By Kevin McCauley
APCO Worldwide has acquired JiWin PR, which is part of Dubai Holding's Tecom Investments.
Tecom invests and manages "knowledge industry clusters" such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Studio City, Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai International Academic City, and Dubai Outsource Zone.
APCO CEO Margery Kraus, CEO of APCO, is eager to tap JiWin's "extensive knowledge and contacts in the Middle East." She refers to Dubai as the "intersection of global trade and commerce connecting Asia, Africa, Europe and the wider world."
JiWin counts 35 PR pros working in corporate communications, community relations, IR, crisis and issues management.
Clients include Dubai Holding, Noor Islamic Bank, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, NASDAQ Dubai and Young Arab Leaders.
Dubai Holding is owned by the Government of Dubai.
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Joe Honick, GMA International Ltd (11/09):
The most fascinating item in this story is that APCO will be one more megaphone for Arab governments.
Veep (11/09):
The Mideast is becoming a strategic imperative for global PR firms, alongside south Asia. It's where the business is growing and it's where firms need to be. Not all of the work is government -- in fact, most of it isn't.
Joe Honick, GMA International Ltd (11/09):
Veep, as usual, you are pretty much on target. However, a lot of governmental PR/Lobbying has helped screw us out of benefits from rehabbed Iraqi oil fields and other available means in Afghanistan to help pay for that conflict...and those spots are in the Middle East as well where we have also rescued some Saudi and other backsides with our money and men and women. No doubt you are correct as to the money available for PR business, however.
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