Momentum brings responsibility ⚖️
At PRAXIS MENA in Abu Dhabi, senior communicators argued that rapid growth and confidence across the region must now be matched by courage, cultural intelligence and a sharper focus on tangible impact.
The Middle East is a region on the move. That much was clear from Tuesday's inaugural edition of PRAXIS MENA in Abu Dhabi, which brought together more than 150 communications specialists to explore how the sector is evolving 'from message to mission', as the event theme put it.
But even that observation risks reducing a complex, fast-moving collection of countries into something too superficial. And, if there was one thing that the conversations at PRAXIS MENA revealed above all else, this is a region that rewards commitment and close study.
Yes, there is a vibrancy that is — rather refreshingly — at odds with the tenor of many industry conversations over the past 12 months, not least last year's ICCO Summit and PRAXIS Asia-Pacific events, where a sense of uncertainty often dominated proceedings.
In Abu Dhabi, instead, there was considerable positivity about the prospects for comms pros, as the industry continues to expand in terms of both breadth and depth. But there was also, thankfully, plenty of honesty about the steps required if public relations is to evolve from tactics to strategy, outputs to outcomes, and promotion to policy.
