A message is only as strong as the institution behind it.

I build both.

I help governments, NGOs and public institutions fix how they communicate and create campaigns people remember. More than two decades across the Middle East and Africa.

Mustafa Arqawi
مصطفى عرقاوي

Strategic Communications Advisor and Creative Director

When institutions call me.

Most of my work starts with one of these moments. If one sounds like where you are now, that's a good reason to talk.A national campaign or launch has to land the first time.Your communication isn't working, and no one can say exactly why.A crisis has put your reputation on the line.New leadership needs a clear story to tell.Your communications team needs structure, skills or a fresh start.A donor-funded programme needs visibility that funders and communities believe.

Why both.

Campaigns fail when the institution behind them isn't ready. That's why institutions hire me for both.Most advisors are hired for one side, either the campaign or the organisation. But a well-run institution also goes unnoticed if no one remembers its message.For more than two decades, governments, broadcasters, sports bodies, developers and donor-funded programmes across the Middle East and Africa have brought me in to do both.

Transformed80+brands and assets

Generated$Multi‑Millioncommercial impact

Worked in7Middle East and African countries

What I build.

The message.

What people see, hear and remember.

- Brand identity and rebranding
An identity people recognise and your team uses consistently.- Narrative and key messages
Everyone in the institution tells the same story, in Arabic and English.- Campaigns and creative direction
Campaigns built on clear goals and on what the institution can actually deliver.- Launches, events and digital content
Launches that work from day one and keep their momentum.- Media relations, speeches and interviews
Leaders who are ready for the microphone and the hard question.

The institution.

What makes it work behind the scenes.

- Communications strategy and audits
A clear picture of what works, what doesn't and what to fix first.- Reputation and crisis management
A plan and a team that are ready before a crisis starts.- Team structure, processes and KPIs
A communications department with clear roles and results you can measure.- Training and capacity building
Your own team able to carry the work after I leave.- Internal communication and partnerships
Staff who understand the strategy, and partners who see clear value.

Across both: AI for communications teams, in Arabic and EnglishReadiness review. Where AI can save your team time today, and where it could put your voice or reputation at risk.
Workflows that fit your team. Practical ways to draft, translate, monitor media and report faster, while keeping your institution's voice.
Training and guidelines. Hands-on sessions and clear rules, so your staff use AI well and safely.

How I build both.

Diagnosing where an institution's communication breaks down

Diagnose

I audit both sides: what your audience sees and hears, and the strategy, team and structure behind it. That shows me exactly where things break down.

Designing a communication strategy and the system behind it

Architect

I design both together: the narrative, identity and campaigns your audience sees, and the strategy, structure, processes and partnerships behind them.

Build

We put it to work together. I direct the creative and the launch, train your team and set up measures that show what's working, so it keeps working after I leave.

How I work.

I join a project in one of four ways, depending on what you need. Not sure which fits? We'll work it out on the first call.Strategic Advisor
Senior counsel on communication, reputation and campaigns for leaders facing important decisions, with creative direction on the work that matters most.Project Leader
Full ownership of a defined project, such as a rebrand, a national campaign or a new communications strategy, accountable for both the strategy and the creative.

Interim Director
I step in to build, turn around or lead a communications or marketing function, covering planning, team development and hands-on creative work.Consultancy Expert
The senior communications expert within a consultancy or implementing partner's team, as I have been with Protiviti in Qatar and with Kaizen on USAID-funded programmes.Remote first, on site anywhere.

Selected work.

Organisations Mustafa Arqawi has worked with

Clients and employers include the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar (with Protiviti), the Jordan Football Association and the Jordanian Pro League, the Jordan Media Institute, the USAID Partnerships Incubator in Iraq and Zimbabwe (with Kaizen), Sharjah Media Corporation, the Public Authority for Radio and TV in Oman, DMCC, Nakheel, Tameer Holding, Union Properties, PwC, the British Council and BMW Saudi Arabia.

Jordan Football Association, Marketing and Communications Director and long-standing advisor
$4.2 million in new revenue during the pandemic years, and followers up 300%.
The message. Rebranded the national teams and the Jordan Pro League, and led crisis communications through COVID-19, including the Al Tasaddi relief initiative. Engagement grew fivefold.
The institution. Restructured the commercial, TV rights and partnership offerings, then returned as an advisor, from strategic counsel on the JFA 2029 roadmap to targeted communications campaigns.

Sharjah Media Corporation, UAE
Sharjah TV viewership up 40% and commercial income up 50%.
The message. Led the corporate brand launch and directed the rebrand of Sharjah TV.
The institution. Built and modernised the corporation's central marketing and communications function.

Qatar, with Protiviti
A ministry's PR department rebuilt, from its mandate to its people.
The message. Defined the mission, vision and messaging of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for its main audiences.
The institution. Designed the ministry's communications strategy framework and restructured its PR department, setting its mandate and training its staff. Carried out a current-state assessment and risk review for the Primary Health Care Corporation.

Public Authority for Radio and TV, Oman
National TV and radio repositioned for younger, online audiences.
The message. Helped reposition Oman's national television and radio channels through their rebrand, and supported the move into online streaming.
The institution. Rebuilt the commercial model behind them, with new commercial policies, a restructured sales team and new advertising models, which helped grow advertising sales.

Jordan Media Institute, with DW Akademie
Nearly 3,000 students trained in 106 workshops by the Media and Information Literacy Caravan.
The message. Led communications strategy, key messages and creative direction, including the concept and branding of the Caravan.
The institution. Trained the communications team and built a digital training platform.

USAID Partnerships Incubator, Iraq and Zimbabwe, with Kaizen
Four local organisations given a clearer voice and a way to measure it.
The message. Shaped key messages for three local humanitarian organisations in Iraq, and led the rebrand of a community development organisation in Zimbabwe.
The institution. Built communication plans and ways to measure results for the Iraqi organisations, and ran the brand audit and staff training in Zimbabwe.

Let's build both.

Tell me what isn't working, or what has to land. In a 30-minute call, I'll ask the right questions and tell you honestly where I'd start. Even if we don't work together, you'll leave knowing where your communication is breaking down and what to fix first.If we work together, every project begins with a review of your message, audiences, stakeholders, channels and the team behind them, so we fix the right thing first.

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