Episodes

  • Encore: Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan

    Encore: Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan
    Apr 21 2026
    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 their expansion and IPO. 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 Coming up.. 13:27 The IPO Journey 31:53 Balancing marriage and business 37:45 The lightning round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Tim Marshall on the importance of geography

    Tim Marshall on the importance of geography
    Apr 14 2026
    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. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide. Start investing today: https://app.efghermesone.com/ Chapters: 0:00 Coming up... 10:40 The importance of geography in current affairs 15:24 The new world order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Tim Marshall

    Tim Marshall
    Apr 7 2026
    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 worldwide. Start investing today: https://app.efghermesone.com/ Chapters 0:00 Coming up... 4:12 All the world‘s a stage 11:54 From the Royal Air Force to Sky News correspondnt 28:10 Reassessing after danger 32:42 Tim‘s writing process 37:46 The Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Empowering the arab youth, with Thuraya Ismail

    Empowering the arab youth, with Thuraya Ismail
    Mar 31 2026
    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. This episode is brought to you by:⁠ EFG Hermes One⁠, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide⁠. Start investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    18 mins
  • Thuraya Ismail

    Thuraya Ismail
    Mar 24 2026
    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. This episode is brought to you by: ⁠EFG Hermes One⁠, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide⁠. Start Investing today: https://app.efghermesone.com/ Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠: https://azzafahmy.com/ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Abdel Wahed El Wakil

    Abdel Wahed El Wakil
    Feb 24 2026
    I‘m joined today by a legend of from the world of architecture, Abdel Wahed El Wakil. I sat down with him a couple of weeks ago in Doha, where he now lives, to document his incredible journey, his vision for architecture as an industry, and Islamic architecture in particular. Abdel Wahed has designed buildings around the world, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Paris and London. He also studied and worked under his mentor, Hassan Fathy, an architecture legend in his own right. We’ll be continuing our conversation next week, where Abdel Wahed tells me about the evolution of architecture and materials, so stay tuned! This episode is brought to you by: ⁠EFG Hermes One⁠, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets worldwide⁠. Star Investing today! Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠ Chapters: 0:00 Coming up 10:42 Architecture's Purpose 19:10 Materialism vs Spirituality 23:21 Cultural Revolution 26:34 Designing for the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies 37:58 Reviving Community Spaces 41:40 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • Double-Take: Art & Heritage with Nada Debs, Louis Barthelemy, Omniya Abdel Barr & Sarah Beydoun

    Double-Take: Art & Heritage with Nada Debs, Louis Barthelemy, Omniya Abdel Barr & Sarah Beydoun
    Mar 13 2026
    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, Double-Take, where I take a deep-dive into a single topic and connect the dots between some of our best conversations. This episode is brought to you by Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Encore: Mo Hefzy

    Encore: Mo Hefzy
    Feb 14 2026
    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. You can listen to that first conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH9tNi21eZo 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    33 mins