The IAA World Executive Committee always held its meetings at the Association’s global headquarters in New York. It never met anywhere else. However – in 1988 – and in recognition of the UAE Chapter’s unprecedented efforts at showcasing the role of the advertising profession in making the world a better place for all; the IAA World Executive Committee came to Dubai for holding its meeting, thanks to Samir Fares whose efforts and personal contacts were crucial in making this happen.
These five days in Dubai gave us the opportunity to demonstrate to the UAE Government the role of the local advertising industry in promoting Dubai to the world and attracting more international companies – media and otherwise – to come and establish here. It provided the local communication industry – be it media, ad agencies, production and research companies – with a stage to show their sophistication to the world, keeping in mind that members of the executive committee were representing widespread global organizations. Following this event, the UAE Chapter organized a joint roundtable with the Pan Arab magazine Al Iktissad Wal Aamal, under the theme “Why Dubai” and this was an added opportunity to showcase Dubai to the Arab world.
In early 1989, I got re-elected to the Chapter Presidency for a second two-year term. Soon after I led a delegation – of chapter members – to the Asian Advertising Congress “AdAsia” in Lahore, Pakistan.
Ghulam Ishaq Khan, President of Pakistan welcoming Ramzi Raad, Mustapha Assad & Nabil Kazan to AdAsia 89
There I presented a paper entitled “Advertising in West Asia” that show cased the Arab advertising market to a group whose field of vision was limited to the markets of Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent. This was my very first visit to Pakistan and our hosts gave us a very vivid picture of the country – outside the conference hall – particularly Lahore, the old and magnificent city. Its famous fortress that had been closed to tourists, was re-opened for our farewell party which was held under the patronage of the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The climax of the evening was the moment when the attendees, each lit the colored paper lantern that he was given, and hundreds of hot air balloons were released into the night sky.
Back in Dubai, we immediately began preparing to have a sizeable presence at the upcoming Advista Arabia II Congress planned to be held in Cairo during the month of May. Accordingly, the UAE Chapter board got busy recruiting the delegates and lining up possible speakers best qualified to showcase the UAE’s achievements. Soon we had an impressive list that included Hussein Sultan, CEO of ENOC, one of Dubai’s petroleum retailing companies that had taken over the Shell service stations network and turned it into a continuous success story based on very efficient service and modernism. Colm McLaughlin, the man who brought the Irish airports duty free experience to Dubai Airport. Guy Gallimard, the custodian of the Dubai hospitality experience, and Dr. Tetsuji Yamada, who had resigned his senior export job with National Electronics to establish the very successful Retail Division for the Juma Al Majid Establishment. This in addition to the impressive number of Chapter members including our eager new member, Abdullah Al Ghurair.
We flew all together as an official delegation and this was a unique manifestation that impressed the Egyptian organizers who were arranging a Meet & Assist reception at Cairo Airport. Abdullah Al Ghurair travelled in the seat across the aisle from mine. He was wearing the national white dress and we were engaged in a non-stop chat throughout the flight. On arrival at the Semiramis Intercontinental, we unpacked and went down to the lobby as we had a meeting planned with Tarek Nour and Galal Zaki of AAPIC, the conference organizers. While I was standing in the middle of the lobby waiting for the UAE delegation members to join me, I spotted a young man wearing dark sunglasses, jeans and a San Francisco University sweat-shirt walking towards me and smiling. I whispered to my wife – who was standing close to me – to look at this man whose face looks familiar. She poked my elbow replying in a shocked tone, “This is the young Arab you’ve been chatting with since we left Dubai!” Abdullah had changed completely with his American look.
I got to Cairo armed with a presentation intended to ease the tense climate of a war between the Lebanese and Saudi advertising people that had erupted at Advista Arabia I, back in 1987. We sensed that this could be the case while viewing the video that Tarek Nour and Galal Zaki had left with the UAE Chapter during their promotional visit to Dubai. The video showed a session during which Antoine Choueiri – doyen of the Lebanese Pan Arab media, engaged in a heated debate – on stage – with Abdallah Abed Al Bari – Chairman of Al Ahram Group. People who had participated in Advista Arabia I, said that this debate carried on long after the conference ended, and warring camps seem to have formed to keep the war of words, flaring.
The presentations of our speakers made Dubai the star of the Congress, which kept growing while the others remained busy engaged in their arguments.