Khaled Alshehhi and Joseph John Nalloor awarded prestigious MEPRA Fellowship for their contribution to the advancement of the industry in the region
The Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) hosted its highly anticipated UAE Leadership Majlis 2025, gathering over 100 industry leaders, practitioners, and communications students from across the region. The forum, which celebrated a decade of the Majlis, saw a vibrant exchange of ideas and insights that shared a common thread, which is the role of trust in communications.
The Majlis explored how the UAE’s strategic focus on global partnerships are fundamentally reshaping the role of communication leaders. A highlight of the discussions was a deep dive into the communications campaign that underpinned the recent monumental Abu Dhabi announcement of Stargate, one of the world’s largest computing infrastructure projects and a direct outcome of the UAE-US partnership.
Representatives from Mubadala and G42 shared invaluable insights into the intricate strategies employed to effectively communicate this groundbreaking initiative to a global audience.
Kate Midttun, Chairperson of MEPRA, commented: “The Middle East is speaking, and the world is listening. In an age of constant change, where the line between internal culture and external perception is porous and crisis is the new normal, communication is no longer a function, it’s a force. To thrive, not just survive, we must embrace honest, enterprise-wide storytelling, and lead with clarity, courage, and care. What the world sees, hears and understands about the Middle East is up to us.”
During the Majlis, participants engaged in conversations tackling the paramount importance of trust in deploying effective communications, particularly during times of uncertainty. The various sessions of the Forum reinforced that leading with purpose serves as a highly effective long-term strategy for building resilience and maintaining credibility in an ever-evolving landscape.
Mazen Nahawi, Group CEO of Carma: “The Majlis unites the leadership of the PR and communications community in its purpose of bringing people together to create trust and understanding: it is a unique event for senior professionals and future leaders alike and I am grateful to have been part of it once again.”
A compelling session on AI and future readiness was delivered by Dr. Selina Neri, Dean & Co-Founder of the Institute for Future Readiness. Neri challenged the audience to fundamentally rethink traditional approaches to talent development and nurturing, emphasizing the critical need to adapt and evolve to remain relevant and motivated in an AI-driven future.
During the Majlis, MEPRA proudly presented its prestigious MEPRA Fellowship, which recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to the communications and public relations industry in the Middle East. This year, the esteemed Fellowship was awarded to Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the UAE Government Media Office, and Joseph John Nalloor, Discipline Lead, Media & Communications at Murdoch University Dubai. The awardees were nominated and voted by MEPRA Board for their outstanding and significant contributions to the profession in the Middle East.
The MEPRA UAE Leadership Majlis underscores the association’s commitment to advancing the public relations profession in the Middle East and fostering a community of innovative and forward-thinking communication leaders. The 2025 UAE Leadership Majlis was supported by Carma, Mubadala, Telum Media, The Conscious Comms Collective, and First and Ten Productions.
