DUBAI — Unilever MENA Russia & Turkey sustainability director Priya Sarma Mathur and UN Women head of partnerships Hannah Beswick have joined the lineup for the PRovoke MENA Summit, which is returning to Dubai on 5 February 2020.

Mathur and Beswick will feature on a panel that explores how brands turn their values into action, at a time when business is being called on to help solve social problems. The discussion will also feature Alex Malouf, formerly of Procter & Gamble where he managed reputational affairs for the Middle East's largest FMCG.

Prior to her current role, Beswick served as the women, peace and security adviser and senior gender adviser at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations in New York. Priya Sarma Mathur has more than a decade of corporate communications experience with Unilever in the region. 

The third edition of the MENA conference follows the resounding success of the first two years, which have discussed such critical issues as climate change, CEO activism, PR as a policy function and the region's creative evolution. 

Emirates SVP Boutros Boutros will help examine an area of specific importance to Middle East communicators — namely how domestic heavyweights become genuine global brands, and the challenges and opportunities this poses for the region's public relations industry.

The keynote panel discussion will lead the conference off and also features:
- Omar Zaafrani, SVP of group communications at ADNOC
- Umayma Abubakar, director of internal corporate relations at Mubadala
- Huda Buhumaid, chief marketing officer at Dubai Holding
and will be moderated by Asda'a BCW Middle East president, Sunil John.

Another confirmed session at the event will explore the disconnect between the region's youth and big brands. 

The conference will take place at the W Dubai, ahead of the PRCA MENA Awards at the same venue that evening. PRCA MENA and ICCO members are eligible for special discounts via their member bodies

The third PRovoke MENA is being backed by numerous partners and sponsors, including Asda'a BCW, H+K Strategies, Memac Ogilvy, Weber Shandwick and FleishmanHillard. It is also supported by PRCA MENA, ICCO, MEPRA and the IABC.

Tickets for the conference can be booked here.