130 Marketing and Communications students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to take part in the three-day event

Dubai, UAE; March 11, 2012: In a strong demonstration of support by the Middle East’s business community to promoting new talent in communications, Etisalat, UAE’s largest telecommunications company; Mobily, the Saudi telecom major; and Qatar Petroleum, the key driver of the country’s petroleum resources, are sponsoring over 130 students to attend the 20^th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) to be held in the UAE from March 13-15 at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with the National Media Council of the UAE, the three-day Congress (www.prwcdubai.com) is organised by the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC) and will present the newest insights and trends in communications.

The Congress will bring together more than 35 speakers from around the world, who will address the core theme, ‘From the Arab Street to Wall Street, Communications in the Age of Dialogue.’ For participating students, the Congress will be a remarkable learning experience, listening to experts present fresh perspectives on the communications industry.

Etisalat is sponsoring 100 UAE National students from Zayed University, UAE University and the Higher College of Technologies to attend the Congress. Mobily is funding the travel, accommodation and registration costs for over 25 promising marketing students from Saudi Arabia; and Qatar Petroleum, a Gold Sponsor of the Congress, will support five students from Qatar University in Doha.

Ali Al Ahmed, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of Etisalat, and Vice President – UAE of IPRA-GC, said: “The communications landscape in the Middle East region is evolving at a fast pace. Hosting the Public Relations World Congress for the first time here presents a unique opportunity to nurture the skills of local communications students by enabling them to interact with the world’s foremost communications professionals. Our support of these UAE National students to take part in the Congress is a testament to Etisalat’s focus on creating a strong talent pool of professionals, who can contribute to enriching the Public Relations industry.”

Humoud Al-Ghobaini, Vice President, Corporate Communications of Mobily, said: “We recognise that today’s students are tomorrow’s executives and entrepreneurs. We believe that the Public Relations World Congress offers a golden opportunity to immerse these young people, who one day will be the experts in their chosen field of marketing, in the trends and ideas that will shape communications strategies in the Middle East for years to come.”

Sultan Al Abdulla, Manager, Public Relations of Qatar Petroleum, said: “We believe that creating a talent pool of professionals for the new age in marketing and communications requires that they gain first-hand knowledge from experts themselves. The Public Relations World Congress offers a strong opportunity for young talent to understand the shifting trends in the industry. For Qatar Petroleum, our support of the student community also highlights our corporate social responsibility commitment to nurturing the country’s youth talent, especially with Qatar poised to host global events in the coming years.”

Students will also have the opportunity to listen to some of the world’s most influential communicators and experts, among others, including Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition People's Justice Party, Anwar Ibrahim; 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 and Roger Fisk, who played a key ‘behind the scenes role’ in the election of US President Barack Obama.

Businesses also benefit from supporting the education of Arab youth and students in the region through their investment in the future of the Middle East Public Relations industry, which is today worth over US$500 million and growing rapidly.

Over 500 PR professionals are expected to attend the PRWC, where they will have the opportunity to participate in Master Classes and Training Workshops, creating a compelling platform for information sharing and knowledge transfer. Registration is now open at www.prwcdubai.com.

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.