Mona Al Marri addresses role of women in the media industry

Mona Ghanem Al Marri, Director-General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, today addressed the inaugural high-level speaker series of the MENA Chapter of the ‘Global Women in PR’ held in support of female empowerment within the Public Relations, Media and Communications Industry.

The private event, hosted at the Dubai International Financial Centre, saw a group of senior female professionals participating in an interactive session with Al Marri.

Speaking on the topic ‘The Continuous Synergy Between the PR Industry and Government Communication’, Al Marri said that the proactive use of communication is a vital element in Dubai government’s development strategies. At a time when Dubai is seeking to implement tomorrow’s projects today - as part of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, - strategic communication continues to be particularly important.

She spoke about how innovation is at the centre of Dubai’s growth vision. The emirate’s leadership, she said, is seeking to make innovation a cornerstone of social and economic development and encourage the development of new initiatives that will place the city 10 years ahead of other cities.

Dubai is also strongly focused on harnessing the creative energies and leadership capabilities of its youth, Al Marri said. Many initiatives have been launched to open new avenues for the youth to demonstrate their talent and skills. Several recently introduced projects are also offering the youth opportunities to take the lead in pushing the frontiers of innovation and technology.

Speaking about the role that communications and public relations professionals play in promoting growth, she said the perspectives and strategies they bring as a community of professionals has contributed to the story of Dubai immensely and its emergence as a prominent hub for this practice.

Al Marri added that women can enrich the practice of strategic communication and public relations with their innate leadership skills and perspectives. Their natural empathy, openness, ability to listen and social adeptness make them both excellent communicators and astute leaders.

In turn, Chairwoman Felice Hurst, Managing Director of Hanson Search Middle East, said, "This is an exciting moment for the MENA Chapter of Global Women in PR. With the participation of key governmental figures such as Mona Al Marri, in our inaugural speaker series, we are building our voice as women and leading professionals in this industry. Female empowerment is a key economic driver vital to ensuring sustainability and the support from Al Marri sets the tone for what we are aiming to achieve as an organisation."

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