Communications has outgrown the structures built for it. As audiences, platforms and expectations evolve, the industry’s long-standing silos risk becoming barriers to relevance. This session asks what happens when we stop defending traditional swim lanes and instead build a truly integrated ecosystem: one where strategy, creativity, data and culture operate as a single value engine. Expect a candid look at the shifts — operational, commercial and cultural — needed to reinvent how communications delivers value in MENA

Too many communications teams are built around outputs; the best are engineered around mission. In this session, Alex Aiken draws on frontline experience of government communications in moments of crisis to explore what separates competent teams from genuinely high-performing ones.
He will reflect on how vision, structure and everyday leadership combine to drive impact when the stakes are highest – and what that means for organisations in MENA that are now scaling their communications capacity and ambition.

Join us for an insightful presentation and panel discussion that dives into the findings of the UAE Country Reputation Report, where traditional media meets social media analytics and market research driven human insight to understand how purpose-driven storytelling, trust and innovation are shaping the UAE’s reputation regionally and globally. Featuring senior leaders from government, agency and corporate sectors, this session will explore the evolving perceptions of the UAE on the global stage. Engage with industry experts as they share their perspectives, experiences and strategies for navigating the complexities of modern reputation management in a rapidly changing PR landscape. Discover the key insights that can shape the future of public relations in the UAE and beyond.

Organisations are moving beyond traditional reputation management to becoming genuinely relevant contributors to society. As expectations from governments, communities and stakeholders evolve, influence is no longer built through messaging alone, but through collaboration, credibility, and shared action. The discussion will examine how brands, policymakers and civil society can work together to shape long-term impact, moving communications from storytelling to system-building, and positioning corporate affairs as a strategic driver of trust, legitimacy, and societal progress.

As capital flows into the Middle East accelerate, communications firms in the region are facing a very different kind of scrutiny — one shaped by shifting global consolidation pressures, evolving business models, and a sharpened investor view of what constitutes real, defensible value. This session offers an inside look at how dealmakers are assessing opportunity across MENA: the capabilities that signal future relevance, the structural weaknesses that undermine interest, and the emerging criteria shaping acquisition, lending and partnership decisions. Rather than focusing on individual transactions, the discussion examines the new market logic driving investment — and what it means for agencies positioning themselves for growth in 2026 and beyond.

What communication leaders must get right as innovation reshapes health narratives in the Middle East

Algorithms may influence what people see, but people decide what makes it into the zeitgeist. 
As attention fragments and communities shape the mainstream, brands can no longer rely on reach alone. Relevance is built by understanding passions, behaviours and the cultural contexts that influence how people connect, share and act.
In this panel, MSL Group CEO MacLean Brodie and a senior client explore how culture and community drive meaningful brand connection. Through real-world examples across media, social and real-life activations, they will discuss how brands can move beyond broadcast thinking to earn attention, create resonance and inspire action. 

Nitin Mantri will present new findings from the Future of Comms report, highlighting the shifts that are redefining the function worldwide. He will then be joined by Neda Shelton of Solutions Plus for a candid, practical conversation on what these changes mean for organisations in the Middle East and beyond — from the capabilities comms teams must build, to how leaders stay credible in an environment of accelerated expectation, disruption and scrutiny. Together, they will explore how the role of communications is being reshaped, and what it will take to stay ahead of the curve in the decade to come.

As the communications landscape shifts, creativity is increasingly being driven not by scale or spend, but by proximity to culture, brands and lived experience. This session explores why PR is well placed to lead the creative conversation, particularly as independent agencies help unlock richer, more authentic storytelling for local and homegrown brands that have historically been overlooked. Rather than “PR-ing ads,” the discussion focuses on how creativity rooted in narrative, credibility and context is reshaping the market, and what that means for brands looking to stand out with substance rather than noise. 

Global confidence in business remains consistently low according to the Page Confidence in Business Index in partnership with the Harris Poll.  To regain relevance among consumers that business can effect change, communications leaders must demonstrate and explain with clarity how their organizations are creating economic impact for consumers, not just investors. Other issues critical to restoring confidence in business and the channels through which to share this narrative vary according to generations and global market.