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UNWTO and AVIAREPS sign MoU

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The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has officially signed a Memorandom of Understanding (MoU) with global airline and tourism management company AVIAREPS. As part of the agreement, the two organisations will join forces to promote international tourism to various destinations around the world that are in need of destination marketing assistance.

The MoU was signed by Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of the UNWTO and AVIAREPS’ Chairman and CEO, Michael Gaebler.

“In partnership with the UNWTO and our mutual belief in tourism as a positive driver for inclusive economic growth, AVIAREPS is excited to work diligently with our tourism and aviation partners to provide destination marketing expertise and assistance for a number of worthy recipients around the globe,” says Michael Gaebler, Chairman and CEO, AVIAREPS. “Through these actions, we aim to make a positive difference with tourism providing tangible results for people on the ground.”

Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO adds, “We look forward to working with AVIAREPS, a valued UNWTO Affiliate Member supporting destinations around the world improving their international presence and tourism competitiveness in the area of marketing.”

Al Arabiya News marks International Women’s Day

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Al Arabiya News is marking this year’s International Women’s Day, which falls on the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on gender equality, with special coverage profiling the world’s leading women and their contribution to society. The coverage is set to highlight the Middle East’s most pressing issues on the status of women in the region.

Gender-related violence, education and women in the workforce are among the topics being addressed, as well as a look back at prominent women in Arab history and profiles on leading women in the fields of politics, philanthropy, media, technology, business and architecture.

“Since this International Women’s Day marks the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, we felt that resembles an ideal opportunity to look back and reflect on the challenges and achievements of women in our part of the world over the past two decades,” says Faisal J. Abbas, Editor-in-Chief, Al Arabiya News. “Sadly, many Arab women continue to face deprivation of many of their basic rights, as well as discrimination and violence; however, this means that women who actually succeed and manage to achieve an outstanding status deserve an even bigger round of applause from all of us, given that they are making it despite these challenges. These are the women we hope to shed the light on, as we see them as a beacon of hope for generations to come.”

Al Arabiya News’ coverage is being inaugurated today on the eve of International Women’s Day, with an exclusive opinion piece by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and a special report on gender-related violence in the Middle East. Among the profiled Arab success stories being profiled throughout the week are Palestinian Legislator Hanan Ashrawy; Lebanese writer and activist Joumana Hadad; Egyptian Minister for Social Solidarity Ghada Fathi Ismail Wali; CEO of Abu Dhabi’s twofour54 Nora al-Kaabi and Facebook’s UAE-based Head of Brand Amira Rashad.

Keynote speakers for DMF 2015 announced

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This year’s Digital Media Forum is to feature a number of luminaries and senior thought leaders in the digital industry who will be offering their expert opinions on the exciting new developments in the sector. Held under the banner ‘Digital Technology: Bringing the Future Closer,” DMF 2015, which takes place on March 24 and 25 will assess the influence of the evolving digital landscape on businesses, brands and consumers, examining the challenges presented by the fast-moving landscape.

Keynote speakers at DMF 2015 include Naseem Javed, President, ABC Nambank; Igor Beuker, professional speaker, author, technology and trends and Faris Abouhamad, President of Resonance Middle East, Chairman and World President of the International Advertising Association.

“There is no better time for professionals in our field to come together and learn from each other,” says Faris Abouhamad. “Digital media has already revolutionised the advertising and marketing industry, and growth of innovation and technology continues to push the boundaries. Conferences such as the Digital Media Forum help us all to grow professionally and I’m looking forward to speaking at the event. I hope that I will be able to give a sense of how innovation, content and context can lead to phenomenal brand value.”

Igo Beuker adds, “I am very excited to speak at the fourth edition of Digital Media Forum Dubai, since it’s the most inspiring and ambitious media event in the Middle East. In my keynote address ‘The Future of Retail & eCommerce,’ I will show how brands can use disruptive technology and data-driven marketing to shake up the marketplace.”

Topics under the DMF banner this year include ‘Rise of the User Architect,’ ‘Social Commerce VS eCommerce,’ ‘Rise of the Content Officer,’ ‘Harnessing the power of big data analytic in building business and brands’ and ‘The future of search and social media algorithms in the changing landscape of communications.’

MEPRA announces date for Annual General Meeting

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The Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) has announced that it will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on February 25, 2015 at Middlesex University in Knowledge Village, Dubai.

The agenda of the meeting will include all of the business transactions pertaining to the administrative functioning of MEPRA. The talking points will cover the key achievements of the industry body for the year of 2014, following with the strategy for the year of 2015. The board will also discuss the financial structure regarding the future activities for the year ahead.

The Chair of the MEPRA Board and Managing Director of Ketchum RAAD Middle East, Nicola Gregson, along with Brian Lott, Vice-Chair of MEPRA and Executive Director of Group Communication at Mubadala will go over prior activities and provide an overview of the upcoming events. Honorary Treasurer of MEPRA, Mazen Nahawi and President of News Group International, will be presenting the audited financial report and budget for the year 2015.

“We strongly encourage those involved in the PR industry throughout the region to attend this year’s meeting,” says Nicola Gregson, Chair of the MEPRA Board. “As an industry body we are committed to setting standards of excellence in the communication industry and providing platforms for members to come forth and present their views on past activities and contribute to the planning and action of future events as well.”

For more information please visit www.mepra.org.

New social media components added to IGCF 2015

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The upcoming edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) is to include two new components – the Social Media Corner and the Social Media Award. Organised under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, IGCF 2015 will run from February 22-23, at the Expo Centre, Sharjah.

Located at the forum’s foyer area, the Social Media Corner will encourage the forum’s participants and social media users to directly express their views, share comments and ask questions; this will be done via tweets, Instagram images or video messages, which can be recorded using a booth designed specifically for the purpose.

Sponsored by Microsoft, each session at IGCF 2015 will announce two winners of the Social Media Award for the best Instagram photo and the best tweet. The top three tweeters using the forum’s official hashtag #IGCF15 will receive an award at the conclusion of the forum, bringing the total number of selected winners across to the two-day event to 15.

“In an increasingly tech-savvy world, any forum on government communication can only be relevant if it involves the active participation of its main stakeholders, the public,” says Jawaher Al Naqbi, Manager, International Government Communication Forum. “Aiming to step up the focus on social communication and strengthen relations between individuals and institutions, the Social Media Corner and Award will efficiently leverage dialogue and the exchange of creative ideas to ensure a more effective forum.”

Sky News Arabia introduces enhanced programming

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Sky News Arabia is introducing enhanced programming, which includes additional top of the hour news slots and new interactive shows.

As part of the news component, Sky News Arabia has launched three additional top of the hour news bulletins at 4pm, 8pm and 10pm. Addressing highlights of the day, the bulletins invite experts to the studio to analyse leading global events to compliment the in-depth reporting of Sky News’ journalists. A business bulletin discussing diverse economic issues is also to be broadcast daily at 5.35pm. Furthermore, a new weekly business show will soon be introduced hosting high profile industry personalities and pioneers.

For sports lovers, Sky News Arabia has expanded its daily sports bulletin that follows the 7pm news broadcast in order to cover more sports related news. This is in addition to a weekly sports talk show that is set to launch in the near future.

Sky News Arabia has also launched a new show entitled ‘Min Al Riyadh’. Highlighting events related to the region at large, particularly Saudi Arabia, the show is anchored by Saudi television host Hamad Al Mahmoud. Additionally, new episodes of the weekly special report show ‘An Qurb’ will be aired every Friday with a focus on field journalism to provide viewers with an opportunity to watch events unfold up close. Finally, a series of hard-hitting investigative documentaries are also in production. To be aired in the coming months, the documentaries will focus on major events that concern the region, providing in-depth and behind the scenes coverage that has not been aired previously.

“We are delighted to roll out our new programming as the channel gears up to complete its third anniversary,” says Nart Bouran, Head of Sky News Arabia. “Building on the success gained to date, the new shows and news bulletins leverage latest technologies in the news business to stay at the forefront of addressing Arab public opinion on issues that truly concern our people. These efforts are part of a vision to position Sky News Arabia as a frontrunner in the television and digital space.”

Noor Bank launches brand campaign for 2015

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Noor Bank has launched a new month-long television commercial (TVC), starting January 2015, as part of a major brand-building initiative to coincide with the bank’s seventh anniversary celebrations.

The 30-second TVC targets investors and customers travelling to and within high footfall areas in Dubai. The brand film is set to air in-flight across 14,000 Emirates Airlines flights, as well as over 60 prominent screens at Terminals 1 and 3 of Dubai International Airport and across two giant screens on Dubai Mall’s walkways throughout January. In addition, it will play on a loop across Noor Bank’s ATM and CCDM displays in the city, the Noor Bank website and Noor Bank’s social media pages.

“The launch of the television commercial enables us to increase our brand visibility to a large cross-section of the Emirates’ population, including prospective investors and customers,” says Hussain Al Qemzi, CEO, Noor Bank. “As we mark our anniversary month, this brand film provides Noor Bank a flying start to consolidate the previous year’s accomplishments and rise to achieve greater success in 2015.”

In 2014, the Dubai-headquartered sharia-compliant bank underwent a major rebranding campaign that witnessed a transformation from Noor Islamic Bank to Noor Bank. The change was inspired by the rethinking of a number of internal touch-points, such as Noor Bank’s branches, websites and forms.

Etisalat spotlights local production by twofour54

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As a result of the ongoing partnership between twofour54 and Etisalat, an extensive collection of films produced by twofour54 is now available for subscribed viewers on Etisalat’s video on demand platform (VOD), eLife on Demand, as well as Etisalat’s eLife Video Packs. The aim of this is to highlight local talents from the filmmaking industry, as well as reinforce Arabic content.

40 creative lab films and music videos will be shown, some of which have previously participated in Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival in New York and the Encounters Short Film & Animation Festival in the UK.

“twofour54’s creative lab intends to support young talent and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and experiences through the appropriate media platforms,” says Maryan Al Mheiri, Chief Operating Officer, twofour54. “This initiative is an opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to highlight their creative work through an established platform, showcase their projects to broader audiences and motivate others. twofour54’s creative lab films can now be accessed on Etisalat’s VOD, which is a testament to the quality of work our members are achieving and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Etisalat.”

Rashed Al Abbar, Vice President of Home Services at Etisalat adds, “As well as delivering top class TV content and entertainment to homes in the UAE, Etisalat is actively seeking new means of supporting the community of local artists and filmmakers. Through our wide reach in the UAE, we are excited about introducing a new platform for award-winning, homegrown talent to showcase their skills and creativity. Overall, our partnership with twofour54, one of the leading media hubs in the UAE, helps promote locally produced content and enhances the UAE’s film industry.”

For further information, contact William Royce at william.royce@twofour54.com / +971 (0)50 614 6653

TRA publishes YouTube White Paper

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The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has launched a white paper regarding YouTube usage as part of its ‘UAE Social Media White Papers’ collection. Highlighting the terms and conditions for use of popular social networks in the UAE, YouTube has been the focus of the latest release, which has more than one billion unique visitors every month and over 100 hours of video uploaded every minute.

With regards to the UAE’s use of YouTube, the White Paper – which reminds users they are prohibited from ‘predatory behaviour’, ‘stalking, threats and the harassment of others’ – also highlights the following conditions –

  • The laws of the UAE prohibit the publication of content which is contrary to public morals, the principles of Islam and the social and moral welfare of the UAE, or any content that contains irreverence towards Islam and any other heavenly religions.
  • Users must only upload videos which they have made or which they are authorised to use.
  • YouTube is owned by Google. In using the YouTube service, users agree to Google’s terms relating to the collection and sharing of personal information.

Full versions of the white papers are accessible via the TRA’s official website – www.tra.gov.ae/White_Paper.php