Send us a text

In this episode of Forward Moves, host Raja Haddad sits down with Dubai-based portrait photographer Natalya Urmanova inside her exhibition Whimsical World for a deeply personal conversation about fear, reinvention, and the art of seeing beyond the surface.

Raised around her father’s darkroom and shaped by 15 years in luxury fashion, Natalya shares how she walked away from the corporate world with “shaking legs,” only to discover photography as a portal into a parallel world — one where she could finally live, feel, and create freely.

Known for her cinematic black-and-white portraits, Natalya speaks about photographing essence rather than faces, why she builds meticulous visual worlds only to surrender to spontaneity, and how fear often signals forward motion. From her first exhibition — and the vulnerability behind it — to why she believes in never “staying in yesterday,” this episode is a powerful reflection on creativity, courage, and choosing honesty over certainty.

🎧 Listen now and subscribe to Forward Moves for conversations shaping the creative economy in the Middle East and beyond.

🔗 Connect with Natalya Urmanova Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urmanova_imagery Website: https://www.urmanovaimagery.com

🔗 Follow Forward Moves YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves X / Twitter: https://x.com/forward_moovz Raja Haddad: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj

📌 PINNED COMMENT Natalya says: “The fear of staying was much bigger than the fear of leaving.”

What’s something you’ve felt called to walk away from — even without knowing what comes next? Share your thoughts below

If this conversation resonated, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share the episode with someone navigating their own creative leap.

Support the show

Send us a text

� In this powerful episode of Forward Moves, host Raja Haddad sits down with renowned Lebanese media personality, entrepreneur, and TAKREEM Foundation founder Ricardo Karam for an unfiltered conversation about dignity, identity, and the power of human connection.

🇱 � Taped in Beirut, Ricardo reflects on decades of interviewing world leaders, artists, and everyday people — not as a collector of names, but as a listener driven by curiosity and purpose. He speaks candidly about what he believes the Arab world has lost, why identity is rooted in values rather than geography, and how globalization and imitation have diluted authenticity.

📌This episode explores:

• Why Ricardo believes “we lost our dignity as Arabs” — and how it can be restored • The power of curiosity and treating every human encounter equally

• Resourcefulness over resilience in the Lebanese experience

• The turning point from personal success to purposeful impact

• How TAKREEM is reshaping the global narrative about Arab excellence

• What the next generation must carry forward to shape the future

At its core, this conversation is a reminder that progress isn’t always loud. And that moving forward begins with remembering who we are.

🎧 Listen, watch, and join the conversation.

📩 Subscribe for more stories shaping the Middle East .

Connect with Raja Haddad | Forward_Moves

@octoraj, and @forward_moves

Connect with Ricardo Karam

@Ricardo.karam.official

Support the show

Send us a text

In this in-between-episodes reflection, host Raja Haddad unpacks the first
conversations of Chapter Three with Basil Yassin and Anthony Maalouf. Instead of
recapping, Raja dives into four reflections: heritage as creative fuel, innovation as
adaptation, human connection as the real metric, and the power of owning your
story before someone else writes it for you.

This episode is a breath, a reset, and a reminder that moving forward starts with
knowing where you come from.

🔥 Remember

• Heritage as Creative Fuel — your roots aren’t static; they’re raw material.
• Innovation Through Adaptation — progress rarely arrives in ideal
conditions.
• Human Connection Over Features — people remember how you made
them feel.
• Own Your Story — speak your narrative before it’s written for you.

🎧 Subscribe on your favorite audio platforms so that you don’t miss any episode.
Download, share it, and if you like it give us a five star rating.

🤟 Until then, keep on moving forward !

Support the show

Send us a text

What does it mean to preserve culture through cuisine? In this candid conversation, host Raja Haddad sits down with Basil Yassin — the culinary creator behind Yava and Tonton Bakes, two of Dubai’s most talked-about dining concepts.

From Musakhan Pretzel to caramel-dipped mini croissant pops, Basil blends Palestinian heritage, creative experimentation and bold entrepreneurship to build food experiences that are anything but traditional.

🤟 Basil opens up about:

• Leaving a corporate career to pursue hospitality

• Using Palestinian ingredients to tell a different kind of story

• Why team culture is the true “ingredient” behind great dining

• The struggle to prove identity in a city that moves fast

• Riding the wave of social media — but not letting it define him

• The future of his brands — and the dream of a beachfront boutique hotel 🎧 Whether you love food, culture, business or just a good story about taking risks and staying rooted, this episode will inspire you to create — and keep moving forward.

📍 Visit Yava & Tonton in Wasl 51, Jumeirah — and taste the story for yourself.

📺 Subscribe for more episodes featuring the creative forces shaping the Middle East.

#BasilYassin #YavaDubai #TontonBakes #ForwardMovesPodcast #DubaiRestaurants #PalestinianCuisine #CreativeEntrepreneurs #CulinaryInnovation #MiddleEastCreatives #FoodIdentity #Gastronomy #Entrepreneurship #HospitalityIndustry #FoodCulture #DubaiFNB #FounderStories #PodcastShow

Support the show

Send us a text

Chapter 3 is finally here, and with it the deep personal conversations with thought leaders of the creative community in the Middle East continue to share lived experiences and life hacks to move forward.

In this episode host Raja Haddad sits with architect Anthony Maalouf—the mind behind iconic Lebanese spaces like Dar Zefta and Salon Beyrouth—for a heartfelt conversation about design, heritage, and the stories that architecture carries.

Anthony reflects on his early influences, the responsibility of building in a country of many histories, and why tact, curiosity, and humility lie at the heart of timeless design. From Lebanon’s layered architectural identity to the role of mentorship and adaptation, this episode is a compelling look into how spaces can honor the past while shaping the future.

What’s inside this episode:

How the Dabkeh dance was created.(can you insert a dancing emoji here)
🖼️ The many design influences on Lebanese architecture
🏛️Challenges facing architecture and particularly Lebanese architecture
⚖️ Striking a balance between innovation and heritage to forge an identity .

🎧 Listen on YouTube, Spotify,Amazon, Anghami, and Apple Podcasts.

🔔 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share!

#Forward_Moves #AntoineMaaloufArchitects #LebaneseArchitecture #Architecture#HeritageDesign #CulturalPreservation #DarZefta #SalonBeyrouth #ArchitectureStories #MiddleEastCreatives #DesignWithSoul

Follow us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forward.moves

X: https://x.com/forward_moovz

Raja’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj/

Follow Anthony: https://www.instagram.com/antoinemaaloufarchitects/

Support the show

Send us a text

The journey toward the 3rd chapter of Forward_Moves has been a thoughtful one, in true fashion of any movement… forward.

In this transition episode, Raja Haddad distills the key themes from the past 25 episodes, sharing his insights on:

• Identity as action, transmission, and habitat
• Creativity as storytelling, and balancing the flow with the chase
• The common misunderstandings of resilience

Tune in, reflect, and join Raja as he paves the way for what’s next. Don’t forget to subscribe on your favorite platform, and as always, keep moving forward.

Support the show

Send us a text

What role does art and creativity play in advocacy and forging an identity? How to valance passion and entrepreneurship , and how important are communities in transmitting stories within cultures? 🙌🏽

🎙️ The season 2 final episode wraps up the diverse themes shared by the 12 wonderful guests over the past 3 months, with Lina Nahhas and Raja Haddad picking up cards and reflecting on these different topics:

• Identity & Cultural Reclamation

• Creativity as Advocacy

• Mentorship & Community

• Spirituality & Sacred Practice

• Passion vs Profession

• Legacy & the Future

• Emotional Resilience and Inner Work

🎧Whether you downloaded all episodes and want to revisit them, or simply catch up on episodes past and join the conversation, this season finale promises to connect all the dots and bring you up to date with what’s on the minds of the creative community though leaders. 📍

Follow us:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves/

X: https://x.com/forward_moovz

Lina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lina_movements/

Raja’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj/

Support the show

Send us a text

What do chocolate, culture, and choosing your own path have in common? One Emirati chef.

In this episode of Forward_Moves, host Raja Haddad sits down with Chef Bader Najeeb, pastry chef, chocolatier, and founder of Burnt Orange, for a deliciously honest conversation about baking, identity, and doing what truly moves you.

From making fondant in his childhood kitchen to opening one of Dubai’s most soulful cafés, Bader shares how desserts became his language for storytelling, for self-expression, and for staying true to his roots.

In this episode:
- From home baker to Swiss culinary school
- Chocolate as an emotional, cultural connector
- Managing pressure, perfectionism & online noise
- Building Burnt Orange with soul, not trends
- Embracing Emirati identity while thinking globally

📌 Whether you're a foodie, creative, or founder, this is your reminder that the best things come when you follow what actually matters to you.

🎧 Watch now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#Forward_Moves #ChefBaderNajeeb #BurntOrangeDXB #CulinaryCreativity #EmiratiVoices #Chocolatier #Foody #Chef #EmiratiChef #DubaiCafes #MiddleEastCreatives #dubai #abudhabi #mydubai #dubailife #inspiration #uaefood #followforfollow #chocolatechefb #burntorangechocolatier


Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forward_moves/
X: https://x.com/forward_moovz
Lina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lina_movements/
Raja’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/octoraj/
Follow Chef Bader: https://www.instagram.com/chef.b/?hl=en
Follow Burnt Orange: https://www.instagram.com/burntorangechocolatier/?hl=en


Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:24 Meet Chef Bader
02:23 Early Inspirations and Family Influence
04:13 Challenges of Being a Self-Taught Chef
06:02 Discovering Fondant and the Path to Pastry
09:42 Balancing Passion and Practicality
14:10 Pursuing Culinary Dreams
15:03 From Accounting to Culinary Arts
17:46 The Scholarship Dilemma
21:55 Embracing Social Media and TV Experiences
24:16 Opening Burnt Orange Cafe
24:35 The Courage to Quit
25:18 Support from Friends and Family
27:23 Handling Feedback and Criticism
35:30 Innovations in the Culinary World
43:59 Future Aspirations and Advice
49:10 Final Thoughts

Support the show