World Media Group is an alliance of leading global media organizations united in providing trusted and renowned journalism and the host of the World Media Awards. These awards are known to celebrate the creativity and effectiveness of cross-platform, cross-border, content-driven advertising.  The list of winners of the World Media Awards includes many of the world’s leading brands, and winning agencies benefit from the recognition of the Awards by the WARC Media 100 Rankings.

This year's WMA awards recognized Khaled AlShehhi, Executive Director of Marketing and Communication for the UAE Government Media Office as the winner of the World Media Award (WMA) for Content Leadership & Innovation for 2022.

Both Co-Chairs, Hamish Goulding, Group Head of Brand Strategy at HSBC, and Ritu Lakhanpal, Managing Partner at McCann Worldwide, along with Belinda Barker, Chief Executive of The World Media Group, believed in AlShehhi’s ability to upend the rules of government communication by placing creativity at the essence of his leadership to deliver a level of impact and effectiveness not often seen in public institutions.

AlShehhi has been at the helm of many creative campaigns including the transformation of the Burj Khalifa into the world's largest donation box, reaching 4.6 billion people and raising over 1.2 million meals for those most affected by the pandemic. His ground-breaking initiatives to support the Middle East's first mission to Mars including ‘Double Moon’, a regional-first projection stunt, and a limited-edition passport stamp made of Martian ink for visitors arriving in the UAE, serve as examples of his creative approach. Likewise, ‘A winter through my eyes,' a short video showing the beauty of UAE from the perspective of a blind person, pushes the boundaries of traditional tourism content.

“The caliber of candidates for the 2022 Content Leadership & Innovation Award, who are nominated by the World Media Group’s members, was exceptional this year. They each demonstrated innovation, creativity, and brand bravery in their campaigns, so it was a tough decision,” said Belinda Barker, Chief Executive, The World Media Group. “Khaled AlShehhi impressed our judges with the sheer breadth and depth of the campaigns he has delivered, as well as demonstrating creativity, boldness, and pushing the boundaries of communications and marketing in what can often be a dry sector,” she further added.

“The World Media Awards showcases the very best in content marketing, so I’m delighted to receive the award for Content Leadership & Innovation. The UAE believes the impossible is possible and has spent the past fifty years imagining, designing, and executing a new vision for the country that is unlike anywhere else. But it takes more than policy and vision to change society,” said AlShehhi

“My goal has been to transform the way the UAE Government communicates by producing original innovative and creative content that positively impacts the lives of people locally, regionally, and globally, so it’s truly an honor for me – and of course, my team – to see our work recognized by our peers.”

AlShehhi will receive his award at a ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London, on Thursday 8th September 2022, where the final category winners will also be announced. The winner of this year’s prestigious Grand Prix Award will also be announced on the night, joining previous Grand Prix winners London & Partners, Malaria No More UK, Shell, Sonos, and Tata Motors as the ‘best of the best.