WIDN with Malak Fouad

I’m excited to share a special episode from the podcast, Gems of Arabia about Arab Representation in Media. The episode, hosted by WIDN alum Hatem Al Akeel, was recorded a few weeks ago at the CNN Academy in Abu Dhabi in front of a live audience of the Academy’s latest cohort of budding journalists. We were joined by another WIDN alum Becky Anderson, Managed Editor of CNN Abu Dhabi and Arab News’...

We’re continuing my conversation with interior architect Nouf Al Moneef, Director of the Noor Riyadh festival. On today’s episode, Nouf tells me about the evolution of Noor Riyadh, why they chose light as a theme in addition to art, as well as about her own design aesthetic. You can find the first part of my conversation with Nouf in your podcast app as well as on YouTube. This episode is brought...

Nouf Al Moneef is an interior architect and the Director of the Noor Riyadh festival, which falls under the larger umbrella of the Riyadh Art Project. Noor Riyadh has now welcomed more than 3 million visitors and hosted artworks by hundreds of Saudi, regional and international artists.  Nouf also continues to help grow the conversation about art and design on social media, although she is not a fa...

We’re continuing my conversation with actor Khalid Abdalla this week, going behind the curtain into his solo play, Nowhere. I saw the play when I was in the UK last October and was personally moved by his performance.  On this episode, Khalid tells me about the journey that led to him writing Nowhere, and the impact of his work.  On a bonus episode for members out next week, we’ll dig into his pro...

Khalid Abdalla first became known to many of us with his incredible role in The Kite Runner . More recently, he was on our screens as Dodi Fayed on The Crown . But beyond all his subtle and challenging roles, I was personally moved by his stage performance in his solo play, Nowhere , which I saw last October. We covered so many topics during our conversation that we’re bringing this to you as a tw...

I’m excited to welcome Farida Osman as the first athlete on the show! She’s a 3-time Olympian, 3-times world bronze medalist and holds senior national records for butterfly, freestyle and backstroke events. Farida is such a natural, positive person who is authentic and passionate about her sport. She’s a wonderful ambassador for swimming and an incredible role model for young sportspeople who can...

I’m super excited to kick-off 2025 with one of our new segments called WIDN Encore , where I’ll be checking in with some of your favourite What I Did Next alumni. My first guest is adventurer, entrepreneur, and podcaster Omar Samra. I first spoke to Omar in 2021 about his company, Wild Guanabana, and his epic maritime challenge with Omar Nour which they parlayed into an award-winning documentary,...

A quick teaser on what’s coming up on in 2025, including a new line-up, schedule and offerings! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you for joining me for an incredible year of What I Did Next . This week, I’m joined by the show’s producer, Chirag Desai, to look back at how quickly the year has gone by, and what is to come in 2025. This episode is brought to you by EFG Holding . For 40 years, EFG Holding has been realising more, for clients, investors, businesses, communities and individuals. See the world differently, a...

Omar Elsahy is General Manager for Amazon in Egypt, overseeing 2,500 employees in the country as well as after-market services across the region. He told me about his early years in the US and Egypt, starting a number of businesses with his brother before pivoting to e-commerce with Souq.com. I enjoyed getting to know Omar through this conversation, and also got some great insights into the way he...

A quick note: we recorded this conversation before the conflict began in Lebanon earlier this year. Sarah Beydoun is the founder of Sarah’s Bag, a social enterprise that produces bespoke luxury accessories and clothing. She tells me how her company was born out of a University thesis and how they continue to empower women in spite of the never-ending turmoil afflicting Lebanon, as well as her son’...

Louis Barthélemy is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based between Marrakech and Paris. He went on to work for Dior after studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins, before pivoting away from the fashion world after the public departure of designer John Galliano.  Louis designs beautiful works of art, from tapestry to rugs to stained glass and works on paper. He is a passionate expone...

Yasmine and Farida Khamis are continuing the legacy left by their father, Mohammed Farid Khamis. He launched Oriental Weavers in 1979, which grew to become one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers. Yasmine took over as Chair of its Board since his passing in 2020, while her two siblings joined her as board members. Farida chairs the Petrochemical business and looks after the British Univers...

Haitham Mattar is the Managing Director of the Intercontinental Hotel Group for India, Middle East & Africa. Haitham has had a distinguished career working for global hotel giants as well as leading tourism for the Governments of Ras Al Khaimah and Saudi Arabia. His story is one of individual will, grit and resilience starting from his first job at 17. He tells me about the importance of maint...

I’m excited to welcome Her Royal Highness Nourah Al Faisal as this season’s inaugural guest. She’s the founder of bespoke jewellery brand Nuun , and the founder of design and research consultancy Ahdlal for Design. She’s also the great-granddaughter of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. As someone who grew up in Saudi, I continue to be impressed by the transformation taking place across the country. I t...

I’m excited to bring you a new season of What I Did Next, where I talk to people about their pivotal moments and life journeys. Season 8 begins September 24, with new episodes every second Tuesday. This season, we’re also adding new benefits to our members’ club. You’ll be getting early access to our episodes—in fact, members can listen to the first THREE episodes of our season on Tuesday—we’ll be...

Hope you’re having a great summer so far. We’ll be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, here’s another one from our archive: my conversation with author, entrepreneur & tech giant, Mo Gawdat.  Mo was Chief Business Officer at Google X, and is now the popular author of Solve for Happy , Scary Smart , and more recently, That Little Voice in Your Head , with more books to come. H...

We’ll be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, here’s one from our archive–actor and comedian Ramy Youssef. Ramy is the starof the eponymous hit show, Ramy , which has won Golden Globes and Peabodies, as well as Emmy nominations. He's also the co-creator of Mo with Mo Amer, and can be seen later this year in Poor Things with Emma Stone, William Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo among other bi...

I’m joined by the show’s producer, Chirag Desai, to look back at some of the season’s highlights & themes from our latest line-up of incredible guests. You’ll also hear from Mostafa Gad, Global Head of Investment Banking at EFG Hermes, an EFG Holding Company. EFG Holding has been an incredible partner for the show & I talk to Mostafa about his life's trajectory and his stellar career with...

As a multidisciplinary artist, Ghada is as comfortable working with a needle and thread as she is with a paintbrush, or forging steel for sculptures or working on one-of-a-kind garden installations. She began exhibiting her work in the 90s, and her art continues to focus on women equality and female sexuality.  Ghada’s work has been shown at the world's finest fairs and exhibition spaces, includin...

Mohamed Al Fayed is the co-founder & CEO of Grubtech, he's a digital advisor as well as a mentor, and he calls himself a tech disruptor. Even if you may not have heard of him directly, you’ll have come across some of his work. Beginning his career with Macy’s, one of the largest retailers in the U.S., Moe led the launch of Mamas & Papas and Gap in the GCC as well as the region’s largest lu...

Becky Anderson is the Managing Editor at CNN Abu Dhabi, and one of the channel’s most visible international anchors. From being the first team to broadcast from Riyadh after the ban on women driving was lifted to Tunisia during the Arab Spring, she has spearheaded special shows from Tehran, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Beirut and many more region capitals. I was excited to indulge my love for all things n...

Dr. Mounir Neamatalla is the founder of Environment Quality International, EQI, which he founded in 1981. EQI started out as the first environment-focused advisory in Egypt and went on to become a pioneer in the world of micro-finance. Then in 1996, Dr. Mounir’s visit to the remote oasis of Siwa led to the launch of the pathbreaking Siwa Sustainable Development Initiative. My conversation with Dr....

I’m joined this week by Malak El Baba, Egypt Country Manager for Visa, and a leader and role model for so many in her industry. We had a wonderful conversation that spanned different countries and phases of her life. Although she has spent nearly two decades in banking and finance, she actually started out wanting to become a diplomat. But destiny had other plans, shaping not just her career but w...

Hatem Alakeel is an award-winning Saudi designer, fashion entrepreneur and podcast host. He has designed for global icons including Mattel’s Barbie, Evian, Lexus, Fairmont, Raffles, and the Ritz Carlton among others, and he was among the first regional artists to create and celebrate Saudi traditions. With his first company, Toby Hatem Alakeel, Hatem brought the traditional thobe into the luxury f...