Ben Morton is now general manager, Middle East and Africa, based in the region’s Abu Dhabi hub office. He will be responsible for spearheading the growth of new offices, and managing existing client relationships.

He joins a year after Edelman opened its Middle East operations. In the past year, the agency has grown the company from two to 14 employees, and has plans to expand further in the region.

Morton left BAA Heathrow Airport where he was director of comms and a member of the executive management team last December. He then spent time working for the Foreign Office on this year’s G20.

He replaces Iain Twine, who was handling the role on an interim basis. Twine will continue in his role as director of the Abu Dhabi office. Morton will report to Edelman’s president and CEO EMEA David Brain. Brain praised Morton’s ‘extensive emerging markets experience, particularly in Africa’.

Morton has also worked at SUAL, a Russian aluminium company, spent five years as comms director at the Commonwealth Development Corporation and helped set up Bell Pottinger’s South African office.

Edelman’s key clients in the Middle East include Mubadala Development Company; Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy initiative; FIFA Club World Cup UAE; and the first ever Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix.