We’re closing out the year with a special episode with EFG Holding, and I’m joined today by the Group’s Chief Finance & Operations Officer, Mohamed Abdel Khabir. Mohamed joined the investment bank in 2008 and took on the CFO role in 2016. Earlier this year, he took on the additional responsibility of Operations, which includes Marketing, Technology & Administration. Mohamed has been actively involved in EFG Holding’s transformation from a MENA-based investment bank to its current avatar—a leading financial institution with a universal bank in Egypt and a leading investment bank in MENA. We’ll be back in the New Year with a bit of a refresh, new episodes with some amazing guests from across the region. In the meantime, you can catch up on episodes you might have missed here: Chapters 0:00 Coming up... 2:54 EFG Holding’s transformation 3:53 Regional strategy and global footprint 10:00 Lessons learnt from acquisitions 17:34 Leadership and fostering talent 23:04 Investor relations 25:51 ‘Resilience is not a choice’ 29:21 The Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Mounir Nakhla told me about his entrepreneurial journey with MNT Halan, and how the company has risen to become of the Africa’s fastest growing start-ups. On this bonus episode, Mounir talks to me about the strategy behind their recent expansion into 3 new territories — Turkey, the UAE & Pakistan. Watch my full conversation with Mounir here: 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 On this episode... 5:12 Consolidation vs. Expansion 8:36 The impact of geopolitical factors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm joined today by entrepreneur Mounir Nakhla. Mounir is the co-founder & CEO of MNT-Halan, Egypt's fintech unicorn that has now served more than 8 million customers and recently expanded into the UAE, Turkey & Pakistan. Mounir launched his first company in 2010, which showed him the true potential of micro-financing to unlock economic potential. This led him to co-found MNT-Halan in 2021 with Ahmed Mohsen. Mounir is an old friend and I've always known him to be incredible disciplined and routine-based. So I wasn't surprised to see this translate into his role as a founder and CEO. He tells me how he pivoted to technology and fintech, and how he's grown as a leader as well. 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/ 0:00 Coming up... 1:59 Early Influences and Education 9:46 Mentorship and Guidance 17:00 Embracing Technology 20:12 From micromanager to delegator 29:03 Personal Goals and Values 30:50 Well-being and Self-Care 32:52 The Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm re-connecting today with Dr. Nadine Hachach-Haram. Dr. Nadine is the founder & CEO of Proximie  ⁨and a practicing NHS surgeon with a specialty in plastic surgery. I first spoke to Dr. Nadine three years ago, when she told me how she wanted to help operating rooms function more effectively with Proximie. You can catch that episode here: 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, including Chef Bobby Chinn, film producer Mo Hefzy, and more. Chapters 0:00 Coming up... 7:24 Driving Transformation in Healthcare 15:26 Expanding into the U.S. Market 17:12 Innovations in the Middle East 19:58 Personal Achievements and Reflections 27:13 Lightning Round! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing my conversation with Karima Hakim on this episode, talking about the evolution of the private sector in Egypt and Africa, and her work specifically with Plug & Play. You can also catch the first part my conversation with Karima in your podcast app or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwjEtGnYxRs&feature=youtu.be 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 Introduction 0:45 The Private Sector Evolution 11:39 Women Supporting Women 16:23 Leadership in a Changing World 19:55 Karima’s work with Plug and Play 26:48 Addressing the Forum for President Macron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined today by Karima El Hakim, Country Director at Plug & Play Egypt, and co-director for the company’s operations in the rest of Africa. Just as importantly, for me she’s one of the show’s biggest fans! On Part 1 of my conversation with Karima, we’re criss-crossing through both her personal and professional journey, from growing up in Egypt in a Francophone home to her pivot to technology and the investment world. Coming up next week on part 2, Karima tells me about her work with the private sector in Egypt and across Africa, as well as her role serving on the Economic Committee of Egypt’s National Council for women. 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! Chapters 0:00 Coming up… 2:00 Early years in Cairo 9:24 Getting into market research 16:09 Return to Egypt 19:06 Personal loss & navigating grief 23:38 The impact of B_URN 29:17 The transition to tech 33:25 Life outside of work 40:42 Lightning Round! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is a deep-dive with our sponsor, EFG Holding. As a long-time sponsor of the show, EFG have been with us from our single digit episode count all the way through to 100! I’m joined on this special episode by Hanaa Helmy, Chief Corporate Sustainability and Impact Officer at EFG Holding and CEO of the EFG Foundation. Hanaa has been with the company 19 years, and has been involved with the Foundatoin right from its launch in 2006. She has also been recognised by Forbes Middle East as one the region’s Top Sustainability Leaders in both 2024 and 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re celebrating 100 episodes! So this week I’m sitting down with our producer Chirag Desai to celebrate this milestone and unpack some of the learnings. Chapters 0:00 Episode 100! 1:11 Evolution of Podcasting 3:11 Reflections 13:53 Destiny vs Agency 24:08 The Impact of Our Work 24:28 A big thanks to  @EFGHolding  25:35 Malak takes on the Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing my conversation with Azzam Fakhreddin this week, where he tells me about his decision to shift focus to economics under the mentorship of Dr. Galal Amin and getting starting in the family hospitality business. Azzam also tells me about his involvement with the Jordan football team, which just qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 2026. I’m also excited to share that What I Did Next just completed 100 episodes! Next week, I’m sitting down with our producer Chirag Desai to celebrate this milestone and unpack some of the learnings. 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 Introduction 4:03 Meeting Dr. Galal Amin @AUC 9:23 The Family Business Unfolds 14:32 Fakhreddin Restaurant Legacy 19:26 Football! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m joined today by Azzam Fakhreddin, a name familiar to many across the Middle East as a notable figure in the hospitality industry. On Part 1 of our conversation, Azzam tells me about his involvement in two significant projects, the book ‘Palestine, Memories of 1948’ and the feature film ‘Palestine36’, which is Palestine’s official entry to the 2026 Oscars. It stars iconic actors Jeremy Irons and Liam Cunningham and will be premiering in London later this month. 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! Chapters 0:00 Introduction 5:41 Family Legacy and Early Life 14:10 Palestine, Memories of 1948 21:24 Life After 50 22:25 The making of Palestine 36 33:11 Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is a topic that has come up many times over the years on the show, so today I’m sharing a special episode of Double-Take where I’m connecting the dots from some of our previous episodes on the philosophical, ethical and practical implications of our future AI world. You’ll hear from author & AI expert Mo Gawdat on how we all need to be better role models for this nascent technology, actor Ramy Youssef on some of the implications for creators and filmmakers, Amazon’s Omar El Sahy talks about some of its practical applications and ad legend Tarek Nour asks some philosophical questions about our AI future. Chapters 0:00 Coming up 1:10 Tarek Nour: The age of acceleration 7:18 Mo Gawdat: The scary-smart world of AI 20:45 Mona Hamdy: What do we want AI to do? 21:27 Ramy Youssef: The manipulation of soundbites 23:59 Omar Elsahy: The future of the workforce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Continuing my conversation with Dr. Mona Hamdy to unpack the role of AI, and how the emerging world should prioritise its adoption. We talk about the ethical implications of technological advancements, and the need to close the gap between profit-driven AI development and our needs as a society. She also tells me about her work with Anomaly, the ‘Bitcoins and Birkins’ club, and upcoming launch of iConnections Middle East. 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 Where tech and humanity intersect 5:51 Navigating AI's Future Responsibly 9:23 Defining the Ethical Framework for Technology 15:15 The Global Race for AI Resources 20:07 The Bitcoins and Birkins Club 27:25 Launching Middle East Operations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The word AI gets bandied about by everyone in everything today, and I’ve been wanting to unpack the opportunities and challenges our future world holds for us. So I’m delighted to welcome technology ethicist Dr. Mona Hamdy to the show this week. On Part 1 of our conversation this week, we talk about her pivots, and how she found herself at this unique intersection of technology and human dignity. Coming up next week on Part 2, I pick Mona’s brain on some of my questions on the future world of AI: have we unleashed something we don’t really understand? How does the emerging world prioritise its technology adoption? Links: iConnections AiXplain 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! Chapters 0:00 Introduction 4:37 Childhood Experiences in Egypt 11:07 Philosophical Foundations of Technology 17:26 Early Career and Social Development 24:33 Balancing Family and Education 29:00 Her mother’s impact 37:56 The Future of AI and Its Implications Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the themes that often comes up on the show is giving back to the community. Today I wanted to highlight two guests who instantly come to mind when talking about giving back—the incredible heart surgeon, Sir Magdi Yacoub and META’s Regional Director, Fares Akkad.  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. When I spoke to Fares in late 2023, he had just come back from visiting the Za’atari Refugee Camp, where Meta has established a digital literacy program. And while Professor Yacoub already had a distinguished career as a cardiothoracic surgeon, he’s leaving behind an even bigger legacy through his charity, Chain of Hope, building long-term impact on the lives of the children in developing communities. Chapters 0:00 The theme of ‘Giving Back’ to the Community 0:50 Fares Akkad’s work with Za’atari Refugee Camp 5:03 Sir Magdi Yacoub’s legacy with Chain of Hope 8:24 Establishing Sustainable Hospitals 12:54 Community-Centric Healthcare 13:46 Rwanda: A New Hope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m sharing the answer to another question I’m asked quite often: “how do you prepare for your interviews?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author and commentator Omar El Akkad joins me this week to talk about his latest book “One day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”. This is perhaps the most important book I’ve read in the last couple of years as it brought together all that I have been thinking, and feeling, about Western Liberalism. I talk to Omar about the larger themes that led to him writing the book, and his own questions of identity as a result of his experiences as an Arab writer in the West. Our conversation was powerful, intense and thought-provoking. 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 Introduction to Omar El Akkad 02:10 Exploring identity and belonging 18:15 What opened Omar’s eyes to this? 24:20 The power of language and of social media 31:35 The role of individuals to effect change 36:15 The Lightning Round Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Media powerhouse Amy Mowafi returns to the show for Encore, where I check-in with your favourite alumni guests. Since we last spoke, Amy has been leading and participating in various must-attend events across Egypt. She’s also been returning to her first love, writing, with her ⁠Substack⁠. You can also catch my previous Encore conversations with adventurer Omar Samra, designers Nada Debs and Nadine Kanso, and entrepreneur Ahmed Alfi in your podcast apps, or on our website. I’ll be back with a new guest next week, see you then! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another question I get asked often is “how do you select your guests?”Join me for a look behind-the-scenes at how I select my guests and some of the criteria involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing my conversation with the talented mezzo-soprano Farrah Al Dibany, exploring the world of opera. Farrah tells me about her experiences and challenges of her work, including her transformative journey playing Carmen, and her commitment to introducing classical music to broader audiences. She also tells me about her artistic choices on stage, and how she prepares for her roles. You can listen to Part 1 of our conversation here: https://www.at-media-group.com/what-i-did-next/farrah-el-dibany/ 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 > Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mezzo-soprano Farrah El Dibany joins me on the show this week. We cover her journey from discovering her passion for singing at 14, to her incredible performances, including the FIFA World Cup Final in Qatar and the celebration of the re-election of French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022. I had the opportunity to see Farrah perform in-person a couple of years ago, at the Manial Palace for Prince Abbas Hilmi’s museum festival.  She has a powerful voice and an incredible presence on stage. Farrah is dedicated and disciplined as only a performance singer or athlete can be. We also spoke of the nuances of being an opera singer and the challenges and joys her career brings her. 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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices