Reveals reorganisation of Middle East business into practice areas
Bell Pottinger has hired experienced editor, Ehab Khairi, as a Partner in its Middle East business. Ehab joins the international PR agency from the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), one of the largest banks in the Middle East, where he was Senior Manager of Media & PR – VP, Corporate Communications, for eight years.
Prior to that, Ehab was Business Editor at Al Ittihad newspaper, a leading Arabic daily in the UAE, for seven years. During his career he built strong working relationships with media and business leaders across the region.
Ehab will be based in Bell Pottinger’s office in Dubai, but he will support clients across the wider region, including in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and in Africa. His primary role will be to oversee and enhance Bell Pottinger’s Arabic capabilities and content, as well as leading its team of 10 native Arabic speakers based across its three offices in the Gulf.
Tim Wilkinson, Chairman, Bell Pottinger Middle East commented: “We are delighted that Ehab has joined our growing business in the Middle East. He is a highly experienced and wise public relations practitioner, and he has a deep understanding of the Arabic language, local media landscape, as well as the regional business community. His experience will be particularly relevant to our clients, who want to see great content originated in Arabic. This senior hire illustrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring we offer a diverse range of senior PR consultants who can operate successfully in local and international environments.”
Ehab Khairi added: “Bell Pottinger already has a strong Arabic offer and my ambition is to keep developing it, in line with the needs of our diverse client base. I’m excited to be joining the team at an interesting time for companies and governments across the Middle East, and I look forward to using my experience in helping to make Bell Pottinger’s communications offering in the region an even more compelling one.”
Ehab’s arrival chimes with the announcement that Bell Pottinger Middle East has also reorganised its day to day operations into four distinct practice areas – Financial, Corporate, Consumer and Geopolitical – to more closely align with the clients and new business opportunities it is now handling. A number of other new hires have been recruited to join the business from both the local and international markets to support within these practices.
Sam Turvey, Partner & General Manager, Bell Pottinger Middle East added: “Our business has evolved over more recent years, along with the wider region. A reorganisation of our core operations into practice areas allows us to be much more focused, ensuring that the right people, skills and experience are supporting all of our clients. This move also reflects the wide range of clients we now advise across the MENA region.”
