Think Edelman, and you think hard-nosed strategic advice in the corporate and governmental corridors of power; think Dabo, and you think glitzy launches in the razzamatazz of Dubai’s glittering media scene.
Bring the two together and you have … beauty and the beast: a marriage of two distinct approaches to communications that could pay off big time for both parties – and for Abu Dhabi as a communications hub for the region.
At least, that is the plan put together by Edelman, one of the oldest, biggest and most august communications groups in the world.
The 63-year-old American firm announced the acquisition, for an undisclosed price, of Dabo & Co, the much younger Dubai public relations outfit.
Matthew Harrington, the chief operating officer of Edelman’s global business, was one of the architects of the deal. He sees similarities and synergies, rather than differences.
“We’ve been talking to Dabo for about a year, I guess, and it quickly became very apparent that the firms are very similar in terms of culture,” says Mr Harrington, who is from Boston, but is now based in New York, the global headquarters of Edelman.
“We’re both independent minded. Dabo is the creation of two sisters, Edelman is in the second generation of family ownership. We share set values and an entrepreneurial spirit. Their approach mirrors the way we go about our business,” he says.
Dabo was the eponymous brainchild of Lucy and Camilla D’Abo, who more than a decade ago saw an opportunity in branded and consumer marketing in the UAE, their family home. Since then, they have built the firm into a force in PR, event management and digital marketing.
Edelman set up in the region in 2008, choosing Abu Dhabi as its base. That was unusual, because most communications firms were located up the road in Dubai, regarded as the main media hub of the region.
“We have a traditional focus on public and corporate affairs, and a strong interest in certain businesses, like technology, education and health care. The government is at the centre of these sectors, and we wanted to be at the heart of it too. So Abu Dhabi was the natural place to be, and it’s proved to be very successful. With the addition of Dabo, we’ve strengthened both Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” says Mr Harrington.
The combined firms will have about 150 employees in the UAE, making it one of the biggest communications operations based here, and the only one to have its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Edelman has a string of top-notch names as clients in the UAE’s business scene such asMubadala, Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi, the capital’s tourism and transport authorities, and the Dubai-based conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim.
What does he see as the particular features of the media scene in Abu Dhabi?
“Of course, all clients are focused on one thing: how to get their story told. But in Abu Dhabi clients benefit from the fact that there’s still a strong print culture in media here. Elsewhere in the world, we’re seeing the collapse of traditional print media, but not here in Abu Dhabi.
“Print is struggling in America, and it’s challenged in Europe, where electronic channels are becoming all important. But that isn’t the case in the Middle East and in Asia, where print is still strong, and media groups offer newsprint as well as electronic. I ride the New York subway, and I like to feel newsprint in my hands. But I’m one of a small number of people who do that now,” he says.
Part of the Edelman job in the regional market, he feels, is to educate clients as to the complementary nature of print and electronic media. “It’s a global phenomenon, but the region has its own particular characteristics,” he says.
With 5,000 employees in 65 offices around the world, Edelman can bring a global perspective to the communications business in the UAE. “A big part of the job is to teach foreigners about the UAE. What we can show them is a country and an economy that have strong aspirations and a strong strategy to be innovative across a whole swath of sectors.
“We can also show them a country and a society that has a strong level of confidence and trust in its leadership, in politics and in business. In our global survey of confidence in governments and business, the Trust Barometer, the UAE scores very high in contrast to many countries of the world. People here are very optimistic about their government and their institutions,” he says.
One challenge Edelman faces throughout the world is to persuade clients of the benefits of transparency. “I always counsel that more transparency is a good thing, it increases the levels of trust. But for some clients that can be a bit of a journey, and some have to be persuaded that it’s better in principle to communicate. If that’s not the natural feeling, it’s our job to make the client more comfortable with the idea,” he says.
The other message to the world is that the UAE is a “strong island of security” in a troubled region. “The deal with Dabo reinforces our confidence in the region and the UAE in this respect,” Mr Harrington says.
He declines to identify which new projects, or new clients, Edelman and Dabo may have in their sights. But he does point out that his firm is advising Milan on that city’s world Expo, beginning in a few weeks. “We have the expertise and background to advise anybody in this field,” he says, meaningfully.
fkane@thenational.ae
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Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
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Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
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- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
