What I Did Next

Looking back, looking forward

This week, I'm sitting down with my producer Chirag Desai to reflect on a whirlwind first half of the year—from interviewing iconic figures and taking the show international to the importance of reclaiming our narrative. We talk about what drives the show, the magic of the MENA region, and what it truly means to create space for our own stories. This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery Chapters: 0:00 Coming up... 1:44 WIDN goes international 4:30 Reclaiming our narrative 13:25 An updated lightning round 18:12 What's next for Malak Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

Karim Mekhtigian & Mohamed Fares on building a brand that became a movement

This week, we're continuing the conversation with Karim Mekhtigian and Mohamed Fares, where they tell me about their design philosophy, and their new destination in Downtown Cairo, Tamara Haus, which is where we recorded the episode. Karim & Fares, alongside Emy Hussein, are the visionary architects behind Cairo's premier design firm, Alchemy Architecture. Together, they have spent years shaping the architectural landscape in Egypt, setting new standards of quality, style and craftsmanship. On our previous episode, we talked about how they joined forces to create a partnership that spans two decades. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! (00:00) - Coming up (03:43) - Local aesthetics, global influence (14:57) - Building the Alchemy ecosystem (18:00) - Tamara Haus Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Karim Mekhtigian & Mohamed Fares

This week, I’m sitting down with Karim Mekhtigian and Mohamed Fares, two of the visionary architects behind Cairo’s premier design firm, Alchemy alongside Emy Hussein. Together, they have spent years shaping the architectural landscape in Egypt, setting new standards of quality, style and craftsmanship. In the first of two episodes, we talk about how they each came to architecture and design, and then joined forces to create a partnership that spans two decades. On part two next week, Karim & Fares tell me about their design philosophy, and how they built a brand that became a movement. Our conversation took place at Tamara Haus, a new destination by Alchemy Experience, in the heart of Downtown Cairo. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! (00:00) - On this episode (01:41) - Karim’s cosmopolitan childhood (03:46) - Fares’ sporting upbringing (12:01) - Meeting of minds (17:14) - Drawing by hand vs AI (22:34) - Building Alchemy (27:38) - Lightning Round Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Encore: Ramy Adeeb

Ramy Adeeb, founder & managing partner of 1984 Ventures, is back for an Encore episode to talk about what he’s been upto since 2023. He talks about why he’s excited about AI in legacy sectors but worried about unemployment. He also takes on our signature lightning round. This episode is part of Encore, where I check-in with some of your favourite WIDN alumni. We’ll continue this segment with more of the show’s alumni, so stay tuned. (00:00) - Coming up... (08:10) - Who captures value? (15:47) - AI, wars and regulation (27:15) - Guiding the Next Generation (30:26) - Small companies taking on Big Tech (34:38) - Ramy's mentor (40:49) - Lightning Round

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Dina H. Sherif on entrepreneurship as a national competitiveness strategy

We’re continuing my conversation with Dina H. Sherif, talking about the shift from aid to agency, AI and regulation, and entrepreneurship as a national competitiveness strategy. Dina has served as the Executive Director of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship since 2019. You can catch the first part of our conversation in your podcast app or on our website. I’ll be back next week with an Encore episode with founder of 1984 Ventures, Ramy Adeeb on everything he’s been up to since 2023. This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery On the episode, Malak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s Lotus Choker, Lotus Bouquet Cuff, Love Tribal Ring and the Lotus Bouquet Earrings. Dina is wearing Nizar Qabbani Necklace, Bouquet of Blessings Earrings and the Filigree Kaf Ring. (00:00) - Coming up (01:16) - From aid to agency (11:17) - The importance of entrepreneurship (14:35) - The sovereignty question of AI (23:08) - The Case for Regional Unity Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Dina H. Sherif

I’m joined by Dina H. Sherif about entrepreneurship and ecosystem building in growth markets. Dina has served as the Executive Director of the MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship since 2019. She also talks about her own entrepreneurship journey with Ahead of the Curve, and her personal experiences with loss. We’ll continue the conversation in Part 2 about the shift from aid to agency, AI and entrepreneurship as a national competitiveness strategy. This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery On the episode, Malak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s Lotus Choker, Lotus Bouquet Cuff, Love Tribal Ring and the Lotus Bouquet Earrings. Dina is wearing Nizar Qabbani Necklace, Bouquet of Blessings Earrings and the Filigree Kaf Ring. (00:00) - Coming up (10:03) - Focus on growth markets (12:32) - Egypt’s entrepreneurial future (16:07) - Dina’s entrepreneurial journey (23:25) - Adult Bullying at Harvard (26:48) - Dealing with loss & illness (34:22) - The Lightning Round Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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‘What’s Next?’: my panel from The Shift 2026 (from e& and The Narrative Summit)

I recently moderated a panel about how AI is being applied across different sectors like media and finance, how investors are looking at AI companies and the role of telecom in enabling AI adoption. My panelists was made up of a number of the show's alumni including Ahmed Alfi (Chairman, Sawari Ventures), Amy Mowafi (Co-founder & CEO, MO4 Network), Mounir Neamatalla (Founder & CEO, MNT Halan) and Karima El-Hakim (Partner for Africa, Plug and Play Tech Center), and Head of Cloud Software and Services for Ericsson North Middle East, Amer Sakkijha. This panel was part of our partnership with The Shift by e&, powered by The Narrative Summit. The event was a prelude to the annual Narrative Summit's gathering in Soma Bay in October. Chapters: 0:06 Summit AI Introduction 3:30 Ahmed Alfi on investment criteria 7:40 Mounir Neamatalla Fintech meets AI 12:58 Amy Mowafi on creativity in the age of AI 22:55 Amer Sakkijha on the role of telecom in AI adoption 27:00 Karim El-Hakim on private sector success Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

Karim Moussa

Today I’m bringing you a special episode with our sponsor EFG Holding. I recently interviewed Karim Moussa, Co-CEO of EFG Hermes Buy-Side, Head of Private Equity & Asset Management & CEO of Vortex Energy. Karim tells me how he got started in private equity, and how the thesis of investing with purpose led EFG to expand renewables, education and healthcare. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! I’ll be back with a new guest in a couple of weeks. But before that, we’ll be airing the panel discussion on how AI will continue to impact Egypt and the region that I moderated in May. The panel was part of The Shift by e&, organised by the fantastic team at The Narrative Summit. Chapters: 0:00 On this episode... 2:12 Hustling in Berlin 6:48 First Steps in Deutsche Bank 9:23 A detour to Dubai 11:29 Moving into Private Equity 17:46 Building Vortex Energy 24:01 Egypt’s renewables potential 26:56 Investing in education 35:00 Lightning Round Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Youssef Salem on AI and the future of the region

On the second part of my conversation with Youssef Salem, we’re talking about AI, energy security and the future of the region. Youssef also tells me why the younger generation needs to prepare for greater competition in the AI age and how he's working to inspire them. Youssef Salem is the CFO of ADNOC Drilling. ADNOC is the UAE’s primary oil company and 12th largest in the world in terms of production. You can also watch the first part of our conversation where we talk about his personal and professional pivots in your podcast app or our website. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! (00:00) - Coming up... (05:06) - War and energy security (09:30) - Crisis management (12:27) - Building impact (14:16) - Can we integrate the Middle East (15:43) - Podcasting on faith and finance Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Youssef Salem

I‘m delighted to be joined by Youssef Salem, CFO for ADNOC Drilling. ADNOC is the UAE’s primary oil company and 12th largest in the world in terms of production. I’ve followed Youssef for quite some time now and in addition to his many professional accomplishments, he’s a wonderful role model for the younger generation entering the corporate world. On this first of two episodes, we talk about his personal and professional pivots that brought him to where he is today, and the impact of the recent war on the UAE in particular. We’ll continue the conversation next week on Part 2, where we talk about the oil & gas sector specifically, and how companies like ADNOC handle crisis management in times like these. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! (00:00) - Coming up (09:00) - Unity and resilience (14:51) - Getting married at twenty (19:15) - From finance to the startup world (21:30) - The importance of saying ‘yes’ (24:58) - No more FOMO (30:25) - The Lightning Round Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Nabila Abdel Nabi on the future of museums

We’re continuing my conversation with Nabila Abdel Nabi, Senior Curator of International Art at Tate Modern and Lead of the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. On this episode, we talk about what those specialisations really mean, the paradigm shifts happening in the art world, and how a curator like Nabila collects feedback from the Museum’s audience. This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery On this episode, Nabila is wearing Azza Fahmy’s: Lotus Bouquet Earrings Blossom Lotus Ring Winged Scarab Cuff Malak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s: T-Lock Love Necklace Gold Floral Tribal Earrings Gold Roman Chain Bangle Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

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Nabila Abdel Nabi

I’m joined today by Nabila Abdel Nabi, Senior Curator for International Art at Tate Modern and Lead of the Hyundai Tate Research Center: Transnational. When Nabila and I first met a few years ago I was immediately impressed by her sincerity and depth. She is thoughtful and intentional in how she interacts with the world and those qualities make for deep and interesting conversations. We talk about her curatorial work, in particular her focus on transnational and transcultural approaches to art history and the importance of better institutional support for parents. On Part 2 of our conversation coming out next week, Nabila and I talk about the evolution of the museum-artist dynamic and drill down into something that is especially interesting to me—the idea of repatriating art to its country of origin. This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery On this episode, Nabila is wearing Azza Fahmy’s: Lotus Bouquet Earrings Blossom Lotus Ring Winged Scarab Cuff Malak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s: T-Lock Love Necklace Gold Floral Tribal Earrings Gold Roman Chain Bangle Chapters: 0:00 Coming up 11:17 Her pivot into the art world 14:28 Being an only child 17:39 Institutional support for motherhood 21:09 What’s next for Nabila at the Tate 27:30 The Lightning Round

Encore: Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan

I’m re-connecting again with one of my first guests, Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan, co-founders of Gourmet Egypt. The headline news since we first spoke in 2021 is that the company went public earlier this year! Tune in for the inside story of

Tim Marshall on the importance of geography

We're continuing my conversation with journalist & best-selling author of Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall. On this episode, Tim tells me how the journalism landscape has changed, and the importance of geographical context in understanding current affairs and geopolitics. I’ll be back again next week with a special Encore episode with two of my earliest guests—Jalal Abu Ghazaleh and Dalia Sultan, co-founders of Gourmet Egypt—and the amazing story that led to their incredible IPO earlier this year. Chapters: 0:00 Coming up... 10:40 The importance of geography in current affairs 15:24 The new world order This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!

Tim Marshall

Tim Marshall joins me on the show this week to talk about his journey from starting out with the British Royal Air Force to his three-decade career in journalism and now best-selling author of ‘Prisoners of Geography’. We also talk about the importance of understanding geography and how that intersects with current affairs and geopolitics. This is particularly relevant considering the ongoing war in the Middle East. More on that in Part 2 which comes out next week. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!

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Empowering the arab youth, with Thuraya Ismail

I’m continuing my conversation with Thuraya Ismail, CEO of Mentor Arabia, an organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of the Arab youth. On this episode, Thuraya shares her insights on drug prevention, overcoming stigma and how this work intersects with her other passion for arts & film. Chapters: 0:00 Coming up 3:27 Tackling drug prevention 12:12 Impact of Saudi Vision 2030 14:14 Supporting youth through arts 16:13 Expanding Mentor Arabia This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery

Thuraya Ismail

I’m delighted to welcome Thuraya Ismail. She's the CEO of Mentor Arabia, an organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of young Arabs in general, and towards drug prevention in particular. Since its launch in 2006, the organisation has reached more than 1.5 million beneficiaries and now operates across 12 countries. Stay tuned for more on that in Part 2 of our conversation next week. I’m really impressed with Thuraya’s work, and I was happy to sit down and get a real in-depth look at her personal journey, including losing her father last year, and her work to mentor the youth of our region. Chapters 0:00 Coming up... 7:36 Career Beginnings at UNDP 13:53 Love for youth development 18:40 Transition to Mentor Arabia 21:52 Personal loss 29:00 Lightning Round This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery

Double-Take: Art & Heritage with Nada Debs, Louis Barthelemy, Omniya Abdel Barr & Sarah Beydoun

On this episode, you'll hear about the incredible message through art with designer Nada Debs and entrepreneur Sarah Beydoun, and the importance of preservation from Omniya Abdel Barr and artist Louis Barthelemy. This episode is part of our new segment

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Encore: Mo Hefzy

I'm re-connecting today with award-winning film producer Mo Hefzy. Since I first spoke to him in 2022, Mo has had a series of successful releases, including 'Flight 404', 'Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo', 'Darwish', and many more. This episode is part of Encore, where I check-in with some of your favourite WIDN alumni. We’ll continue this segment with more of the show’s alumni, so stay tuned. Chapters 0:00 Welcome to a new Encore 0:44 Growth of Saudi cinema 2:50 Challenges in Egyptian cinema 8:00 The impact of streaming 23:34 The Lightning Round

Abdel Wahed El Wakil on the evolution of architecture

We’re continuing my conversation with legendary architecture Abdel Wahed El Wakil. Today, we’re diving deep into the world of architecture and materials. This episode is a crash-course whether you're in the field, an enthusiast like me, or just want a better understanding of the world around us. Abdel Wahed also tells me about the spiritual connection that traditional architecture fosters with nature and our experience as humans. Chapters 0:00 Coming up 0:35 The masters of modern architecture 10:43 The essence of traditional art 13:02 The shift to individualism 19:20 The significance of courtyards 20:31 The importance of brick 27:16 Timeless Truths This episode is brought to you by: EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery

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