Google Middle East and North Africa has put its regional public relations and communications business up for review.
The pitch follows the expiry of Hill & Knowlton’s contract with Google in March of this year. The PR agency, which was the incumbent on the account for 14 months after winning the business in January last year, says it chose not to renew its contract with Google.
An undisclosed number of agencies have been invited to take part in the review, although it is understood a shortlist has been drawn up and an announcement regarding the winning agency is expected in the next few weeks.
Prior to Hill & Knowlton’s appointment, Google’s regional communications and PR brief was handled by the Dubai office of Impact Porter Novelli. Google entered the Middle East market with an office in Cairo in 2006. The same year it launched Gmail Arabic before opening an office in Dubai in 2007.
* This article was updated at 8.30am on 23 May after Hill & Knowlton said it had taken the decision not to renew its contract with Google
