Dana Ibrahim, Senior Communications Executive, HAVAS Red Middle EastThis is a hard lesson that PR professionals often learn. When I began my career, I believed that being a ‘social butterfly’ was the main job description. I still remember my first meeting with a prominent media editor; I thought a friendly, enthusiastic phone call would be enough to win him over. I was wrong. He valued personal connections and trust, not superficial chats, and wanted to understand the person on the other end of the line before giving them any attention. My strategy failed. It was a humbling, eye-opening moment. I have since applied this lesson in the influencer space, building relationships that rely on trust and connection.
The changing rules of influence
The region’s influencer scene is evolving rapidly, requiring PR professionals to adapt. The priority should be relationship-building over achieving set deliverables. Consider how to add value for creators beyond just a financial transaction: offer experiences, exclusive access, and ensure it is all aligned with their audiences. It’s important that creators stay true to their style.
When creators such as The Rahal tell us that content outside their style reduces performance, we must listen. Imposing requirements undermines authenticity and credibility, and this is when we, as PR advisors, should step in to guide clients toward organic storytelling to protect both parties.
Client budget constraints are very common. Influencers expect compensation, but clients often have limited resources. Staying transparent and creative is essential, and considering barter opportunities is important, which is why exclusive access and long-term partnerships are where it’s at.
Our role is to connect brands with creators, offer balanced guidance, advise clients on effective strategies, challenge ideas that feel forced, and help influencers understand business needs. When executed well, this approach delivers results.
Earlier this year, we launched the first HAVAS Café in the region at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, welcoming over 200 creators into a space designed solely for dialogue between the brand and creators to build personal relationships. What became clear from several conversations is that true impact relies on collaboration and authenticity.
Metrics such as reach and follower count don’t tell the full story and won’t determine real success. What really matters is audience engagement and shared values. For campaigns to resonate credibly, brands and creators must share values and treat the partnership as a two-way street. Above all, authenticity is essential; audiences can immediately spot a forced product placement and will quickly scroll past it.
We have also engaged over 400 creators across Dubai Retail’s campaigns in 2025, including more than 70 barter collaborations across malls tailored to their interests in food, family, fashion, or fitness, with profiles such as Zena Louay, Zeynab El Helw, Milla Jasmine, and more. Our agency’s automotive client, Audi, also achieved impact through barter collaborations with value-driven profiles, without direct influencer spend.
This approach led to authentic storytelling that outperformed scripted content and fostered long-term partnerships. Providing influencers with experiences that genuinely align with their interests and their audience’s preferences drives authentic engagement. In these cases, participation often comes from excitement and curiosity rather than a simple transactional exchange.
Where the influencer world is heading
The influencer ecosystem in the UAE is undergoing a massive shift, one that the government is actively shaping. The National Media Council now requires influencers to obtain official licences to work, raising the bar for compliance and credibility. Forecasts from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism indicate that the emirate’s content economy is on track to double in the coming years. That projection alone signals a broader shift: influencers are no longer secondary to strategies; they are becoming key players in the UAE’s digital growth.
This is why a new approach is non-negotiable. Brands and agencies can’t afford to treat influencer collaborations as an afterthought. With the government making it clear that professionalism and accountability are the new standards, the old way of creating superficial partnerships is over.
Now more than ever, we need to build trust and invest in real relationships, audience alignment, and mutual values. The next few years will reward those who lead with trust, transparency, and respect for the creator’s work, while leaving behind anyone still pursuing quick fixes.
By Dana Ibrahim, Senior Communications Executive, HAVAS Red Middle East
