Dialogue critical for future, Al Hashimy tells PRWC

A new culture of openness in the Middle East and the importance of professional ethics were the focus of the Opening Ceremony of the 20th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) in Dubai this morning. Taking place for the first time in the Middle East, this biennial international event is being held from March 13-15 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Officially opening the Congress, Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State, told the over 450 attending delegates that communications is playing an increasingly critical role for governments, businesses and civil society.

“Connectivity and dialogue – between peoples and among nations – are so central to our shared future,” Her Excellency said. “That is why communications professionals, like you, play such an important role in shaping the positive direction of the world.”

In his own keynote address, Abdallah S. Jum’ah, the former President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, said that PR practitioners wielded tremendous power, but with that power came significant responsibilities. “At the heart of those responsibilities lies adherence to a strong code of professional ethics,” he told Congress delegates.

“Talk of a ‘moral code’ for corporate communications professionals may sound old-fashioned to some, but I would argue that ethics is the cornerstone of Public Relations,” Jum’ah said. “Consistent ethical behaviour is indeed the single most important hallmark of a successful PR professional.”

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the three-day Congress is organised by the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC) and presents the latest trends in communications.

Speakers at the Congress include Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition People’s Justice Party, Anwar Ibrahim; the Founder Chairman of Burson-Marsteller, Harold Burson; 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-Rashed; Roger Fisk, who played a key ‘behind the scenes role’ in the election of US President Barack Obama; and many others.

Key sponsors of the Congress include Saudi Aramco and Saudi Basic Industry Corporation (SABIC), which have signed up as headline Strategic Partners. Emirates is serving as the Official Airline of the Congress, while CNN and Al Arabiya TV are the International Broadcast Partners. Dubai Media City is Industry Partner of the Congress. Bates PanGulf is the Design & Advertising Partner; ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller is the Marketing & PR Partner; and Media Watch is the Media Intelligence Partner.

A biennial event, the last Public Relations World Congress was held in 2010 in Lima, Peru, and attended by industry representatives from 39 countries, while the 2008 Public Relations World Congress was held in Beijing, China. In both instances, the event brought significant media and industry attention to the host country, with the world's foremost communications professionals and media experts attending the sessions. The first Congress was held in Brussels, Belgium, in 1955.

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