Rihab Abouzaki

Living between cultures is a business advantage when used intentionally

Having lived and worked across the Middle East and the US, Rihab describes how not feeling fully Arab, American, or European ultimately became an asset. It allows her to translate expectations, tone, and cultural nuance between regions - from how a message lands in a conservative market to what will resonate with a Western buyer. She shares practical examples of how leaders can build teams and campaigns that use multicultural experience as a real operational advantage, not a buzzword.

Why GCC tourism boards struggle to reach real US travelers

Massive investments in infrastructure and global events don’t automatically translate into visibility with American travelers. Campaigns run from outside the US often circulate inside regional echo chambers because of internet security layers, proxies, and cultural blind spots. Even when dashboards show strong “reach,” the intended US audiences - honeymooners, destination-wedding planners, luxury travelers - often never see the content. From her base inside the US, with an Arabic-speaking team that understands both systems, Rihab explains how to route tourism campaigns through platforms, partners, and formats that actually reach decision-stage American consumers.

Global targeting tools are useless if you ignore security proxies

Many GCC brands still run US-targeted campaigns from outside the US and rely on dashboard numbers that don’t reflect real exposure. In markets with layered internet security, national proxies, and restricted pathways, “30,000 Saudis reached” does not mean those Saudis actually saw the ad. Rihab unpacks what those numbers really represent - and why having in-country US media partners is often the deciding factor between wasted budgets and actual penetration into Western markets.