Satisfying Public Relations: The Promise of Social Media in the UAE

This paper assesses the state of PR in the UAE in relation to global media, and highlights needs in this area for both public and private enterprises. The paper explores the types of Social Media (SM) used for public relations in the UAE and what it plays in PR departments. The main research focus of this paper is how PR departments are utilizing social media to engage in advocacy work. Employing a qualitative method, interview data is taken from a cross section of 40 organizations throughout the UAE. It addresses perceptions of benefits, challenges, public acceptance, and future strategies of social media in relation to global SM as a whole. A limited number of research articles about the use of the internet in the UAE organizations have been published, but the author found no previous published studies specifically focusing on the use of SM in PR in this region, and this is the first paper that focuses on SM in 40 different organizations. It also offers suggestions for media planning and education strategies that can contribute to the future of PR in the UAE, and suggests further research focusing on the socio-economic effects of social media be conducted and incorporated by educational institutions in the UAE and by private businesses with a vested interest. These new technologies are critical for improving organizational and PR processes in the UAE.