Mohamed Al Ayed, the CEO of Saudi-based TRACCS, will deliver the welcome address on behalf of the PR industry in the Mena region at the ‘Communication on Top’ summit, to be held from February 8 to 9 in Davos, Switzerland.

The annual forum will focus on best practices, new developments and creative ideas in the communications world through open dialogue between high-ranking executives of leading companies, political and state-run institutions, NGOs, research centres and media experts.

A leading PR expert in the region, Al Ayed will take ‘Communications – Bridging the Global Gap’ as the theme of his keynote speech.

“Coming in the wake of the global financial crisis ‘Communication on Top’ is a timely opportunity for the communications industry’s top managers to share their experience and expertise to develop professional solutions that overcome geographical, political, religious, corporate and cultural differences,” said an elated Al Ayed.

“The economies of nations and the prosperity of their citizens, as well as the finances of companies and industries, can be enhanced by the global communications community, which by influencing attitudes and expectations has the capability to shape the future of business, politics and culture,” he opined.

“We are living in a world that is now interlinked by global communications. Global advertising and marketing, satellite television networks, the cinema, New Media, have brought diverse cultures closer together in a way that would have seemed like science fiction two decades ago,' he pointed out.

'Yet, in many ways the world has become more fragmented and polarized. Why? As professional communicators we need to answer this question and find solutions that will bridge the widening gaps in the world today. We need to use our skills for more than just brand-building and flogging products. We need to use what we know to build bridges of understanding between people. We have to take ourselves more seriously,' Al Ayed observed.

Established in Jeddah over 12 years ago, TRACCS was founded with the goal of building an indigenous Arab public relations industry, he added.-TradeArabia News Service