During a 24-year strategic communications career, David has spent 14 years living and working in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain executing leadership roles across consultancy and on the client side. He joined Edelman in 2024 as Managing DIrector of the UAE after serving as a Partner at Consulum Government Communications, leading key accounts including Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) and the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF). 

David served as Managing Director with Kekst CNC for a decade, half of which was spent as Head of their Middle East business. Over nearly six years he grew a very modest operation into a multi-million dollar regional concern while establishing strong and enduring foundations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. David relocated to London in 2019 to head up Kekst CNC’s crisis team across Europe, the Middle East and Asia from London, advising a range of clients on high profile cross border issues including global regulatory investigations into ‘greenwashing’. He is a seasoned crisis manager with more than 20 years experience managing issues across multiple sectors in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Australia. From 2016 – 2019 he led consultancy support to flydubai following the tragic FZ981 air crash in Southern Russia.

He brings considerable experience and market knowledge of the Gulf region. Since 2007 David worked and led on major UAE and Saudi government and private sector clients including Mubadala, TAQA, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), flydubai, the Saudi Ministries of Health, Housing and Foreign Affairs, NEOM, Abdul Lateef Jamil and the Strategic Management Office. He served as a senior seconded adviser to SABIC for 2 years and won a major seconded mandate with Saudi Aramco to provide strategic communications support around the SABIC acquisition, its landmark initial public offer and broader long-term communications advisory.

David is a passionate believer in the unique ambition and potential for growth across the UAE and wider gulf region.  As a veteran of high intensity projects across the GCC, he places a premium on the practical support and development of both seconded and office based teams. He is driven by the notion that sustained excellence can only ever be achieved when colleagues care about each other and focus on a shared goal.

David is a graduate of Politics & History at Newcastle University. He began his career as a lobbyist in the UK working on mandates in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors spanning the EU and U.S and this period included a seconded stint serving in the United States Senate. He also served as a Judge for the Middle East Public Relations (MEPRA) Awards from 2015-2019.