Facilitator
Speaker: Rasha Ghanem, MEPRA Strategy Board Member and Director, Public Affairs & Communications, Middle East & North Africa at Ford Middle East
As the Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Ford in the Middle East, Rasha Ghanem leads all integrated communications efforts to uphold the reputation of Ford and Lincoln brands across the region, targeting internal and external stakeholders. With nearly 20 years of experience as a communications leader, Rasha has worked across diverse sectors, including automotive, retail, F&B, art and culture, and technology. Her career spans both in-house roles and positions at some of the region’s most esteemed PR agencies. Rasha is dedicated to embodying the values championed by the Ford+ vision and Ford OS Behaviours. These principles aim to transform automotive operations, nurture a culture of innovation and disruption, embrace a challenger mindset, and treat customers like family. This is achieved through a relentless pursuit of excellence, unwavering focus, and a collaborative spirit. Before joining Ford Middle East, Rasha served as the Ford Team Lead at ASDA’A BCW. During her tenure, she executed several groundbreaking campaigns, including the award-winning ‘Welcome to the Driver Seat,’ celebrating the milestone of Saudi women driving, and the iconic reveal of Ford’s Mustang atop the Burj Khalifa in 2014. Rasha’s automotive experience extends beyond Ford, having worked as the Products Communications Manager at General Motors Middle East Operations and as the Social Media Manager for GM in the region. She also managed Volvo as a client at Ogilvy & Mather. A board member of the Middle East Public Relations Association since January 2023, Rasha’s achievements have been recognized by PR Week, which named her twice among the brightest and most influential PR professionals in the Middle East for 2023 and 2024. Outside of work, Rasha enjoys spending time with her family, catching up with friends, traveling to new and exciting destinations, and exploring the latest trends on social media.
Hosted by: Sarah Salem, Youth Board member and Communications Manager at Uber Middle East
Driven and Focused, Sarah made the move to agency side with Gambit following a stellar two and a half years brand-side at Toyota Motor Corporation’s regional office, where she was a key part of the team overseeing dealer activities for Toyota & Lexus in the Middle East. Winner of the prestigious Cannes PR Young Lions competition for 2023, Sarah is a serial winner who leads on top clients such as Porsche, Aramex and MAF Shopping Malls. Raised between Canada and UAE, Sarah is an honors graduate from the American University in Dubai with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Information Studies specializing in Journalism. With hands on experience producing documentaries, she once had her film shown at Cinema Akil.
Date & Time
14 October 2026, 4:30 – 5:30 PM GST
Location
Virtual Via Zoom Platform
Registration
Open to MEPRA Members & Non-members.