Rayana Masri
On How Gen Z Communicators Are Reshaping Leadership Narratives Across the Middle East
By Afef Yousfi
The communications landscape of the Middle East is transforming at an unprecedented pace. From digital acceleration to cultural shifts, a new generation is stepping forward not quietly, but with clarity, courage, and conviction. Among the most inspiring voices in this evolution is Rayana Masri, a rising Gen Z communicator whose career reflects the resilience, creativity, and collaborative leadership her generation is known for.
Rayana’s journey began early. At just 18, she found herself walking into boardrooms surrounded by CEOs, producers, and directors who had decades of experience over her. Many would have kept quiet, but Rayana refused to shrink herself. She spoke up, offering bold perspectives that ultimately shaped the final cut of a major talent show on Abu Dhabi TV. That pivotal moment revealed something important: leadership is not about age or hierarchy, but about creating space for ideas, no matter where they come from. For Rayana, this became the foundation of her career and the ethos of Gen Z leadership, a model that is collaborative, empathetic, and authentic.
Still, being a young voice in the region wasn’t easy. Early on, Rayana often felt compelled to hide her real age, telling clients and colleagues she was 28 instead of 18 to be taken seriously. The fear of being underestimated taught her an important lesson about perception. Too often, youth was equated with inexperience, and fresh ideas were dismissed before they were even heard.
Yet, rather than retreat, she leaned into opportunities, once even leading a full pitch from planning to execution. That experience proved that capability is not measured in years, but in initiative, creativity, and results.
This drive carried her into public relations, where she joined Bates Pan Gulf straight out of university and quickly managed accounts for international names like Michelin Guide, Uber, Mindvalley, and Evian. Within just seven months, she rose from account executive to senior account executive—a testament to her ability to deliver impact, challenge expectations, and prove that Gen Z can thrive in industries still dominated by hierarchy.
What sets Rayana apart is her ability to merge creativity with strategy. Her background in production sharpened her instinct for audience insight and storytelling, while PR allowed her to transform those insights into powerful campaigns. For her, success lies at the intersection of vision and execution: knowing what makes an idea resonate, then bringing it to life with precision and authenticity. This blending of creativity and strategy, she believes, is fast becoming the hallmark of Gen Z leadership.
Recognition soon followed, with Campaign ME’s 30 Under 30 and PRCA Young Lions finalist adding weight to her portfolio. Yet even with accolades, Rayana realized awards alone don’t shift power dynamics. What truly changes the narrative is when young professionals are trusted with responsibility, empowered to lead, and allowed to shape outcomes.
Her perspective is also deeply rooted in purpose. She sees GeZ as the most values-driven generation, one that doesn’t just craft campaigns to sell but to connect meaningfully. When working on Uber’s campaign, for example, she insisted on ensuring influencer content reflected authentic experiences rather than hollow promotion. For Rayana, purpose is the bridge between brand goals and community needs, and authenticity is what ensures stories resonate.
In a region undergoing massive digital, cultural, and social change, she sees her peers making the boldest impact through social media. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are no longer just tools for marketing—they are town squares where culture is shaped, ideas spread, and communities gather. And with AI accelerating how content is produced, Rayana believes Gen Z’s greatest strength is ensuring storytelling remains human, relatable, and emotionally engaging.
But perhaps the most profound aspect of her philosophy is her call for mentorship and allyship. She is quick to credit leaders who trusted her with responsibility early in her career, allowing her originality to flourish. She emphasizes that mentorship should not be about molding young voices into replicas of the past but about creating space for them to lead in their own way.
Looking ahead, Rayana hopes her story inspires leaders across the region to stop measuring capability by age and start valuing creativity, perspective, and impact. Her message is clear: Gen Z is not here to follow old playbooks, but to write new ones, ones grounded in empathy, collaboration, and authenticity.
Rayana Masri is more than a rising voice in communications. She embodies the narrative of a generation that is redefining leadership in the Middle East. Her career is proof that boldness, resilience, and purpose can break barriers, and that the future of leadership is not only younger but also more human, more inclusive, and more connected than ever before.