The Arab Gulf region has a long history of traditional public relations (PR) practice expressed through hospitality, poetry, oratory, the majlis or diwaniyya, the mosque, emissaries and various local customs that prescribed internal and external relationships among tribes and between rulers and their subjects. It has developed strongly since the mid-20th century when mass media was rudimentary and sophisticated practice was almost non-existent, vague, misunderstood or defined by many in the region to mean protocol, hospitality and/or general services of various kinds. Today, modern PR practice thrives, supported by professional associations and extensive education. Although best practices still come from private practitioners, the public sector in most of the GCC is showing better understanding of the role that PR plays in nation-building, human development and global relations.