International marketing and communications firm Edelman said Omar Qirem will join the firm as CEO of Edelman Middle East.
An Edelman returnee, Mr Qirem will report to Carol Potter, president and CEO, Edelman EMEA.
"Omar returns to Edelman with a raft of experience leading and executing strategic communications programmes across multiple sectors and markets. He brings our clients and teams in the UAE deep market knowledge and expertise, as well as a strong understanding of government and public policy engagement. I am delighted to announce this appointment for our operations in the Middle East,” Ms Potter said.
Mr Qirem rejoins Edelman from Saudi Arabian family business Abdul Latif Jameel where he was director of communications. In this role, he was responsible for international communications covering 30 countries and 16,000 staff across multiple sectors such as automotive, energy, and investments.
Prior to this, he was a director in Edelman Saudi Arabia from 2012-2016, and was also responsible for public affairs and crisis in the Middle East.
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Born and raised in Jeddah Mr Qirem has two decades of communications experience in the British government, as well as agency and corporate roles in the Middle East. During this time, he has provided communications counsel for private-sector campaigns, major government initiatives, B2B marketing, and reputation management.
“Having grown up in Saudi Arabia and lived in the United Arab Emirates for a number of years, I feel very passionate about the Middle East," Mr Qirem said. "It is clear the whole region is transforming, and Edelman - with its current team, regional experience, global network, deep sector capabilities and local expertise - is well-placed to help clients succeed. I really look forward to starting in the near future.”
Based in Dubai, from September, Mr Qiram will cover all of Edelman’s offices in the Middle East.
He succeeds Tod Donhauser, who has returned home to the US, as managing director of Edelman’s Bay area.