the same transition that helped her expand in the breakfast category and provide her product on shelves within 114 stores. She underlined long-term partnerships as a 2025 trend and encouraged strategies that involve sharing recipes using products to build excitement, as well as launching product giveaways and providing discount codes to build communities of culinary enthusiasts that become loyal customers.

Regional recipes

Sheilla Sajady also encouraged cultivating community following her transition from a corporate role as a creative director to promoting a wide range of chutney dips created by her mother Fatima Sajady. While the chutney created with healthy ingredients in a blender is a popular item on menus in Afghanistan and other countries across the MENA region, Maazah succeeded by also offering a variety of flavors that feature more ingredients.
Sajady explained that online marketing combined with offering samples of several flavors paved the way for Maazah’s transition from local farmers markets in the Minnesota area to stores on shelves across national grocery store chains.
“Social media is our gateway to share Maazah’s bold flavors and family story through engaging content, community conversations, and visually stunning storytelling, connecting with people who crave authenticity and vibrant experiences” said Sajady.

 
Sajady, who shared samples of a lemon aioli dip product at the Maazah booth during the Winter Fancy Food Show, recently designed packaging for new Maazah products featuring lentils that complement the award-winning chutney.
Maazah’s line of lentil dips showcased at the Winter Fancy Food Show included MENA region culinary favorites such as lemon tahini and roasted red pepper, as well as basil jalapeño and turmeric ginger.
Along with new products and visual updates shared through Maazah’s social media platforms, content such as recipes are shared through a website and newsletter that Sajady manages.
Maazah also keeps in touch by sharing event invitations with attendees of its previous events to complement a presence at booths at major events on both coasts of the United States such as the Natural Products Expo West held near San Diego and Los Angeles annually.
According to a presentation on global trends delivered by The Food Institute on the Big Idea Stage at the Winter Fancy Food Show, 2025 is expected to be a year where people in the United States take more interest in consuming immunity-boosting functional foods that are already popular in regions outside of North America.
The introduction of FMCG products like Maazah’s new lentil dip prominently featuring ginger and turmeric, a potent combination of antioxidant-rich ingredients utilized in regions like South Asia for many generations, suggests that the second half of 2025 will continue the trend of holistic health gaining popularity within cuisine.
One takeaway is clear as the food sector prepares for major annual events in 2026 such as the inaugural SFA Winter FancyFaire* launching on January 11 at the San Diego Convention Centre and the return of Gulfood to the Dubai World Trade Centre on January 26.
“Health is wealth” is a theme to pay attention to throughout the remainder of 2025 as health-conscious brands such as Oath and Maazah continue to expand in the FMCG space while offering complementary recipes for culinary enthusiasts to enjoy.

El Wanni goes on to speak about her own The Potion Studio which make it to the Sephora Accelerate program, saying: “I wanted to bring luxury into haircare in a way that feels both aspirational and accessible. For textured hair especially, true luxury is having high-performance products designed with us in mind, rather than as an afterthought.”

El Wanni goes on to define her typical client as “someone who values beauty, self-care, and creativity. They’re busy, style-conscious, and mindful about what they consume—whether it’s skincare, fashion, or haircare. They’re looking for products that are effective but also indulgent—something that makes their routine feel effortless yet special.”

For The Potion Studio El Wanni says that “isn’t just about the product—it’s the entire experience.” She wanted “haircare to feel like a ritual, not a chore.” She wanted her clients to feel “pampered, empowered, and seen.”

El Wanni concurs about the idea that Gen Z rathers experiences over possessions, explaining that “Gen Z doesn’t just buy products—they buy stories, values, and experiences. They want brands that align with their lifestyle and identity, not just their closet or bathroom shelf.”

Going back to the philosophy of her brand, she says she sees it “as more than just haircare—it’s an extension of a lifestyle. From our clean, high-quality formulations to the way we show up in fashion, culture, and wellness spaces, we’re creating an experience. Gen Z wants to know: Where did this product come from? What’s the story behind it? How does it fit into my daily routine beyond just function?” El Wanni even gives her two cents with regards to luxury brands at large saying that they “need to think beyond the product and tap into the emotional experience they create—whether that’s through immersive retail, digital storytelling, or community-driven moments.”

El Wanni however is clear about it: “Luxury is absolutely a concept.” She explains further, “but that doesn’t mean it’s without value.” And for her, tying everything into one meaningful statement she goes, “branding, perception, and storytelling hold immense power.”

However, for her clearly, “the difference between true luxury and marketing gimmicks is that real luxury delivers on the promise. When you strip back the label, a luxury product should still offer superior craftsmanship, innovation, and exclusivity.”

At The Potion Studio, our products are backed by science, high-quality ingredients, and a deep understanding of textured hair needs. That’s what makes the difference between just good branding and something that’s actually worth the price.

The whole idea of sweatshop labor for luxury brands sets El Wanni ablaze, “i’s a betrayal of what luxury is supposed to represent. If a product is being sold at an ultra-premium price, the people behind it—the artisans, manufacturers, and workers—should be treated with dignity and paid fairly.” She ties everything in a neat ribbon saying: “True luxury is about quality and ethics, not just profit margins.”

Her own roots played a factor in how inflamed she got: “As someone with Middle Eastern and Caribbean heritage, I’ve seen how labor exploitation disproportionately affects communities of color, particularly in the beauty and fashion industries.” She focused on responsible sourcing and transparency in her own brand. “If we claim to be a luxury brand, that means every part of the process—from ingredients to labor—should reflect that integrity.”

As for the lost aspirational consumers that luxury houses lost with their exhuberant price increase, El Wanni tends to that “luxury needs to rethink its exclusivity model rather than just lowering prices” to attract said consumers back. “The pandemic shifted consumer values—people are more conscious, selective, and experience-driven. Simply making things more affordable won’t be enough to regain trust.”

Philosophically she adds, “instead of chasing old buyers, brands should connect with the next generation of luxury consumers on their terms—through community, personalization, and meaningful storytelling. That’s why I focus on creating a high-touch experience.”

At the end of the day El Wanni goes about her own line, “whether you buy one product or the whole line, you feel like you’re part of something special.”

Among the 4,500 global exhibitors that prepared to welcome around 140,000 international visitors in Nevada until January 10, the inaugural Africa Pavilion shined as an example of international collaboration and support of the startup ecosystem across the African continent.

Over the course of several days, startup founders and investors shared their insights through pitches, live broadcasts and panels that were held in the Eureka Park section of CES featuring international exhibitors and interviews with radio and television stations. The full agenda and list of startups pitching is available at africa-pavilion.com as well as on the Africa Pavilion section of the CES 2025 website.

Communicate Online conducted several interviews at the African Pavilion following a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio, CTA Vice President John Kelley and African Pavilion founder Easy Show Morocco as well as partners Morocco NOW, Manos Capital, University Mohammed VI Polytechnic and Equality Partners.

According to Easy Show Morocco CEO Lamia Aamou, founder of the African Pavilion alongside Aminata Bassene and Jessica Chin Foo, CES 2025 was the ideal time to finally establish a space for Africa’s rising startup ecosystem in a collaborative manner.

“During my 15 years of attending CES, I noticed that the African startups were not situated in one space. Driven by the vision I had that was inspired by Africa’s villages, I wanted to create a pavilion with a village where experts from various African countries can showcase their expertise. Each tribe historically specialized in certain areas and offered unique contributions to local marketplaces: our idea for Africa Pavillion involved this approach in a modern era,” said Aamou.

“We found that the vision of His Majesty Mohammed VI is oriented towards the African continent and South-South trade, which helped us become partners with our neighbors and Morocco Now. Our Africa Pavilion team launched in February 2024 is led by women: we have Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Mali, Rwanda and Togo represented initially within our collective for CES 2025,” added Aamou.The effort to create a larger space for Africa’s technology ecosystem at CES 2026 is already being planned by Aaamou, who is an active member of an organization called Maroc de Demain that unites Moroccan thought leaders around the world.

Impactful Investments

The rapidly evolving digital ecosystem that was the theme of the 2025 CES theme “Dive In” was on full display at Africa Pavilion events held within the Venetian Convention and Expo Center and nearby at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The theme of globalization was prominent at this year’s CES which expected 50,000 international visitors who learned about upcoming 2025 trends at those venues and others throughout Las Vegas.

The global impact of Artificial Intelligence – alluded to in the CES 2025 theme to encourage attendees to further their knowledge of last year’s AI theme – was also acknowledged by Africa Pavilion organizers.

“In regards to investment nowadays, everyone is turning to AI. However, AI is not a tool, it’s a strategy. Thanks to AI it is now possible to create customizable customer journeys at scale,” said Equality Partners CEO Mounir Douiou, an investor who served as an Africa Pavilion video production coordinator alongside Paris-based partner VALYU.

“In today’s challenging financial climate, investors want to invest in companies that are already having success with signing on clients.”

Building the future digital ecosystem

University Mohammed VI Polytechnic President Hicham El Habti traveled from the innovation-focused campus in Benguerir near Marrakech in order to speak on several African Pavilion panels. Along with his colleagues visiting from the campus abbreviated as UM6P, El Habti hosted events at both the Venetian Expo and the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Following his keynote which elaborated on the importance of strategic partnerships – “Advancing Entrepreneurship and Accelerating Scientific Innovation in Morocco and Africa” – El Habti shared a preview of 2025 initiatives led by UM6P on campus and globally.

“When we started, we had to build a community of researchers from Morocco and other African countries. We were happy to attract experts from the Moroccan diaspora and wider African diaspora. Our main asset is our students: 7,000 students are in our programs. 3,600 students are involved in software coding and our curriculum encourages taking on entrepreneurship as a mindset instead of just looking for a job after graduating,” said El Habti.

“60 percent of Africa’s population is young. We want to enable the youth to utilize these technologies.”

El Habti added that 2025 will include UM6P plans to explore opportunities to deepen previous collaborations with UAE-based GITEX in Marrakech and several global tech ecosystem leaders.

“We are not just focused on Morocco: we are open to innovation from all over the world.
Following the launch of our startup campus StartGate and partnerships we signed with Plug And Play and MIT Sandbox, we are hosting our second annual Deep Tech Summit in May 2025. UM6P is also announcing our latest partnership: Station F in Paris is where we will have our own space by the end of January 2025. This will allow Moroccan startups to benefit from the Station F ecosystem in Paris while also helping accelerate entry to Morocco’s market.”

Las Vegas and beyond

The conclusion of CES 2025 and the first edition of the Africa Pavilion emphasized the importance of looking to the future.

Along with tours of the African Pavilion given by groups including Paris-based digital think tank HUB Institute, the upcoming generation of leaders was highlighted.

In addition to the final day of CES featuring a Youth Pitch Session organized by KESKI'A Consulting – featuring pitches by Paris-based startup founders Rahma Cheikh, Selma Rhanim and Manassé Lumbu – the future of emerging technology was analyzed.

Yassine Laghzioui, who serves as both Director of Entrepreneurship and Venturing at UM6P and CEO of UM6P Ventures, shared milestones of the progress of Africa’s technology ecosystem.

Following a panel in which he discussed national investment with Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency CEO Ali Seddiki, Laghzioui spoke about the role of UM6P as a catalyst on the African continent.

After participating in the first edition of Dubai World Trade Center-based GITEX held internationally, Laghzioui’s team is planning to follow up GITEX Africa in Marrakech with another global gathering.

UM6P is hosting the second annual DeepTech Summit on its Benguerir campus on May 8-9, with this year’s edition tackling how AI is transforming deep tech innovation. Following investments in deep tech and digital transformation that brought global startup founders to its campus, UM6P is aiming to further inspire international collaboration at the DTS Summit following 1,500 attendees from 30 nationalities attending the 2024 edition.

“Over the past four years, we’ve launched more than 17 such initiatives, spanning everything from entrepreneurial mindset training to full-scale acceleration. As a result, we’ve helped more than 850 startups and early-stage projects get off the ground. The top 40 among those startups succeeded in raising more than $60 million collectively and creating jobs—all while serving as role models for future entrepreneurs,” said Laghzioui.

“Still, we realized that incubation and acceleration alone aren’t enough. That’s why we created UM6P Ventures, one of Morocco’s leading pre-seed and early-stage venture capital firms. It has invested in more than 30 startups worldwide, with 70 percent being led by Moroccan entrepreneurs.”

As Morocco prepares for the international spotlight as the host of events such as the 2030 World Cup, the closing speech at African Pavilion delivered by Aamou summarized the historic week’s message.

“‘Africa is the future’ is a saying of the past: Africa is today.”
 

Always! Now, more than ever, in the complex and fragmented marketing ecosystem we operate in, no business can achieve their purpose or goals on their own. Across sectors, functions, and regions, we have witnessed some amazing success stories of collaboration and partnership. I’m a firm believer and a practitioner of this, having struck some winning partnerships throughout my journey. The key to success is to find a like-minded partner, sharing similar values and ambition, and truly working together to achieving common goals.

Sabrina De Palma
Executive Director at the Middle East PR Association

Design is a great form of non-verbal communication. One image can speak to universal multicultural audiences, and in a world where attention spans are short and time-constrained, visual communication is an opportunity for brands to engage audiences quickly and effectively. Communicators can use design to convey complex ideas, thoughts, and feelings into a simple visual which connects with their audience as much as, if not more than words can. We need to work with designers to ensure the design elements of a story are communicating and connecting to audiences in the way the brand or organization is intended to.

Alejandro Fisher
Regional Head of Strategy at OMD MENA

When great design is achieved, it’s rarely intuitive and not based on craft alone. It involves a deep understanding of a consumer’s unmet needs and a culture that allows for rapid prototyping. Empathy and analytical thinking cannot be owned by a single discipline or department. The more open we are to allow cross-functional teams to feed into the design process, the more we will be able to question, course correct and find new ways of solving a problem. Ultimately, when it comes to design, our commitment should be towards the end-user, applying a collective effort to make sure they are at the heart of the solution. That is how we deliver better business outcomes.

Elias Jabbe
CaliCreativityCourse.co Founder, Communications Consultant at 213 Communications

After participating in a transformational weeklong training program at the 2016 MIT Media Lab in Dubai, where I was taught by leaders from the IDEO Cambridge office (Ashley Shaffer and Nick DuPey), I have a strong appreciation for the IDEO perspective. My experiences in the tech and marketing industries — from collaborations with product designers in the tech start-up community at home in California to partnering with designers in marketing communications agencies’ in Dubai — have confirmed my belief that a collaborative approach works best.

Whether during the process of co-designing decks for new business pitches, out-of-home advertising, or cross-platform social media content, my favorite agency memories have involved processes where designers and client-facing team members brainstormed in order to determine the best creative direction. At the same time, working closely with superb designers in Dubai (notably, Mohammad Al Bardan) allowed me to have another opinion on my copywriting, that led me to refining it to complement designs.

The bottom line is, those who don’t have design backgrounds can constantly educate themselves by analyzing impactful advertisements, studying how designers operate (including topics like DesignOps and Design Thinking), and experimenting with free design online platforms like Canva.

Colman Sheil
Chief Creative Officer at Liquid

True, but…

Out of context, this comment may sound ridiculous, but Tim Brown is advocating a more holistic approach to design, where the wider team think and contribute as designers.

Some viewed design thinking as an expansive repackaging of the phrase “Think outside the box,” but Tim and his crew at IDEO fashioned Steve Job’s first ever computer mouse out of a roll-on deodorant stick and a butter dish, so who are we to argue?

Regardless of how wide you cast your net, you need to distill a great brief and inspire the people who know how to weave their magic on it – such as an awesome design team.

Julián Hernández
Executive Creative Director at Geometry MENA

I’d rather say design is too important to be left only to designers. Innovations come from many different fields and ways of thinking. Keeping design only for designers would mean to negate any other forms of knowledge that can contribute to improving modern life. Some of the best design work in the world right now comes from artists, creative engineers, scientists, and the consumer. Nowadays, we have more and better data to inform our decisions, enough education to pick our inspirations, and experience to give us an acute intuition to identify greatness. And access to all of the above is not restricted to designers only. It’s available to anyone with a genuine interest in solving human problems. Design is for the people.

Stephanie Terroir,
Head of Twitter NEXT, MENA

True! I come from a user experience, graphic/industrial design, and information architecture background, where ‘the architect is not the engineer and the engineer is not the architect’ mindset ruled for a very long time. In reality, while each of them has their specific knowledge, expertise, and strengths, they must rely on each other every step of the way throughout the design process – this applies to almost all design disciplines and is true today more than ever.

Ultimately, design needs to serve the audience. It’s intended for joining aesthetic and function. Bringing collaboration, diversity of skills and thinking processes to the table allows for agile iterations, as it reframes the problem that’s being solved and improves the original design. This keeps the needs and behaviors of the customer at the heart of the process, lending to a human-centric approach.

Darien Harris
Founding Partner of JansenHarris

Design starts with defining the problem and then exploring ways to solve it within the constraints of the brief and resources. Which, essentially, is strategic. With any problem and subsequent solutions, the more minds you apply to it, the better chances you have to innovate. In addition to this, the more diverse the perspectives (in terms of role and personal background, culture), the more novel solutions you generate. We adopt a design thinking approach that bring our clients and diverse team together to focus on the human problem we’re trying to solve. Fast. In some cases, we involve those who we are designing for to test and iterate the possible solutions.

The ongoing impact of digital on the tourism industry in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia emerged as a popular topic of discussion at the annual MEASA Aviation Show in Dubai on October 14.

The event, which has been organized for several years by Terrapinn Middle East, featured tracks such as a Travel Tech Show that shed light on possibilities for digital engagement within the travel agency, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The new journey

The travel experience has reached unchartered territory in terms of technology’s impact on journeys – both in regards to customers and the actual voyage. From websites that help cost-conscious travelers find affordable deals and organize personalized itineraries, to mobile apps like Google Maps’s Live View AR feature, that guides lost tourists with augmented reality-enhanced walking directions, travel will never be the same.

This theme was examined closely during a MEASA Aviation Show keynote speech by Norberto Cibien, Accenture’s managing director – products lead Middle East & Turkey, revolving around “post-digital” travel.

“Travel companies have embarked on a bold and somewhat mystifying trip to a new world. It’s a world where passengers and guests communicate their demands instantly and expect gratification in real-time [… a world where] travel experiences are not isolated events, but part of a connected journey,” said Cibien.

“Digital technologies have taken travel companies halfway there. Now, to meet people where they are, at moments they choose, travel companies need to embrace ‘post-digital’ technologies: distributed ledgers, AI, extended reality and even quantum computing (DARQ),” he added.

Digital deals

As exciting as travel itself is, it’s hard to overlook the excitement and anticipation that build from the moment when itineraries are planned and airplane tickets are bought, preferably at affordable prices. Whether through desktop, mobile or apps, the search and booking experiences offered by travel aggregators have played a key role in travel planning.

Travel search engine Wego has kept its fingers on the pulse of millennial travelers within and outside of MENA, thanks to initiatives like its mobile-first approach 2019 report on the world’s most Instagrammable cities; and its MENA Traveller Destination Leaderboard revealed at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

According to Mamoun Hmedan, Wego managing director of MENA and India, the early adopter approach by the Singapore-headquartered aggregator has played a major role part in its success.

“When the e-commerce world was shifting into mobile a few years back, we adopted a mobile-first strategy and launched our localized app which positioned us in front of the youth audience. […] We have split our social media strategy into informative social media pages and space for users to interact with us as a brand, and provided them with 24/7 customer service support,” said Hmedan.

He added that usage of newer digital tools has not come at the expense of tried-and-true channels such as email marketing.

“At Wego, we understand the significance of data and have designed our CRM strategy around those data touchpoints, which allows us to communicate with our users based on their behavior, sending targeted and relevant messages for our users via push notifications and emails.”

The importance of mobile platforms is particularly noteworthy among young people in the GCC, even in regard to “staycations” and internal tourism.

Cleartrip director of marketing Matthew Sliedrecht followed up his company’s fifth Travel Insights Report published with flyin.com in September with analysis of the rise of mobile amongst Saudi Arabia’s young travelers.

“Millennials and the up-and-coming Gen Z in Saudi Arabia are mobile-first bookers. In the first half of 2019, we’ve seen a 145% increase in mobile bookings and this is being driven by millennials and Gen Z customers. We have seen a significant increase in domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia […] In the last two years, we have seen a 42% increase in domestic travel as airlines expand their routes and invest in new aircrafts,” said Sliedrecht.

“With the focus on tourism as part of Saudi’s Vision 2030, and the launch of Saudi Seasons (by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage), starting in Riyadh, we are very excited to help support domestic tourism within Saudi and bring in more international travelers to the Kingdom,” he added.

Low-cost leaders

Given that the young population in the GCC often wants to simply get from point A to point B without a luxury flight experience, there are opportunities for low-cost carriers (LCCs) to find a niche.

That’s certainly the case for two of the recently-launched LCCs from GCC countries that were at the MEASA Aviation Show.

Con Korfiatis, CEO of flyadeal (a LCC owned by Saudia), explained that mobile has proved to be a strong factor for the airline’s growing popularity among Saudi tourists; a trend that could be repeated by global tourists looking to explore the kingdom thanks to the new tourist visas.

“Two years on from our launch in September 2017, we have 11 aircraft and have flown five million passengers. Over 90% of our sales are online and over 60% of all sales are via mobile devices. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is an e-commerce market: the perfect test bed for technological innovation. Our target customers are therefore Generation Y and Z,” said Korfiatis.

“We have an incredibly young demographic with 80% of the population being less than 40 years of age […] The country has just extended visa on arrival to 51 countries, with over 20,000 visas being issued within ten days. This is a country moving at breakneck speed,” he added.

The airline previously made waves using social media to promote a prank “Cargo Passenger Class” flight option that went viral and increased its popularity on search engines, leading to more bookings.

ما يحتاج درجة خزانة الأمتعة! مع #طيران_أديل #سافر_بأقل_الأسعار في كل الأوقات! ? ✈️#درجة_خزانة_الأمتعة

We don’t need Cargo Passenger Class! With #flyadeal you can #FlyforLess
anytime ? ✈️#cargo_passenger_class pic.twitter.com/pVDJPFyG8P

— طيران أديل (@flyadeal) December 16, 2018

Meanwhile, in neighboring Oman, SalamAir has started its own journey of making destinations like Salalah more accessible to tourists hoping to enjoy a pleasant getaway in the Sultanate.

The airline utilizes platforms like Instagram to raise awareness about promotions that target foreign tourists while highlighting its outbound flights to nearby countries. While Salalah is known by GCC-based tourists as a place to escape during the heat of the Gulf’s summer, it could soon be discovered by Europe-based travelers thanks to SalamAir’s online marketing campaigns, according to SalamAir CEO Mohamed Ahmed.

Dynamic destinations

In an era when millennials favor companies with purposes that align with their own, a new style of travel for young people is on the rise, accompanied by the relevant marketing approaches.

VisitBritain launched in 2018 a campaign that focused on domestic tourism over short periods of time, such as weekend getaways. The #MyMicroGap campaign presented a variety of ideas, including encouraging young Brits to give back to the environment through sustainability-centric initiatives such as cleaning up plastic and fighting climate change.

Leveraging the popularity of Instagram, VisitBritain also partnered with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to launch a crowdsourced photography campaign capturing images of a rare species of puffins and sharing them through the #Puffarazzi hashtag.

View this post on Instagram

We want your hungry puffin pictures! Join the puffin party and submit them to our #ProjectPuffinUK #Puffarazzi (Link in bio) http://bit.ly/2Q5VDDc #Birds #RSPB #August #CitizenScience

A post shared by RSPB Love Nature (@rspb_love_nature) on Aug 5, 2019 at 11:00am PDT

 VisitBritain Director of APMEA Tricia Warwick explained that #MyMicroGap is part of a plan to instill a love of travel in young people that will inspire future trips.

“By working with destinations and tourism businesses, our Microgap campaign is igniting the passion for travel in young people and building a habit that will last a lifetime, boosting growth from tourism and spreading its economic benefits across most of the year,” said Warwick.

In the MENA region, young people are also seeking personalized travel experiences and curated trips in small groups. Instagram Stories have helped document the Tamashee Experience – short guided trips of historic regions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia led by Tamashee co-founders Mohammed Kazim and Muneera Al Tamimi.

View this post on Instagram

#AlQattbyTamashee #TamasheexLevelShoes

A post shared by تماشي (@tamashee) on May 18, 2018 at 7:41am PDT

Additionally, Egypt-based Visit & Go is an Arabic-language marketplace for booking tours and activities, offering tourists from MENA countries access to tours led in Arabic in destinations around the world.

Nabil El-Shafeay, Visit & Go founder and CEO, said mobile traffic has stood out as a significant portion of the visitors to the portal: “Thanks to high (levels of) tech adoption in the Middle East, mobile penetration is quite high – more than 80%. This is making a significant impact on the travel experience overall.”

Elías Jabbe (Elias213.com) is a communications consultant, writer and traveler based in Dubai, UAE. 

PR industry leaders and journalists gathered at the inaugural Middle East PR Association (MEPRA) KSA Leadership Majlis in Riyadh on October 21, to discuss the evolution of the PR industry in Saudi Arabia.

This year’s “Impact & Influence”-themed edition was documented on MEPRA’s social media platforms as it happened at Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, and served as a sequel to previous editions of the Majlis in Abu Dhabi.

On top of analyzing branding opportunities for key Saudi projects – including Vision 2030 and The Red Sea Project – highlighted in a previous Communicate article, the need for PR professionals to adapt the latest technologies available was a recurring theme throughout the half-day event.

Modern marketing

During the first speech of the Majlis, which set the tone for a day full of analysis of the future of PR, International Public Relations Association (IPRA) executive board member Faisal Al Zahrani said that traditional communications skills leveraged in his country need to be paired with modern tools.

“The Internet revolutionized the public relations and communications industry. Traditional skills like writing, crisis management and public speaking, are not adequate anymore,” said Al Zahrani. “We need to have enhanced expertise in social media content.”

Al Zahrani was followed by Peter Debreceny, vice president of international at Page (also known as the Arthur W. Page Society), who discussed the future of chief communications officers. Debreceny shared excerpts from a new Page report called “The CCO as Pacesetter: What It Means, Why It Matters, How to Get There” which includes survey results from 18 months of global research.

One of the main takeaways from Debreceny’s presentation was that PR professionals should take inspiration from the MarTech (Marketing Technology) movement and leverage CommTech in order to create digital engagement opportunities.

Wise words shared by speakers @NoorNugali, @MuhammadTahlawi, @MazenNahawi and moderator @JontySummers at our final #MEPRAMajlis panel in Riyadh that studied 'The changing face of modern media' in #SaudiArabia. pic.twitter.com/RseQqkty6Z

— MEPRA (@MEPRA_org) October 21, 2019

The big picture

Along with an overview of digital PR, the Majlis offered perspectives on PR’s true purpose and where the industry is heading next in Saudi Arabia, in an era where it pursues a larger platform on the global stage and a new tourism strategy.

Saudia VP of corporate communications Fahad Bahdailah’s presentation featured a case study of the airliner’s partnership with Formula E during the 2018 Saudia Ad Diriyah ePrix, with a reminder regarding how PR spokespersons should maintain a subtle approach.

“A lot of people have this misperception about spokespersons. The spokesperson should not be in the media all the time. He should be in the media when there is a need for him to be in the media,” Bahdailah said.

The MC of the Majlis and MEPRA chair Jonty Summers shared his impressions with Communicate and looked ahead to the nonprofit’s upcoming events in Abu Dhabi, including the REMAP Communications Festival on November 19 and the MEPRA Awards Gala on November 20.

“In putting together the MEPRA Leadership Majlis in Riyadh, we looked to bring together senior communication leaders from across the region to discuss the challenges, trends and opportunities in public relations in Saudi Arabia,” said Summers. “It was a fascinating program, with a lot of differing and creative viewpoints from a range of interesting speakers, from government organizations, corporates and agencies. There’s a real sense of energy in the public relations community in Saudi Arabia at present.”

Christopher Ghorayeb, Associate creative director at TBWA/RAAD

“Beirut, and I’m not only referring to the creative industry, but to the people themselves. Their inherent ability to transform every problem into an opportunity, is where their creativity lies. With all the challenges they face every day, Lebanese people always find an original way to circumvent any problems. They’ve turned old walls damaged by the war into pieces of art, political disputes into memes that help people see the light in the darkest hours, and uncertainty into hope through new projects which they bring to life every single day… I feel that, for Lebanese, creativity is a survival instinct that is deeply embedded in our culture.”

Elias Jabbe, Editor at Publicis Groupe

“I see my home Los Angeles as the most creative city. LA’s multiculturalism and arts fuel my Californian creativity, which I now share with the world.”

Eric Mirabel, Regional executive director- marketing at OMG

“I think Cairo is a creative hotbed, cinematographically, historically, in advertising term, artistically. Some of the most exciting campaigns come from there. There’s a buzz about the place and the people. All it needs is money.”

Safa Yakoob, Senior account executive at APCO

“Mexico city. There are a bunch of reasons: their architecture, art, murals, food, culture… It’s stunning! It is so vibrant, from paintings to jewelry to street art. It is electric and quite different from usual European artwork.”

Hussein Itani, Communications and management consultant

“At first, I thought of businesses, but I don’t think it’s very fair to describe a city’s creative feel in terms of how many creative agencies it holds, rather than the feel of it’s streets’ and people’s activities. That’s why I believe Barcelona, Lisbon and Beirut are to be considered as some of the most creative. For example, in every corner of Barcelona, there is a creative representation: music, graffiti, street performances…So, you feel that in every corner, something that deals with creativity is happening. Even on activism, they creatively deliver their political and social messages. Same goes with Lisbon and Beirut. That’s why I see these citites as most creative.”

Malek Ghorayeb, Regional executive creative director at Publicis communication – Levant

“Instinctively, my mind will travel beyond the borders of our region. It will go west to Copenhagen or east towards Tokyo. Both cities have put innovation and technology at the core of simple ideas and executions, and understood the principle of what can be called ‘contemporary creativity’, be it visually or in storytelling, in the world of art, design and even fashion…They are miles ahead of the rest of the world.”

Hussan Al Hage, Digital media lead at Arabian automobiles

“Creativity happens best when people from different backgrounds collaborate together. That is why Dubai is able to generate great creative thoughts and initiatives.”

Gina Alkuino, Head of operations, ad sales and traffic at OSN

“Tokyo. Whilst Japan is the world’s most populous metropolis, the country never stops to advance their technology. Tokyo, in my opinion, is the globe’s creative hub up until today.”

Alex Malouf, Past chair of the International Association of Business Communicators EMENA region

“In the Gulf, I see the most creative work coming out of either Kuwait or Jeddah. The work is simply funnier and edgier as the marketers there know their audience and will take risks. For the region, Cairo is marmite; some of the work is outstanding and very funny, whilst other campaigns fall flat. If it’s the world, then Brazil as a country. Their entries for the Cannes Lions are brilliant, creative, emotional and impactful.”

Stephen King,  Lecturer in media at Middlesex University, Dubai.

“I was torn between the chaotic beauty of New York, the industrialized rebirth of Rotterdam, and the eclectic blend of nature, history, modernity and postmodernism interpretivism of Barcelona.”

Maher Diab, Managing partner at Arab Cinema Center

“In the Arab world, I would say Beirut and Cairo, [from] personal experience with each city, the energy….[In] North America, I would say Montreal, as if [it is] a piece of Europe in the cold northern hemisphere, so alive in the summer, from live gigs to visual art to theatres….[In] South America, I would say Sao  Paolo and Rio; I’ve never seen better street art in any other place, live music all weekends…[In] Asia, Bali is a perfect mix between ancient folklore and contemporary art movements and cuisines. And in Europe, Barcelona.”

Hala Droubi, Journalist

“I don’t think there are creative cities. Perhaps cities that inspire? I’m inspired in Cairo, Istanbul and Beirut, because they’re very familiar to me but they’re not redundant and they’re changing; their streets generate stories, rumors, anger and lots of emotions.”

Andreas Keller, Managing partner at Leidar

“I think I will go for London because of its cosmopolitan population, its vibrant art, music and entertainment scene, as well as [its] innovative and entrepreneurial business culture.”

The Middle East Public Relations Association will host its inaugural Leadership Majlis in Saudi Arabia on October 21 at the Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya after several editions in Abu Dhabi.

According to a press release distributed by MEPRA Executive Director Sabrina De Palma, the UAE-based nonprofit is dedicating the KSA MEPRA Leadership Majlis it announced in a Communicate report in January to an ‘Impact and Influence’ theme that will address topics such as tourism opportunities in Saudi Arabia, the export potential of the Saudi brand and the evolution of the media industry.

“We hope the inaugural KSA MEPRA Leadership Majlis will spark discussion and ideas and to address the most pressing topics facing the profession of public relations in the region. By bringing together leading figures in communications, both from the Middle East and internationally, the gathering is a platform to share knowledge and showcase best practice,” said MEPRA Chair Jonty Summers in the release.

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Secure your seats to our first ever KSA MEPRA Leadership Majlis! Hosted on 21st October at Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya, the communication leadership conference will bring together senior professionals to address some of the industry’s biggest challenges, trends and opportunities. Speakers so far include @theredseadevelopmentcompany, @uk_gov, @youtube, Arab News, Saudia, Kingdom Holding Company, CARMA, IPRA, Page. Our sessions will cover Shaping International Perceptions of Saudi Arabia, Exploring the Export Potential Of A Saudi Brand, A Behavioural Approach To Government Communications, The Changing Face Of Modern Media plus much more! Find out more ?link in bio. Register today! Please note this is a mixed audience event. This event would not be possible without the generous support of our partners @acwapower @apcoworldwide @arabnews @carma_mena @fourcomms @guinnessworldrecords @saudi_airlines @ipraofficial and Page! #mepramajlis #confrence #imactandinfluence #knowledgesharing #middleeastpr #mepra #growingtogether

A post shared by Middle East PR Association.. (@mepra_org) on Sep 24, 2019 at 1:23am PDT

Travel Talk

Following the announcement of the Saudi tourist visa last week at an event in Riyadh on World Tourism Day (September 27), Majlis attendees will enjoy a rare opportunity to learn about tourism trends in Saudi Arabia. During the aforementioned event, Ahmed Al Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), stated that the Saudi government aims to attract 100 million foreign and domestic visitors by 2030.

Several Majlis panels will feature leading voices in the Saudi tourism industry that are contributing to attaining that goal: SAUDIA VP of Corporate Communications Fahad Bahdailah and Red Sea Development Company Director of PR and Corporate Communications Steve Bowen.

The latter spoke with Communicate and shared a preview of his MEPRA Majlis panel that will highlight The Red Sea Project, a sustainable tourism initiative catering to luxury travelers.

“The opening of the Saudi international tourism market is a huge step toward creating new pathways to opportunity for the Saudi people and driving economic growth in an industry that contributes an estimated ten percent to global GDP. Initiatives like the Red Sea Project will play an important role in enhancing global understanding and appreciation of the rich local culture, the extraordinary hospitality of the Saudi people and the stunning natural beauty that can be found here,” said Bowen.

Other noteworthy sessions include an analysis of YouTube in Saudi Arabia and the evolution of online video by Joyce Baz, Head of PR and Communications at Google Middle East and North Africa and MEPRA Strategy Board Member.