BPA’s Executive Committee Approves Expanding Dubai Operations, Creation of Middle East Advisory Board  

Following formal approval by the Executive Committee of the BPA Worldwide Board of Directors at its recent meeting, BPA today announced that it is expanding its operations in Dubai.

BPA, in partnership since August 2004 with Dubai Consultancy Research and Media Centre (DCRMC), has been on site serving the media and advertising communities in Dubai and the greater Middle East region since 2000 (since 1997 for a U.K. branch office of a UAE-based publisher). BPA currently has 29 members and applicants in the region.

With its Executive Committee’s approval, BPA is now applying for a business license in Dubai, and has begun hiring staff, with a focus on bilingual professionals.

In addition, the global media auditor confirmed that it will establish a Middle East Advisory Board over the next few months. Following its successful local advisory board model as established in other key regions of the world, including Canada , Europe and Asia , BPA’s new Middle East Advisory Board will comprise local advertisers, advertising agencies and media owners.

The BPA ME Advisory Board will have responsibility for oversight of BPA’s operations in the region, including assessing regional issues and requirements and ensuring that BPA’s policies fully address these, and assisting in arbitration as necessary.

BPA, in conjunction with DCRMC, has worked closely with all key stakeholders, including the Dubai Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), the Gulf Cooperation Council Advertisers Association (GCCAA) and the Circulation Audit Steering Organization (CASTOR), to help establish world-class media auditing standards in the region.

“We are gratified and proud to play an integral role in CASTOR’s critical media auditing standards initiative, and we are excited about formalizing our long-term commitment to the region through our local operation and the Middle East Advisory Board,” said BPA Worldwide President and CEO Glenn Hansen. “As the only independent media auditor that can truly claim to be global in scope, we have a long history of identifying markets where there is a need for our unparalleled auditing standards and becoming a key partner in those markets. As we have done in China , where we have been actively serving media owners and the advertising community for a decade, we have immersed ourselves in Dubai ’s media industry. Through our expanded regional operation, we are now taking the next, logical steps to ensure that we can service the market’s needs across all media—and with the exceptional customer service and timeliness for which BPA is known throughout the world.”

BPA, a founding and leading member of the International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulations (IFABC), conducts full-service auditing across all media platforms, including consumer and B-to-B magazines and newspapers, websites, email newsletters, events and other advertiser-supported media.

Current Middle East-based BPA members and applicants include Albawaba.com/Menareport.com; Albabworld.com; Aquarius; Arabian Business News (Arabic); Arabian Business News (English); AV Specialist; Aviation Business; Campaign Middle East; Channel Middle East (Arabic); Channel Middle East (English);Concierge Magazine; Construction Week; Dubai Visitor; Emirates Woman; Etihad Inflight; Gulf Air; Gulf Business; Gulf Defence Magazine; Gulf Marketing Review; Gulf News; Impulse; Inside Out; Property Weekly; 7Days; Society Dubai; The Week; What’s On! and Wheels; and Windows User Magazine Middle East.