Public relations and communications firm The Romans has officially expanded its footprint in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with the introduction of a specialized sports and entertainment division, naming Sam Buckett to head the new venture as Managing Director.This rollout marks the second time the agency has established this specific vertical globally, following its initial launch in the United Kingdom. The newly formed department is set to deliver a comprehensive suite of services, encompassing public relations, influencer marketing, sponsorship strategy, live activations, content creation, reputation management, and creative campaigns.Buckett steps into the role after a tenure at Burson in Saudi Arabia, where he similarly led the sports and entertainment practice. His regional expertise includes a two-year stint in the Kingdom alongside significant involvement in Qatar surrounding the FIFA World Cup. As Managing Director, his primary objectives will involve scaling the division's client roster across the region, fostering strategic partnerships, and broadening the agency's footprint in sports, entertainment, and talent management.Reflecting on the launch, Buckett highlighted the immense cultural value of sports and entertainment to audiences while criticizing conventional industry approaches. He noted that fans are frequently treated as passive targets, leading to uninspired public relations, and emphasized that the new team intends to disrupt that trend by capturing the genuine energy and enthusiasm of the region's fanbases through engaging, dynamic work.The new entity will complement The Romans' existing regional operations, which include an ongoing partnership with Ethara—the organization responsible for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Furthermore, the MENA branch will integrate with the agency's broader international portfolio, contributing to global accounts such as WWE, UFC, Formula E, Formula 1, Oakley, and Puma.Joe Lipscombe, a partner at The Romans MENA, echoed these sentiments, pointing out that sports and entertainment form a core component of the agency's identity. He criticized formulaic industry tactics like repetitive kit collaborations and predictable talent choices, arguing that the deeply passionate MENA fan culture deserves higher-caliber creative output.In his new capacity, Buckett will collaborate closely with Chris Allen, the global Executive Director of Sports & Entertainment at The Romans, alongside the agency's UK-based personnel. Allen described the appointment as a pivotal moment for international expansion, noting that Buckett's background will help channel the region's substantial investments in sports and culture into impactful, culturally resonant campaigns.The unveiling of the sports and entertainment vertical follows The Romans' initial establishment in the MENA market via its Dubai branch in 2024. The agency's wider client roster features prominent global and regional brands including Porsche, Binance, Ethara, WaterWipes, Costa Coffee, and SharkNinja.

Specialist sustainability consultancy ERM has appointed Sophia Sheikh as Director to lead the development and growth of its fast-growing strategic communications agency across the Middle East.With more than 20 years in marketing, communications and content development, including 17 years in the Middle East, Sheikh brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by the region’s evolving business landscape. Her experience spans media, financial services and sustainability, from helping position Dubai as a destination for international business while at Dubai World Trade Centre to leading marketing and content for the Masdar-hosted World Future Energy Summit.Sheikh joins ERM’s pan-EMEA communications agency at an exciting time in its growth trajectory. Founded by Partner Lead Emily Luscombe at the start of 2025, the agency has already been recognised as ‘One to Watch’ by PRWeek, securing international accolades for its distinctive model of delivering multi-channel communications and stakeholder engagement programmes, grounded in the technical and strategic depth of the 8,000-strong specialist sustainability firm.Sheikh will build on the agency’s rapid growth in the Middle East, where the team has secured mandates from government, listed and private businesses spanning real estate, energy, manufacturing and financial services. This work has included supporting local clients in achieving international recognition for their ERM-led sustainability reporting.The commercial case for effective sustainability communications is increasingly clear. According to ERM’s Global EcoPulse 2025, 85% of organisations say sustainability is a tie-breaker in procurement tenders. The research also found that 67% of people are interested in hearing from companies about their efforts to reduce environmental impact, and 90% of employees say a company’s environmental or social record is important when considering where to work.Together, these findings highlight how sustainability performance and the ability to communicate it effectively can influence commercial opportunities, corporate reputation, customer engagement and talent attraction.Sheikh’s appointment reflects the growing role of communications in connecting sustainability ambition and technical delivery with commercial value, stakeholder confidence and market positioning.“With sustainability increasingly central to business strategy, investment decisions and corporate reputation, having the right strategy and delivering meaningful change are only part of the equation,” said Sophia Sheikh, Director of Strategic Communications at ERM. “Organisations also need to communicate clearly what they are doing, why it matters, and what it means for their stakeholders.“The Middle East is an especially interesting market in this respect. The scale of ambition and investment across energy, infrastructure and economic transformation creates significant opportunities, but it also brings greater scrutiny of sustainability claims and expectations around measurable progress. This is where the ability to promote, but also defend, strategy and investments in sustainability is so critical – and where the power of communication comes in,” continued Sheikh.Emily Luscombe, Partner Lead for Strategic Communications, EMEA, added: “I am ever so excited to have someone of Sophia’s calibre join our team. Her experience in building brands, engaging audiences and developing strategies that build both reputation and international visibility around sustainability is integral to the continued growth of our offering, in the GCC and beyond. By bridging the ‘do’ and the ‘say’ of sustainability, ERM enables organisations to protect and unlock greater value from their investments. Through the power of communication, we can help them navigate growing stakeholder scrutiny, build trust and, crucially, translate the commercial and societal impact of what they do.”

Adfactors PR has elevated Parneet Hira to the position of Group Head. Based in New Delhi, Hira has been with the agency since July 2025, previously serving as Senior Communications Consultant. Announcing the transition on LinkedIn, Hira shared: “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Group Head at Adfactors PR!” With over a decade of experience across corporate reputation, strategic communications and client management, Hira has worked extensively with leading public relations consultancies in India. Prior to joining Adfactors PR, she spent over seven years at MSLGROUP India across two stints, where she rose to the role of Associate Vice President and Lead – Corporate Practice. Earlier in her career, she held client advisory and management roles at Weber Shandwick and Genesis Burson-Marsteller.

Dubai-based communications agency North Seventy Five has appointed Mustapha Al-Tayech as Associate Director, with responsibility for sustainability, energy and financial communications across the Middle East.Al-Tayech joins North Seventy Five from Burson, where he spent more than 12 years advising organisations including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Saudi Aramco.During his tenure at Burson, he worked across mandates covering financial-centre growth and investment, energy transition, major destination and infrastructure projects, and reputation-critical issues.In his new role, Al-Tayech will focus on strengthening North Seventy Five’s work across finance, energy and sustainability, while supporting the agency’s growth in the region.“I spent more than a decade working alongside Lisa and Iman, so there is already a great deal of trust and familiarity between us,” said Al-Tayech. “What made North Seventy Five particularly exciting was the opportunity to bring that shared experience into something newer and more entrepreneurial, whilst staying close to the kind of complex, high-stakes work I’ve always enjoyed.”Lisa Welsh, Co-founder and Managing Partner, North Seventy Five, said Al-Tayech’s appointment comes as clients increasingly expand into sectors including sustainability, energy, real estate and finance.“Mustapha has spent over a decade advising some of the region’s most influential organisations through the moments that matter most, and that depth of experience makes him a natural fit for North Seventy Five,” Welsh said.

PR Newswire has appointed former Indian Express journalist Gairika Mitra to head its newly launched Managed Services division — a strategic initiative designed to help brands amplify their communication in a smarter, more data-driven way.In her new role, Mitra will oversee efforts to help organisations go beyond just issuing press releases, focusing instead on building content that performs better across search engines, answer engines, and AI-powered discovery platforms.This enhanced approach will be powered by PR Newswire Amplify, a distribution solution built on Google’s Gemini framework, aimed at optimising how brand stories surface online.Before this, Mitra worked with The Indian Express and began her career interning with Network18’s CNN-IBN.