MIDDLE EAST
REGIONAL NEWS
Pearce steps down as Mepra chairman
NEWS IN BRIEF
Hill & Knowlton’s Dave Robinson to take up position at the Middle East
New resident
Public Relations Association
at TwoFour54
By BEN FLANAGAN/Contributing editor
employee, as executive director. The
association now plans to grow by offering
MIDDLE EAST Jack Pearce is to step down membership on an individual (rather than
as chairman of the Middle East Public agency) basis, launching an awards event
Relations Association (Mepra) at the end and holding more conferences.
of the month, and is to be replaced by Dave Dave Robinson, who takes up the
Robinson, Hill & Knowlton’s CEO for the position on February 24, the date of Mepra’s
Middle East and Africa. annual general meeting, praises Pearce’s
Pearce (pictured), who claims to be the achievements at the association.
region’s longest-serving public relations “He’s one of the founder members
practitioner, says that he was forced to give of Mepra—so its members have good
up the role because—after 28 years living in reason to be thankful to him. My role, to
the UAE—he now plans to spend more time a certain degree, is symbolic; the person
TwoFour54 business development
in the UK and travelling. behind the steering wheel is Rebecca,” says
director Simon Lowe with Michael
“I am going to be spending a lot more Robinson, who was formerly treasurer of
-Ryan Fletchall, Experience founder
time out of Dubai. But I’ll still be working the association.
at Matrix PR,” says Pearce, referring to the Rebecca Hill says that Robinson will be a
ABU DHABI BU DHABI EExxppererience Media Stu-
company he founded in 1998. “very effective chairman—he has the right dios has opened at TwoFour54, where
Pearce’s departure comes at a time of profile and experience”. it will make movies and develop TV
great change for Mepra, which last year See p.20 for a Q&A interview with
programming. Branded as a ‘next-
appointed Rebecca Hill, its first full-time Robinson and Hill.
generation global entertainment
media studio’, the company plans to
produce four projects this year, all
Jurors picked Out with the new—in with the old
of which will centre on UAE culture.
for Lynx awards
JiWin wins Nasdaq
DUBAI Twenty-nine of the world’s
Dubai account
leading creatives and media experts have
been chosen to judge the third Dubai
DUBAI Public relations consultancy
JiWin has won the Nasdaq Dubai ac-
Lynx awards, which is set to take place
count, according to a source close to
next month.
the company. The agency worked with
The jurors come from 14 different
the bourse when it was renamed Nas-
countries and will jointly compare work
daq Dubai from DIFX, and will work on
from across the region. The awards
a retainer basis within the GCC region.
ceremony and dinner on March 17 at The
Palladium in Dubai Media City will be the LEBANON/KUWEBBANON/KUWBANON/KUWAAITIT The Daily STheTh DailyDil Sttarar hahah s say a jy a jjdudiciarudiciiiaryy hhahad grd graanntedted d The Daily STheTh DDiailyl Sttar
culmination of the Dubai International returned to the newsstands following three permission to resume business. The paper
Advertising Festival. weeks of closure, but new Arabic paper is also planning on changing its format and
Assawt has folded. style over the coming months.
A court order led to the closure of The Meanwhile, Kuwait’s Assawt has closed,
Daily Star—an English daily based in having only launched last October. Editor-
Beirut—on January 14, at which time its in-chief Yussef Al-Sumait said in a front-
publisher revealed the newspaper owed a page announcement the paper was forced
creditor around $700,000 (Dhs2.5 million). to close because “it was a victim of the
Its offices were sealed and no updates financial crisis that has battered the local
made to the paper’s website until last economy. We hope the suspension will
Monday, when a statement was issued to be temporary”.
Amman gets new IAA president
Sultan Al Qassemi
Columnist Sultan Al Qassemi, who was
profiled in Media Week on January 25,
has issued the following statement re-
garding the comments he made in the
interview. It relates in part to Al Qas-
semi’s response to an article in Gulf
News by Dr Mohammad Al Mutawa.
Tham Khai Meng (pictured), worldwide “I would like to apologise volun-
creative director for Ogilvy & Mather, will tarily and as per my own accord to Dr
be president of the TV/cinema, outdoor,
Mohammad Al Mutawa for the com-
print and radio juries. “Our industry has
ments concerning him in Media Week.
to lead change and be right at the cutting
Although I strongly disagree with the
edge of innovation,” he says. “It is only
content of the article attributed to Al
Mutawa, the issue is not personal. I was
the truly great ideas that can lift us to that JORDAN The IAA Jordan chapter has president. Ruba Batayneh (AGA Profess
also not aware of the mistranslation of
next level.” elected a new president and board of Graphics CEO) was named treasurer,
the article by [Gulf News]. I would also
Other jurors include Rob McLennan, directors (pictured). while Lara Bataineh (Intermarkets Amman
like to apologise to anyone else who
executive creative director of Network The new president for the 2009 to 2011 country manager) takes up the role of
may have been offended by the content
BBDO South Africa; Michael Koch, term is Karim Abukhadra (The Holding Secretary General.
of the interview including Gulf News
executive creative director of OgilvyOne Group Jordan), who will be supported by IAA Jordan is an official division of the and the Arabic media to whom I carry a
Worldwide, Germany; and Jasmin Sohrabji, Naim Hourani (Jordan Press Foundation International Advertising Association, great deal of respect and admiration.”
managing director of OMD India. marketing and advertising manager) as vice founded December 2001 in Amman.
04 / 08 FEBRUARY 2009 www.mediaweekme.com
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36