TIHAMA Holding has launched the Tihama Global Public Relations division with its business office in Dubai. It started this January. Under a memorandum of understanding signed with Politics, the Athens-based major European public relations company, Tihama GPR will provide its customers with high quality PR consultancy services in all aspects of public relations including planning and launching of campaigns, management of company profile, measurement of public opinion, media relations, crisis management, internal communication, digital communications, event management, media training as well as providing media monitoring programs, press report and public affairs. The agreement also allows Tihama GPR the access to the vast network of Politics in more than 70 cities across the world, in addition to its international expertise in the areas of media and communication in both government and public sectors. Yasser bin Abdul Aziz Al-Ghaslan, a prominent media and public relations Saudi leader, has been appointed as executive director of the public relations division at Tihama Co. He previously worked for major Arab newspapers including the Arab international newspaper (Al-Sharq Al-Awsatt) where he assumed the position of managing editor, as well as working for many media holding companies and international public relations companies including Hill & Knowlton Strategies. Responsible for the public relations in the company, Alghaslan will develop various strategies and ensure growth of this vital sector at the regional, Arabic and international levels with the purpose to restoring public relations as a major element of revenue generating activities for Tihama Holding. Sheikh Badr Al-Dawoud, chairman of Tihama Holding, welcomed the joining of Alghaslan to Tihama family. He said assigning Al-Ghaaslan to this sector, which is of crucial significance to the company's future, comes in line with the company's policy to attract professional executives with robust expertise in the Saudi and regional enterprise business. Considering his media experience and professional career of more than 24 years, Alghaslan is the right candidate for the job. Al-Dawoud emphasized that the decision to activate this fundamental pillar of Tihama Co. comes in line with the board's awareness of the need to keep pace with the substantial growth of this sector with an 8 percent annual growth rate and regional market value forecast at more than $1 billion by the end of 2015. With all these important indicators, marketing companies should make public relations a major sector and a main revenue-generating source. Tihama chairman announced that through its operations in Dubai City, the company will announce new partnerships and initiatives in the area of the company's activities. Alghaslan said PR market in Saudi Arabia grew significantly and witnessed increasing demand during the last two years due to increasing awareness among both private and public sectors of the importance of public relations in marketing. Industry organizations have provided facilities in the area of event and conference management, an important communication element that has been missing in the past, he noted. In Tihama Global for Public Relations, “we shall develop innovative communication solutions taking into consideration dynamic influence approach and the nature of customer aspirations.” Alghaslan stressed that the company “will create a qualitative shift in the PR operations by adopting strategies that serve the customer in a manner that keeps pace with the variables of our era, while delivering integrated professional solutions using various traditional as well as new communication platforms with emphasis on strategic planning as a major component of any future planning.” — SG
