RIYADH: With New York wit, Miami style, and Saudi soul, Gwen Wonderlich and Dara Kaplan have taken a chance on themselves and entered the ever-changing space of women’s empowerment in Saudi Arabia.

With over two decades of experience and a strong friendship, they launched the Riyadh branch of the first female-led, US-based public relations firm Wunderlich Kaplan Communications.

“This will be our global expansion and Middle East and North Africa division, headquartered in Riyadh at JAX,” Wonderlich told Arab News.

“We partnered this time around in this department with Noor Taher, who is a partner with goodwill and she has brought us here and has agreed to partner with us very generously to bring us big projects, to guide us and to be the pioneer here to ‘make sure things run smoothly’,” She said.

With so much going on in the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh felt like the right place because it’s the center of the country and a magnet for talent. It is also easily accessible by air or land.

“It just feels right.”

The two women expect to work in public relations communications and brand marketing for local companies looking to gain national exposure, as well as US companies looking to come to Saudi Arabia and find exposure and benefits.

Women’s empowerment is truly rooted in our mission. I thought I was going to Saudi Arabia because the narrative we have always been given is that women are less than them and they need our help. When I came here, I realized these women didn’t need me to empower them. They are truly amazing, strong, educated, kicking ass women… It made me think like, wow, what else is wrong with me?

Dara Kaplanco-founder of Wunderlich Kaplan Communications

They started their first official project in the country in December 2022, with the Jeddah Technical Project that took place during Formula 1.

“It was great to do that, because we were kind of breaking down barriers and introducing new types of information and content from a country that we hadn’t really heard of in that light when it came to culture and creativity.

“These two words weren’t really associated with Saudi Arabia in our mind where we came from. So we worked on the Formula One project, I worked on the Alicia Keys concert and the Women to Women event,” said Wunderlich.

Sitting in AlUla with Keys, Princess Rima, and other women, Wunderlich realized she was “part of a wonderful time. History is being made here. This event was probably one of my favorite things… I would say in my whole career.”

Kaplan told Arab News that she had the wrong idea about the kingdom on her first trip. “Women’s empowerment is really ingrained in our mission. I thought I was going to Saudi Arabia because the narrative we have always been given is that women are less than them and they need our help.

“When I came here, I realized these women don’t need me to empower them. They are truly amazing, strong, educated, sexy women. It was eye-opening to me and I got to talk to so many local women. It made me think like, wow, what else is wrong with me?” ?

They were appalled by Western media’s perceptions of Saudi women.

While there is still a long way to go for women in Saudi Arabia, they wanted to ensure that people had a clearer and more accurate picture of women in the kingdom.

“I think, unfortunately in the past, how it’s been put is very wrong and I think there’s a lot of value in re-positioning that story and narrative that was force-fed to everyone who didn’t know better, and if they knew better, I think there would be a lot of support. You know, if the average person knew what we know about Saudi Arabia, I think you would have a very different conversation now with us.”

Wunderlich has visited the kingdom five times and Kaplan twice. But they plan to visit frequently once Jax’s office opens in a few months.

“We offer our passions at the end of the day. We run our own business — we do it from our hearts. We love storytellers and we love people with great narratives,” said Wunderlich.

The couple wants to join in the fun and change the narrative along with the Saudi women who are making that change.

“We want to have meetings with Saudi women, we want people to contact us with interesting projects. We want the country to start digging deep. We’ve already worked with the Royal Commission for AlUla, which is amazing. And we’ve worked with Craft and we’ve worked with goodwill and people we’ve worked with so far.” We have a great relationship,” Wunderlich said.

“I think what’s unique about us is — and correct me if I’m wrong — I know there are local PR firms and then there are joint US PR firms, but I don’t think there’s a mix of boutique firm that has startup experience general experience with global experience and local expertise. So I feel like we’re bringing in celebrities, pop culture, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between. “With a Saudi partner, I think we’re really offering something different,” Kaplan said.

Their Saudi partner, Taher, has been at the forefront of the change sweeping the kingdom.

Tahir is the co-founder of Good Intentions with American legend Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys’ husband. Goodwill recently hosted its second Women to Women Dialogue in Al-Ula.

They’re a trusted voice in the digital world and beyond influencers – they’re visionary women who want to go beyond smartphones and into the IRL space.

While hosting such lavish events in AlUla and Riyadh is something they have a knack for, they are adamant about incorporating and inviting eager Saudis to come together with them to build a metaphorical sand castle in the kingdom together.

They are not trying to hoax the mic, shine light, or speak for anyone. They want to be in the kingdom simply because they fell in love with the country and its people.

Women are here for Vision 2030 and everything else before and after it. And Taher, who is a native of Riyadh, is excited to see it move forward.

“I’ve known these women for years and there wasn’t a single project or client – no matter how big or small – that they didn’t put their all into. What sets them apart is their passion and courage to share untold stories, which is why I decided to partner with them.

Being from Saudi Arabia, there are so many stories the world has yet to hear, it took two trips to AlUla together to realize the inevitable. Nobody tells a story quite like them – they can sell sand in the desert,” said Taher.

Wunderlich and Dara were also guests on the Pass the Kabsa podcast, where talent in Saudi Arabia is at the center of conversations.

They’re also launching a new hospitality division in the country – and they’re hiring.