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Oct 6, 2020

Frustrated with struggling economies and corruption, nearly half of young Arabs have considered leaving their country

Desire to emigrate highest in the Levantine states of Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Palestinian Territories, while young nationals of oil-rich Gulf states least likely to want to leave Survey findings shed light on the views of Arab youth on anti-government protests, gender rights, personal identity, jobs, foreign relations and the COVID-19 pandemic

Nearly half of 200 million young Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have considered leaving their country, frustrated with struggling economies and widespread government corruption, according to the findings of the 12th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, released today. The survey also reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has further increased young Arabs’ desire to emigrate, with one-third of the region’s youth more likely to want to leave their country.

Across the region, 42 per cent of young Arabs have considered emigrating to another country. The desire to leave is most prevalent (63 per cent) among youth in the Levantine states of Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Yemen and Palestinian Territories. Meanwhile, young people in the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are least likely (13 per cent) to consider leaving. The primary drivers of potential emigration are economic reasons (24 per cent) and corruption (16 per cent), with educational opportunities, new experiences and safety and security also playing a significant role.

The findings of MENA’s largest independent study on youth conducted for ASDA’A BCW by PSB, a global strategic research and analytics consultancy, reveals the opinions of young Arabs on a range of subjects including the anti-government protests that raged through parts of the region during the past year, gender rights, personal identity, employment, personal debt, foreign relations and media consumption.

The survey polled 4,000 young Arab nationals aged 18 to 24 from 17 Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa with a 50:50 male female split. The research was conducted in two phases, with the main survey polling between January 19 and March 3, 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the region; and the second, COVID-19 Pulse Survey, between August 18 and 26, 2020, conducted in six Arab states.

“The findings of our Arab Youth Survey highlight the unique complexities – and opportunities –that must be addressed to meet the aspirations of young people in the Arab world,” said Donna Imperato, Global CEO, BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe). “These insights on the region – one of the most diverse in the world and where the under-30s make up two thirds of the population – form the basis of the communications counsel that we provide to our clients, including governments, civil society organisations and the private sector.”

“As an independent study, the ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey has consistently delivered evidence-based insights on the hopes and frustrations of young people in the Arab world,” said Sunil John, President, Middle East, BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW. “Set against the backdrop of street protests and a sharp oil price decline that have led to acute government budget deficits, the study demonstrates the link between poor governance and lack of opportunities. The findings underpin the need for many parts of the MENA region to focus on and nurture its youth dividend or risk losing a generation of its brightest young people.”

Following a wave of anti-government protests across the region over the last 12 months, the survey reveals that almost nine in 10 young Arabs in Algeria, Iraq, Sudan and Lebanon supported the protests in their own countries. A majority of the youth in these four countries are optimistic that the protests would lead to real positive change.

Protests resulted in the ousting of Omar Al-Bashir after nearly three decades in power as president in Sudan, and the resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika after over two decades as the president of Algeria. Lebanon and Iraq also both saw a change in leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have added to the possibility of more unrest, particularly in Lebanon, where nearly three-quarters of respondents in the COVID-19 Pulse Survey said they believe the pandemic has made protests against the political status quo more likely.

“The link between the protests and corruption can also be inferred from the fact that tackling government corruption is seen as the single largest priority for achieving progress in the Arab world (36 per cent of all respondents), ahead of any other issue, including creating well-paying jobs (32 per cent), and defeating terrorist organisations or resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict,” John added.

With job creation identified as the second most important priority for regional progress, almost nine in 10 young people (87 per cent) are concerned about unemployment, but only half (49 per cent) say they have confidence in their governments’ ability to deal with unemployment. The ongoing economic woes appear to be further compounded by the impact of COVID-19, with 20 per cent saying someone in their family has lost their job due to the pandemic, 30 per cent reporting higher household debt, and 72 per cent saying the pandemic has made it more difficult to find a job.

In a region with the world’s highest youth unemployment (over 26 per cent according to the International Labour Organisation), a rising number of young Arabs are looking beyond the government or the private sector to provide employment, instead preferring to work for themselves or their families (23 per cent vs. 16 per cent in 2019). Two in five are also considering setting up their own business within the next five years – with youth in the GCC showing the greatest entrepreneurial spirit (55 per cent).

The survey also debunks stereotypical notions of the region, particularly on gender rights. A strong majority of young Arab women (75 per cent) say they have the same or more rights as men in their country. Young Arab women (76 per cent) and men (70 per cent) agree that a woman can benefit her family more by working than staying at home.

Voicing their view on the changing dynamics of foreign affairs, Arab youth see Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the two rising Arab powers that have most influence on the geo-political environment of the region (39 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively). Among non-Arab states, the United States is seen having increased its influence in the region the most over the past five years. This year, the US is also seen more favourably (56 per cent) by Arab youth than in 2019 (41 per cent) or any point since 2016.

For the ninth consecutive year, the UAE continues to prevail as the preferred nation for young Arabs to live in (46 per cent) and for their own nation to emulate (52 per cent). The United States is the next most popular country among Arab youth to live in (33 per cent) and emulate (30 per cent).

Other key findings from the survey include: • More young Arabs say they are being saddled with personal debt. Nearly one-third of young Arabs (35 per cent) say they are in debt now, a significant increase from earlier years (21 per cent in 2019). • Religion is seen as the most important aspect of the personal identity of young Arabs (40 per cent), more so than their family, nationality, gender and other factors. • Arab youth are increasingly embracing the digital revolution: In 2015, just 25 per cent young Arabs cited social media as their source of news, this year, 79 per cent say they get their news from social media. Since 2018, e-commerce has also experienced exponential growth among Arab youth and a large majority (80 per cent) now shop online.

With two-thirds of the Arab population under the age of 30, the survey presents evidence-based insights into the attitudes of Arab youth, providing public and private sector organisations with data and analysis to inform their decision-making and policy creation. Download for free, the full findings and a White Paper on this year’s ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey at arabyouthsurvey.com

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Jul 6, 2020

Celebrating wins for ASDA’A BCW and brilliant clients

In these uncertain times, it is more important ever than we look for the positive and find cause for celebration. Last week, we were delighted to celebrate during the Virtual SABRE Awards EMEA 2020, when we watched our client ADNOC Group enjoy a double win: the Diamond SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management for Oil & Gas 4.0 – Strengthening ADNOC’s Corporate Reputation as the National Oil Company of the Future and the award for Corporate Reputation: Executive Communications. We are extremely proud to have supported ADNOC Group and look forward to continuing our partnership.

We were also proud to receive recognition for our own work as we were awarded three In2 Sabre – Certificates of Excellence:

Best in Product Reviews (Earned) – OPPO’s Winning Product Review Strategy — OPPO with ASDA’A BCW PR Agency Citizenship – ‘A Call for Reform’ – The 11th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2019 — ASDA’A BCW Thought Leadership in PR – ‘A Call for Reform’ – The 11th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2019 — ASDA’A BCW

Our achievements are a reflection of our hardworking, resilient team and our fantastic clients, without whom this would not be possible.

 

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Jul 2, 2020

Tear up those playbooks: In the new normal, everything has changed by ASDA’A BCW’s Sunil John

The new normal is a rude awakening for the communications industry.

It is a call to throw those tried, tested and carefully structured communications playbooks of the past out of the window. It is a nudge to shake off formulaic approaches and the so-called golden rules, which had worked well in our pre-Covid life. Many of these proven approaches have failed the stress-test of the pandemic. And now as the economy gradually reopens and we cautiously move into the ‘new normal’, it is time to reboot the industry.

We will be forever reinventing, changing the rules and adopting new models, which not surprisingly, take us back to the fundamentals of communications: Engaging audiences with inspiring messages aimed at behavioural change and moving people.

I see seven trends shaping the communications sector in the post-COVID-19 era, so here goes:

1 Large is resilient

The pandemic has impacted several small-sized firms that served ‘niche’ business sectors. When these industries, such as travel, tourism, hospitality, real estate and retail, were hit, they dragged down with them these boutique firms too. I started small and I feel their pain.

Now, evaluating the landscape, I see the value of scale in our industry: Agencies that are part of global networks, which are right-sized, demonstrated exceptional resilience. They are diversified yet lean and not tied to the fortunes of any one business sector.

The lesson from the crisis is that the communications industry will see more consolidation, mergers and even a few acquisitions. Expect more disruption.

2 Government communications will be the mainstay:

In February, just weeks before the coronavirus gained pandemic proportions, I was moderating the inaugural session of the PRovoke MENA Summit 2020. One of my observations was that government communications and the region’s National Champion companies will help leapfrog the value of Public Relations in the Middle East and North Africa to over US$1 billion by 2030.

Has my point of view changed? No, it has only been reinforced by the pandemic, which sees government communications gaining even more traction. The larger National Champion companies with a growing global footprint and ambition also scaled up their narratives because it was important, perhaps more than ever before, to demonstrate that they are steely warriors with unshakeable long-term objectives. On the flip side, several private sector companies were the first to cut retainers or go on pause mode; a mistaken move, no doubt prompted by short-term outlooks.

3 Purpose and profit are compatible partners

Corporate purpose will assume even more significance, and not at odds with profits. From product-push, corporate communications will increasingly be about problem-solving, and about how they can contribute to the community or champion a cause. That will mean revisiting corporate social responsibility policy, which many organisations have been doing with no real conviction.

Just as organisations define new strategies and business models and must find innovative ways to deliver value beyond profits, they will also need communications partners that can help restore stakeholder trust. In short, it is time to make your purpose real.

We can see this globally with Nike and Colin Kaepernick, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Or with Patagonia and its environmental position.  On the other end of the spectrum, you see Facebook facing a growing boycott by its advertisers, including small businesses and large corporates, for its ‘irresponsible’ handling of misinformation and hate speech. I see a new focus on Corporate Purpose in the region.

4 Rise of local talent and genuine employee engagement

I have always advocated the decisive role that local talent plays in shaping our regional sector. More so now. Organisations will increasingly seek talent who understand local nuances. The new normal will see Arabic talent bloom and thrive, so will expat talent with deep knowledge of the region. For organisations and agencies, the new normal will be one when employee engagement and internal communications will assume greater significance. People will continue to be the major differentiator and keeping them engaged, empowered and motivated is key.

5 The era of owned and shared media

The pandemic hit the media sector too as furloughs, salary reductions and job losses take a toll. As media houses experiment with new business models, including paywalls and only-digital editions, the age-old reliance on the PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned) model will – and must – change. Organisations will move towards more owned and shared media models with high-impact earned at its core. That means a surge in vlogs, blogs, podcasts and digital engagement, all creating data-driven communications relevant to an always-on target audience.

6 Home is where the office is

Work-from-home is here to stay, if not wholly, then in flexible and hybrid ways. As a die-hard proponent of office working, the efficiency and productivity that my team showed during the lockdown has been an eye-opener. The more you trust your team to do their job, the more your teams will surprise you. And this shift in office environment will be pervasive, influencing both agencies and clients. It will contribute to better efficiencies with lesser need for prime commercial space.

7 The demise of the road warrior

I see the demise of the road warriors – people flying in and out for meetings. Less travel will be the new norm without impacting work efficiency as technology brings in a level playing field that is unhindered by geography.

I believe that the global pandemic has brought the fundamentals back to the business of communications: And that is to be hyper-dynamic, evidence-based and value-driven. Going forward, our playbooks will be reinvented in real time – and that will make us agile, flexible and relevant.

I end with a quote by Andy Grove, the famous creator of Intel: “Only the paranoid will survive.”

 

This article first appeared in Campaign Middle East 
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May 27, 2020

ASDA’A BCW’s Sunil John named Best PR Professional in the Middle East in PRWeek Global Awards 2020

Sunil John, founder of regional public relations agency ASDA’A BCW and President of BCW Middle East, has been named ‘Best PR Professional in the Middle East’ in the PRWeek Global Awards 2020.

This latest individual award for John from the global PR industry coincides with the 20th anniversary year of ASDA’A, the agency he founded. He is credited with transforming PR from a communications function struggling under the shadow of big advertising agencies “to a thriving industry that attracts global capital and talent to the Middle East,” according to PRWeek. Other judges’ comments highlighted his role as “a renowned expert in the region, a true leader with a point of view on all things communications and business related.”

Under John’s leadership, ASDA’A BCW’s achievements include being part of the team which launched the tallest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010, and supporting the UAE in its bids to host Expo 2020 Dubai and Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.  John is also the driving force behind the annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey – the largest and longest running research into the region’s largest and most important demographic, its youth. The 2019 edition of the survey, titled ‘A Call for Reform’ was shortlisted in the PRWeek Global Citizenship Award.

ASDA’A BCW was also Highly Commended in the Middle East Agency of the Year category. Judges noted how the agency used the formation of Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) in 2018, following the merger of two of WPP’s biggest public relations brands Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe as, “a springboard to adopt new methodologies, focusing on culture and training.”

ASDA’A BCW has continued to grow through its five specialist practices: Consumer & Healthcare, Corporate, Enterprise & Technology, Financial and Public Affairs from small shoots as ASDA’A in 2000. It is now the only Middle East geography reporting directly to worldwide among any international PR agency and John, as President-Middle East, has a seat on the BCW global board. John also leads two additional subsidiary brands in the Middle East: Proof, spanning design, digital and social; and PSB Middle East, the research specialists.

This prestigious global award from PRWeek is the fourth individual industry award for John, following the SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in 2014, and two MEPRA awards, including the Chairman’s Award in 2016 and the inaugural MEPRA Fellowship in 2018. He was also invited to join the Arthur W Page society in 2019. In 2018, he was named among the ‘Arabian Business 100 Inspiring leaders in the Middle East’ and was ‘Arabian Business 100 influential people helping shape the Emirate’.

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May 6, 2020

ASDA’A BCW shortlisted at the SABRE EMEA Awards 2020

ASDA’A BCW is honoured to be shortlisted for the SABRE EMEA Awards Middle East Consultancy of the Year and to be part of the BCW EMEA team shortlisted for the EMEA Consultancy of the Year. These nominations are based on our client work and performance in 2019, our first full year as BCW, making this accomplishment even more meaningful to us. The shortlist selections are the result of an exhaustive research process involving more than 200 submissions, calls, and face-to-face meetings with the leading PR firms across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and we could not be prouder to have been recognised for our work.

We are also nominated in the following five categories for work with some of our amazing clients:

The SABRE Award for Superior Achievement in Reputation Management

Oil & Gas 4.0 – Strengthening ADNOC’s Corporate Reputation as the National Oil Company of the Future — The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) with ASDA’A BCW

Regional – The Middle East

Merchant-ising the Digital Dream! — Visa with ASDA’A BCW

Product Media Relations (Trade Media)

Completion of the World’s Largest Oil Platform — NPCC with ASDA’A BCW

Multicultural Marketing

‘A Call for Reform’ – The 11th Annual ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey 2019 — ASDA’A BCW

B2B – Energy and Natural Resources

Oil & Gas 4.0 – Strengthening ADNOC’s Corporate Reputation as the National Oil Company of the Future — The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) with ASDA’A BCW

We are grateful to our creative, collaborative and hard-working team and our fantastic clients, who have made this nomination possible, and we look forward to finding out the results on May 28th at the virtual SABRE Awards. Good luck to all, and fingers crossed!

 

To read about the full list of nominees, click here

 

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Mar 29, 2020

COVID-19: Navigating the Now, Preparing for the Next

Unlike anything experienced in our lifetime, COVID-19 impacts every person, community and organization on Earth. The implications vary from market to market, sector to sector and person to person, and a lot of uncertainty looms. Still, one thing is certain: We’re united in our care for one another, our commitment to progress, and our optimism for the future.

At ASDA’A BCW, we remain people-first and client-centric as we embrace this ‘new normal’. Like many of our clients, we’ve moved swiftly and with agility to work in new ways, and to deliver work that matters more than ever.

This means helping our clients to navigate the NOW and prepare for the NEXT.

Today, our clients are focused on business continuity. We partner to deliver critical communications – internal and external – to support day-to-day operations in this fast-changing landscape.

At the same time, we’re helping our clients to see around the corner and plan for what’s next. When we emerge from this crisis, the world will be forever changed. People will think, feel and behave differently. Companies will shift into recovery mode, which will require not just rebuilding, but in many cases, business transformation. Rich insights, creativity and strategic communications will be essential to move people. And that’s exactly what we do.

For more information or support during this challenging time, please contact: info.asdaa@bcw-global.com

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Feb 6, 2020

MENA’s $1billion PR industry set to double in value by 2030

Evolution of National Champion companies to global brands will catalyse the growth of the PR sector, observes opening panel of PRovoke MENA Summit Region’s senior communicators present insights on the global success achieved by Emirates, Mubadala, ADNOC and Dubai Holding

Dubai, UAE; February 6, 2020: Fuelled by the rapid growth of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s National champion companies, the Public Relations (PR) industry in MENA is set to leapfrog in value to double its current size of $1billion by 2030,  was the key take out from the PRovoke MENA Summit 2020, held in Dubai today.

PRovoke MENA Summit, organised by PRovoke Media (formerly The Holmes Report), is part of a global series of events that explore the innovation, disruption and evolution of the PR industry that is redefining influence and engagement across the globe.

The Summit opened with an insightful session ‘From National Heroes to Global Brands: Why the Middle East has emerged as a PR Powerhouse,’ moderated by Sunil John, Founder of ASDA’A BCW and President, Middle East of BCW. The panel hosted some of the region’s most respected and influential communicators: Boutros Boutros, Divisional Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand, Emirates Airline and Group; Umayma Abubakar, Director of Internal Corporate Relations, Mubadala; Omar Zaafrani, Senior Vice President, Group Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility, ADNOC; and Huda Buhumaid, Chief Marketing Officer, Dubai Holding. The panelists explored how the regional PR landscape has grown, mirroring the transformation of National Champion companies such as Emirates, Mubadala, ADNOC and Dubai Holding into global brands.

Introducing the panel, Sunil John noted that the dramatic economic, social and political changes witnessed in MENA position the region as a strategic market for all global industries. The region will be at the centre of the world this year, with Expo 2020 Dubai, the G20 Summit meetings in Saudi Arabia, the upcoming World Bank IMF annual meetings in Morocco in 2021, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and other global events set to contribute to the regional PR industry’s continued growth.

“From US$500million a decade ago, the industry has upped its value to more than double that figure today and will further gain traction to double again by 2030. This will be driven by the growth of global brands that emerge from our region, especially from the two largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” said Sunil John.

Highlighting the growth of Emirates, which today has a total communications budget of US$800 million, a team of 250 communications professionals, and working globally with 85 PR agencies, 100 advertising  firms, and 30 digital and events management companies, Boutros Boutros said Public Relations continues to be the “most valuable, effective and affordable communications medium, which will continue to grow in the coming years.” Boutros said the Dubai office of Emirates plays the role of a, “global inhouse hub to manage all the different agencies, with the strategy and policies originating here.”

Umayma Abubakar said successfully communicating the Mubadala story is also a reflection of the vision of UAE’s leadership. “Their goal of economic diversification has positioned the UAE as more than an oil and gas economy. There is a compelling need to tell our story to the world, to show that you have a lot to contribute and add value. In this, it was important to be transparent, and to be perceived as a responsible investor.”

Omar Zaafrani said the responsibility of national brands goes beyond their organisation and must represent a national perspective reflecting the UAE’s national branding and soft power. With a directional focus on making ADNOC, an oil and gas company, ‘cool’, Zaafrani said the challenge is to address the stereotypical stigma that is attributed to oil and gas sector players. “That takes courage, and a deliberate focus on humanising the story to make oil and gas relevant to the community.”

Dubai Holding’s Huda Buhumaid said there are interesting stories from this region and people are interested in knowing ‘how, why and when.’ “We are here ‘For the good of tomorrow’ and we change the landscape of Dubai through our different ventures. With over 400,000 people living in our real estate communities, more than 3 million people staying in our hotels, and with 11 business parks employing 95,000 people, we are promoting Dubai to the world – to the investors, tourists and residents – across various touch points.”

Concluding the session, Sunil John said communicating to a global audience is different from talking to a local audience. “The strategy needs to be truly global, cultural nuances understood with creativity playing a key role, supported by advanced data analysis. But innovative content and story-telling will continue to be at its heart.”

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Nov 21, 2019

Arab Youth Survey wins Best Campaign in the Middle East at MEPRA Awards 2019

Agency wins 10 awards at leading regional PR Awards event, including 3 golds, 4 silvers, 3 bronzes

ASDA’A BCW’s pioneering thought leadership initiative, the 11th Annual Arab Youth Survey 2019, was named Best Campaign in the Middle East at the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) Awards 2019, held in Dubai on 20 November, 2019.

Titled “A Call for Reform”, this year’s edition of the Survey also won gold for ‘Best Use of Data and Insights’,and took silver for ‘Best Non-Profit/Humanitarian/Charitable Campaign’. The largest survey of its kind, the Survey has been providing insights into the hopes and aspirations of the Arab world’s most important demographic – its youth, since 2008. In 2019, the Survey addressed topics such as religion, role of government, mental health and drug abuse. This year’s findings have driven dialogue at special Survey events around the world, including at Chatham House in London, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, and two events conducted by leading Washington DC publication The Hill.

ASDA’A BCW won a total of 10 awards on the night, including three golds, four silvers, and three bronzes, at a gala ceremony and dinner held in Dubai at the Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah. ASDA’A BCW’s work with real estate developer Marjan in promoting the New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Ras Al Khaimah’s Marjan Island won gold for ‘Best Real Estate or Construction Campaign’ as well as bronze for the ‘Best Travel or Tourism Campaign’.

The Agency’s work with Ford Middle East for its breast cancer awareness campaign “Warriors in Pink 2018: Stories of Courage” won silvers for ‘Best Healthcare Campaign’ and ‘Best Use of Influencers’ and bronze for ‘‘Best Non-Profit/Humanitarian/Charitable Campaign,’ while the campaign for the IPO of Network International won a silver for the category, ‘Best Financial Services Campaign’ and a bronze for ‘Best Use of Traditional Media (Consumer/Trade)’.

Sunil John, Founder of ASDA’A BCW and President, BCW Middle East, said: “We are delighted to be recognised for the work we do for our clients, and for our own thought leadership platform, the annual Arab Youth Survey. To win Best Campaign in the Middle East and be recognised at the MEPRA Awards is always special, as this is the forum in which we are judged by our peers in the region’s public relations industry.”

MEPRA is the Middle East region’s leading body for public relations and communication professionals and students. The MEPRA Awards provides an opportunity to communications specialist across the region to showcase their finest work and be recognised among peers. The 2019 MEPRA Awards saw more than 70 agencies and in-house communications teams compete in 47 categories.

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Oct 20, 2019

ASDA’A BCW cements position as Middle East’s leading PR firm with second PR Agency of the Year title in 2019

Consultancy celebrates record 29 awards at International Business Awards 2019

Haul includes 7 Gold ‘Stevies’ for work created for UNHCR, Ford, Network International, Arab Youth Survey

ASDA’A BCW has cemented its place as the leading PR consultancy in the region by winning PR Agency of the Year – Middle East and Africa, at the International Business Awards, its second big win in 2019 after being named Middle East Consultancy of the Year at The Holmes Report EMEA Sabres in May.

The agency won a record 29 International Business Awards – known as ‘Stevies’ : 7 Golds, 10 Silvers, and 11 Bronze medals in the PR Category, including a Gold for PR Agency of the Year for Middle East & Africa, and a special ‘Grand Stevie’ for ranking third among the ‘Top 10 Honoured Organizations’ globally.

‘Reaching out to Refugees’, the UNHCR Refugee Zakat Program, won two Gold Stevies, for being the PR Campaign of the Year in the ‘Multicultural’ and ‘Public Service’ categories, along with three Silver Stevies in the ‘Community Engagement’, ‘Global Issues’ and ‘Non-Profit or Charity’ categories.

Ford Middle East’s non-profit campaign ‘Warriors in Pink’, which focused on spreading awareness for breast cancer among Arab women and creating a community which would serve cancer survivors and fighters, won Gold for ‘Public Service’, a Silver in ‘Healthcare’ and two Bronze Stevies for ‘Community Engagement’ and ‘Influencer Management’.

The 11th Annual Arab Youth Survey was awarded a Gold for ‘PR Campaign of the Year focused on Global Issues’ for the 2019 edition, ‘A Call for Reform’. The Agency’s pioneering thought leadership initiative also took home six Silver awards, for ‘Corporate Responsibility’, ‘Events & Observances’, ‘Integration of Traditional and New Media’, ‘Media Relations’, ‘Public Service’ and for ‘Best White Paper or Research Report’.

The landmark campaign conducted for the IPO of Network International took a Gold Stevie for ‘Financial Services & Investor Relations’ and two Bronze medals for ‘Media Relations’ and ‘Corporate Communications’.

Projects by ASDA’A BCW that earned Bronze Stevies include the #LivingWithEczema awareness campaign by Sanofi; the launch of KitKat Ruby at Sole DXB; and Ras Al Khaimah’s Marjan Island’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the night of New Year 2018-2019.

The International Business Awards are the world’s premier business awards programme, with the 2019 edition receiving 4,000 entries from 74 nations.

Sunil John, Founder of ASDA’A BCW & President, BCW Middle East, said: “The record number of wins at the 2019 International Business Awards is a testament to the dedication of our team and continued trust of our esteemed clients. Our teams throughout the region are proud to uphold and raise the bar for excellence with our work for all our clients. We are delighted to have our hard work and persistence be recognized on an international platform.”

The Grand Stevies are awarded based on a points system, with a Gold Stevie win counting for three points, a Silver Stevie win for two points, and a Bronze Stevie win for 1.5 points. ASDA’A BCW was ranked third in the ‘Top 10 Honoured Organizations’ with an impressive total of 59.5 award points.

This year’s International Business Awards ceremony and gala dinner took place at the Andaz Vienna am Belvedere Hotel in Vienna, Austria on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

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Oct 19, 2019

Nine in Ten Young Arabs Concerned About Unemployment, 11th Arab Youth Survey 2019 shows

An overwhelming 89 percent of young Arabs expressed concern about levels of unemployment in their countries, according to a new finding from the 2019 ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey, unveiled at an event organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, DC today.

The event, “Youth Aspirations in the Middle East and North Africa,” was moderated by Brian Cheung, a reporter with Yahoo Finance, and featured a presentation of key findings from this year’s Survey – now in its 11th annual edition – by Sunil John, Founder, ASDA’A BCW, and President, Middle East, BCW, which included new data about young Arabs’ concerns over their careers.

Joining John on the panel were Her Excellency Sahar Nasr, Egyptian Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, Jihad Azour, Director, IMF Middle East and Central Asia and Syrine Chaalala, co-Founder and Managing Director, nextProtein.

As the largest demographic group of the Middle East and North Africa region, many Arab youth face severe hurdles joining the labour force, with World Bank research[1] indicating 30 percent of 18-24 year olds are out of work in the Middle East and North Africa – the highest unemployment rate in the world. The 11th Arab Youth Survey shows that the rising cost of living and unemployment are the top two concerns among Arab youth but indicates a marked divide in opportunity between young Arabs living in the oil-rich Gulf states and their peers elsewhere, especially when it comes to expectations of their governments to address issues that matter to young people.

For example, while 97 percent of youth in UAE are confident their national government has the capacity to battle rising unemployment, 80 percent of youth in Iraq have no confidence in their governments to do the same.

Young Arabs in the wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states also look to their governments as a source of employment. Seven in 10 (69 percent) of youth in the GCC want to work in the public sector – while those elsewhere are more amenable to private sector jobs, with just four in 10 youth in North Africa (40 percent) and the Levant (39 percent) preferring government jobs.

Presenting these findings to the panel, Sunil John said, “As a developing region with some of the fastest growing economies in the world, Arab youth cannot afford to be left behind. Now, more than ever, the region’s young people require the support of their governments if they are to realise their potential and take up the productive, fulfilling and rewarding careers which are needed to drive the economies of the region to greater heights.”

Addressing the audience at the event, John said, “We are privileged to present our research at the prestigious IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, and to share actionable insights with international governments and other decision makers. The Arab Youth Survey is for a platform for dialogue and I hope that the dialogue we spark today can be the basis of policies and actions that can help change the future for Arab youth.”

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meetings bring together financial experts, government representatives, private sector executives, academics and other civil society organisation representatives to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness.

The Arab Youth Survey is the largest study of its kind into the region’s largest demographic: its youth. Every year, ASDA’A BCW generates evidence-based insights that provide governments, the private sector, media and civil society with critical information and analysis to inform decision-making and policy formation and build greater awareness of Arab youth.

The full survey data is available at www.arabyouthsurvey.com.

 

 

[1] International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database, “Unemployment, youth total (% of total labour force ages 15-24) (modelled ILO estimate)”. Data retrieved in September 2019 by The World Bank

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