PR News
Luciana Blackwell

Kekst CNC brings in new Partner in Abu Dhabi

Global strategic communications boutique, Kekst CNC has welcomed Luciana Blackwell as Partner at its Abu Dhabi office.

With over two decades of professional experience, she has held transformative roles, including the first Digital Editor at The National and strategic positions at ADNOC, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and, most recently, Masdar. Luciana was also a Partner at FGS Global, where she played a key role in launching and leading its digital practice in the Middle East. 

"We are delighted to welcome Luciana to our team. Her extensive understanding of the region and her strategic insight in digital and financial communications and corporate positioning will considerably strengthen our capabilities in the UAE and beyond. Luciana’s leadership is an important next step in our continued expansion in the region, allowing us to achieve transformative results for our clients," said Ben Curson, Partner and Head of Middle East at Kekst CNC

"I am thrilled to join Kekst CNC, a firm celebrated for its strategic acumen, client servicing and communications excellence. I look forward to collaborating with Kekst CNC’s talented team as we continue to create value for our clients and drive forward our growth and success in the UAE and wider Middle East market," said Luciana.

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2025
Industry update

2025 MEPRA Awards winners revealed

The 17th edition of the MEPRA Awards announced its 2025 winners on 27 November, recognising work demonstrating strategic thinking, creativity, effective storytelling and measurable impact. The awards highlighted achievements in brand reputation, integrated communications and strategic narrative development, reflecting how agencies are adapting to a rapidly changing communications landscape.

Agency winners
Weber Shandwick MENAT dominated the evening with 26 wins, followed by Gambit Communications with 18 awards, securing their positions as leaders across popular categories. Weber Shandwick MENAT also claimed Large Agency of the Year, while Current Global MENAT was named Medium Agency of the Year, and The Romans took home Small Agency of the Year.

Individual honours
The Chairperson’s award was conferred upon Scott Armstrong (founder, Mentl) for accelerating mental health advocacy, whereas Brian Lott of Mubadala Investment Company won the Best Communicator of the Year. Tala Majzoub of HAVAS Red ME won the ‘Dave Robinson’ award for Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year, and Fathimath Nooha of Murdoch University won the Outstanding Student Campaign.

Kate Midttun, MEPRA Chairperson, commented, “MEPRA Awards has become a vital benchmark for recognising PR brilliance and exceptional talent in the Middle East’s PR and communications sector.  This has been a standout year for creative resilience, and work across the communications spectrum has been truly astounding. The honorees have showcased the power of PR to inform and engage, elevating the art of an insightful communications approach. Congratulations to all the winners tonight, and we would like to thank them for redefining excellence benchmarks, motivating the entire fraternity to gear up for the upcoming year.”

The 2025 awards were supported by Gambit Communications (Diamond Partner), TAQA (Platinum Partner), Weber Shandwick MENAT and CARMA (Gold Partners), along with Mubadala, Kibsons, SEC Newgate Middle East, Telum Media, Burson, Place Communications, First and Ten Productions, Current Global MENAT, Matrix Public Relations and AMEC.

View the full list of  2025 MEPRA winners here.

ACID
Moves

ACID brings in new Associate Partner

Stephanie Thng has taken on a new role as Associate Partner at ACID. Based in Singapore, she works with business founders, startups, and companies on strategic communications, media relations, brand narrative development, and executive positioning.

Stephanie's prior communications experience includes roles at Fullerton Fund Management, Aberdeen Asset Management and iFAST. She currently also serves as the Head of Communications for Femtech Association Asia in an advisory capacity.

Latest
Moves

Latest marcomms hire at KLCC Group

Hisham Abdullah has joined KLCC Group as Manager, Digital Brand Marketing & Events Management, on a secondment basis. Based in Malaysia, he leads a range of communications initiatives, including strategic communications, branding, media and digital engagement, and reputation management.

Hisham brings more than 17 years of strategic communications experience, having worked at organisations such as PROTON, KIA Motors, BASF Malaysia, and PETRONAS.