RAIYN, a new communications network bringing together four specialist firms under a single structure, was launched at the Museum of the Future in Dubai on Wednesday by Mazen Nahawi, Founder and CEO of CARMA and RAIYN.
The network combines Brazen MENA, Cicero & Bernay, Salient Communication Group and SOCIALEYEZ, and aims to help organisations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and beyond strengthen their reputations, improve decision-making and achieve measurable business outcomes.
According to the company, RAIYN has been created to address the growing need for integrated communications support in an environment marked by rapid change, increasing public scrutiny and evolving stakeholder expectations. The network offers clients a combination of strategic advisory, insights, creative services and measurement under a unified operating model.
Speaking at the launch, Nahawi said: “The people of this region, nationals and expats, are best suited to speak on its behalf. That is the belief on which RAIYN is built. We have brought together the best practitioners in the region, combining creativity, sector expertise, AI mastery and cultural depth. Communications needs a new dawn. That dawn begins with trust. RAIYN is a promise to bring people together, to build respect and to put trust at the centre of everything our industry does.”
Nahawi is joined in the venture by four principals: Ahmad Itani, Founder and Chief Advisor of Cicero & Bernay; Louise Jacobson, Managing Partner of Brazen MENA; Sean Trainor, Chief Executive of Salient Communication Group; and Tarek Esper, Managing Director of SOCIALEYEZ.
Each of the four firms contributes specialist expertise to the network. Brazen MENA focuses on lifestyle, luxury and corporate communications, while Cicero & Bernay is known for strategic communications and its data-driven approach. Riyadh-based Salient Communication Group specialises in stakeholder engagement and reputation management, and SOCIALEYEZ provides creative and digital communications services across the region.
RAIYN brings together more than 700 professionals working across strategic advisory, creative, digital and intelligence functions. The network operates within News Group International (NGI), which also owns CARMA, the global media intelligence company.
The company said CARMA’s media intelligence and analytics capabilities will support RAIYN’s strategy development, communications planning and outcome measurement, enabling clients to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges more effectively.
According to the founders, the name RAIYN draws inspiration from concepts including light, growth, humanity, artificial intelligence and balance, reflecting the network’s emphasis on combining human relationships with technology, intelligence with creativity, and ambition with responsibility.
