Etisalat, Mobily and Qatar Petroleum are sponsoring 130 students to attend the 20th Public Relations World Congress (PRWC) set to be held in Dubai from March 13 to 15.

This is in line with strong demonstrations of support by the Middle East’s business community to promoting new talent in communications, said a statement. The event will be held at the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and in partnership with the National Media Council of the UAE, the three-day congress is organised by the International Public Relations Association – Gulf Chapter (IPRA-GC) and will present the newest insights and trends in communications.

The event will bring together more than 35 speakers from around the world, who will address the core theme, ‘From the Arab Street to Wall Street, Communications in the Age of Dialogue.’ For participating students, the congress will be a remarkable learning experience, listening to experts present fresh perspectives on the communications industry.

Etisalat will sponsor 100 UAE national students from Zayed University, UAE University and the Higher College of Technologies to attend the congress, said a statement.

Mobily will fund the travel, accommodation and registration costs for over 25 marketing students from Saudi Arabia; and Qatar Petroleum, a gold sponsor of the Congress, will support five students from Qatar University in Doha.

Ali Al Ahmed, chief corporate communications officer of Etisalat, and vice president – UAE of IPRA-GC, said: “The communications landscape in the Middle East region is evolving at a fast pace. Hosting the Public Relations World Congress for the first time here presents a unique opportunity to nurture the skills of local communications students by enabling them to interact with the world’s foremost communications professionals.”

“Our support of these UAE national students to take part in the congress is a testament to Etisalat’s focus on creating a strong talent pool of professionals, who can contribute to enriching the public relations industry,” Al Ahmed said.

Humoud Al-Ghobaini, vice president, corporate communications of Mobily, said: “We believe that the Public Relations World Congress offers a golden opportunity to immerse these young people, who one day will be the experts in their chosen field of marketing, in the trends and ideas that will shape communications strategies in the Middle East for years to come.”

“We believe that creating a talent pool of professionals for the new age in marketing and communications requires that they gain first-hand knowledge from experts themselves,” said Sultan Al Abdulla, manager, public relations, Qatar Petroleum. “For Qatar Petroleum, our support of the student community also highlights our corporate social responsibility commitment to nurturing the country’s youth talent, especially with Qatar poised to host global events in the coming years.”

Students will have the opportunity to listen to some of the world’s most influential communicators and experts, including Malaysia’s former deputy Prime Minister and leader of the opposition People's Justice Party, Anwar Ibrahim; British public relations guru and chairman of Chime Communications, Lord Bell; former head of Al Jazeera and co-founder of the Sharq Forum, Wadah Khanfar; general manager of Al Arabiya TV, Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed; and Roger Fisk, who played a key ‘behind the scenes role’ in the election of US President Barack Obama.

Businesses also benefit from supporting the education of Arab youth and students in the region through their investment in the future of the Middle East Public Relations industry, which is today worth over $500 million and growing rapidly.

Over 500 PR professionals are expected to attend the event, where they will have the opportunity to participate in master classes and training workshops, creating a compelling platform for information sharing and knowledge transfer, the statement said.

Registration is now open at www.prwcdubai.com. – TradeArabia News Service