Alex Aiken

Alex Aiken is the Communications advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, part of the Government of the United Arab Emirates. He served for 11 years as Executive Director of Government Communications, based in Downing Street and the the most senior communications professional in the Civil Service. Alex created and led the Government Communication Service, worked for five UK Prime Ministers, and oversaw government communication activity on Covid, Brexit, the Scottish referendum campaign of 2014 and the Russia-Ukraine war.

He was Director of Communications & Strategy at Westminster City Council, 2000-13. At Westminster he built a team that was recognised to be the best in local government and a created a successful consultancy operation providing services to other organisations.

Before joining Westminster he held senior posts at Conservative Central Office, leading the Party’s Campaigns Unit from 1999-2000 and the Press Office between 1995 and 1999. He has trained politicians and officials in newly democratic states around the world in communications techniques.

He lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and has two children at University. In his spare time, he is chairman of Westminster Wanderers Football Club.