Dubai Wave Podcast Spencer Striker, PhD

The Dubai Wave Podcast’s influential Season 3 concludes with an exclusive conversation with Dubai's leading fashion icon, style influencer, and sought after wedding planner, Shahd Al Jumaily! Thrilled to present our super exclusive conversation with multi-faceted stylist, fashion designer, architect, and entrepreneur, Shahd Al Jumaily. And with this final excellent world exclusive interview--we're proud to bring our 19 episode Dubai Wave Podcast interview series to a successful close. 
Produced by Dr. Spencer Striker, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai, (now at Northwestern University in Qatar), the show was created with the help of a talented student production team at AUD 

About Shahd
Architect and entrepreneur, Shahd Al Jumaily’s journey in the fashion world started while she was pursuing a degree in Architecture at the American University in Dubai. This nurtured her creativity and design skills, teaching her to sketch, and seek elusive perfection, until her search for all things unique drove her to start her own fashion label, Zanajeel, in 2012, and later her wedding planning business, The ArchiTales.
"I'd label myself as an Architect & Entrepreneur," the charismatic Shahd tells us. "Architecture is a part of my personality, it's my degree which I worked really hard for and the basis for everything else that I've started as an entrepreneur. Designing and blogging are things I absolutely love and enjoy doing! But I'm more interested in the business side of the fashion and social media worlds." Rushing between events, photoshoots and her favorite spots in Dubai, Shahd shared with us her fashion tips, advice to young women entrepreneurs, and how she planned her wedding.
Shahd’s personal style is eclectic and ever-growing, and she believes this is important to creating a successful fashion image. Her nonstop curiosity and open-mindedness to new ideas holds the key to her success.  
Hosted by: Spencer Striker, PhD, Formerly Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai (now Northwestern University in Qatar)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerstriker
Special Guest: Shahd Al Jumaily   
Official Website and social media links:
http://shahdaljumaily.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ShahdAlJumailyOfficial/
https://twitter.com/ShahdAlJumaily/media
About the Dubai Wave Podcast: The concept with Dubai Wave is to look at big picture Dubai. Each episode focuses on a unique topic, such as Dubai Fitness; Dubai Social Media; Dubai Food Scene; Dubai Music, etc., with the goal to illuminate a 360-degree viewpoint of all the exciting things happening here, the gem of the Middle East. The impressive guest list to date includes the founder of Dubai’s most influential MMA gym, Tam Khan (Dubai MMA); successful entrepreneur, Anas Bukhash (Dubai Entrepreneurship); the editor of What’s On Dubai, Laura Coughlin (Dubai Magazines); the host of Virgin Radio Dubai, Brent Black, (Dubai Radio); and the first Emirati filmmaker to achieve International acclaim and standing, Ali F. Mostafa, (Dubai Film). Previously, Dr. Striker, with help from talented Digital Media and MBRSC students, launched a successful podcast called Digital Media & Tech in Dubai, focused on the Dubai tech industry, with eight episodes to date, featuring some of Dubai’s most exciting digital thought leaders.
Production Manager: Carma Al Younes, AUD Digital Media student Edited by: Aminur Rahman On-Site Recording Support by: AUD Digital Media’s own Anil Mathew James Executive Producer: Spencer Striker, PhD 

The Dubai Wave Podcast’s influential Season 3 concludes with an exclusive conversation with one of Dubai's most dynamic, successful TV presenters, Shahad Ballan. Thrilled to present our super exclusive conversation, at long last. We spoke about her journey into television and the challenges that she faced and overcame in her life and career. We also spent some time speaking about inspiration, resilience, personal development, and coming back from a life-changing accident.
If you've got huge dreams and ambitions, regardless of the hurdles you face, you will absolutely love this episode.
Produced by Dr. Spencer Striker, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai, (now at Northwestern University in Qatar), the show was created with the help of a talented student production team at AUD 

About Shahad
Shahad Ballan is a an Arab TV presenter and journalist who is currently the host of a women's lifestyle show on MBC1 called HAMSA. She is a graduate of the Sheikh Mohammad School for Communication majoring in Digital Production and Story-telling at American University in Dubai. Following that, she went on to work with Dubai TV and took her first step in TV presenting when she hosted an entertainment/tourism show called Al Mawaad. Two years later, she made a move to MBC group were she presented the prime time news bulletin on MBC1 for 3 consecutive years. In the year 2016 Shahad made another turning point in her career when she moved to MBC4 to host ET Bilarabi, the Arabic version of the international format "Entertainment Tonight". 
Beginning her career in television with a chance encounter, Shahad was first seen on the red carpet when she was a researcher escorting a guest for an interview. After graduating from studying film making, and while working in her first job as a researcher, a producer spotted Shahad and asked if she would be interested in working on a pilot show. Without experience in presenting, and in the space of one week, she made the big leap from being a researcher to becoming a presenter on her own show. This move into television was the catalyst for Ballan to develop her taste in style, as growing up she tended to only wear black. Dressing for the camera meant stepping out of her comfort zone and experimenting with colour, working out what she liked and what worked for her.
Hosted by: Spencer Striker, PhD, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerstriker
& Digital Media Student at AUD, 
Special Guest: Shahad Ballan
Official Website and social media links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahad-ballan-96893336/?originalSubdomain=ae
https://www.instagram.com/shahadballan/
https://bnc.lt/m/cOnX1VihYU?_p=c11434dc91047af3e50387ff
About the Dubai Wave Podcast:
The concept with Dubai Wave is to look at big picture Dubai. Each episode focuses on a unique topic, such as Dubai Fitness; Dubai Social Media; Dubai Food Scene; Dubai Music, etc., with the goal to illuminate a 360-degree viewpoint of all the exciting things happening here, the gem of the Middle East. The impressive guest list to date includes the founder of Dubai’s most influential MMA gym, Tam Khan (Dubai MMA); successful entrepreneur, Anas Bukhash (Dubai Entrepreneurship); the editor of What’s On Dubai, Laura Coughlin (Dubai Magazines); the host of Virgin Radio Dubai, Brent Black, (Dubai Radio); and the first Emirati filmmaker to achieve International acclaim and standing, Ali F. Mostafa, (Dubai Film). Previously, Dr. Striker, with help from talented Digital Media and MBRSC students, launched a successful podcast called Digital Media & Tech in Dubai, focused on the Dubai tech industry, with eight episodes to date, featuring some of Dubai’s most exciting digital thought leaders.
Production Managed by: Carma Al Younes, AUD Digital Media student Edited by: Aminur Rahman On-Site Recording Support by: AUD Digital Media’s own Anil Mathew James Executive Producer: Spencer Strik

The Dubai Wave Podcast’s influential Season 3 continues with an exclusive conversation with Dubai's ultimate fitness industry Icon! Thrilled to present our super exclusive conversation with Salma Ismail.
Produced by Dr. Spencer Striker, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai, the show is created with the help of a talented student production team at AUD
About Sal:
Sal is a four time Fitness Cover Model, former Nike Middle East Ambassador & NTC Trainer, and co-founder of The Body Challenge, an eight week body transformation challenge.
She has been helping clients reach their personal fitness goals since 2010. Sal focuses on strength training and body sculpting. She also encourages her female clients to embrace resistance and weight training to improve overall fitness.
Sal has gained a following through her boot camps and high intensity personal training sessions. Having worked with Sheikha's and local UAE celebrities she has become a well-known and respected member of the female fitness community in the UAE.
Sal is as tough on the outside as on the inside, her resilience, perseverance, stamina, and commitment to stay the course is so inspiring, to say the least! Her strength, and her positive outlook on life instantly lifts you up, making you want to fight the good fight, over and again.
 
Hosted by: Spencer Striker, PhD, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerstriker
& Digital Media Student at AUD, Laith & Carma.
Special Guests: Salma Ismail 
 
Official Website and social media links: 
https://www.getfitchick.ae/aboutus
https://www.facebook.com/salbroutine/
https://www.instagram.com/salbroutine/
About the Dubai Wave Podcast The concept with Dubai Wave is to look at big picture Dubai. Each episode focuses on a unique topic, such as Dubai Fitness; Dubai Social Media; Dubai Food Scene; Dubai Music, etc., with the goal to illuminate a 360-degree viewpoint of all the exciting things happening here, the gem of the Middle East. The impressive guest list to date includes the founder of Dubai’s most influential MMA gym, Tam Khan (Dubai MMA); successful entrepreneur, Anas Bukhash (Dubai Entrepreneurship); the editor of What’s On Dubai, Laura Coughlin (Dubai Magazines); the host of Virgin Radio Dubai, Brent Black, (Dubai Radio); and the first Emirati filmmaker to achieve International acclaim and standing, Ali F. Mostafa, (Dubai Film). Previously, Dr. Striker, with help from talented Digital Media and MBRSC students, launched a successful podcast called Digital Media & Tech in Dubai, focused on the Dubai tech industry, with eight episodes to date, featuring some of Dubai’s most exciting digital thought leaders.
Production Managed by: Carma Al Younes, AUD Digital Media student Edited by: Aminur Rahman, Podcast Editor & Producer On-Site Recording Support by: AUD Digital Media’s own Anil Mathew James Executive Producer: Spencer Striker, PhD
 
 

The Dubai Wave Podcast’s influential Season 3 continues with a riveting conversation with two of Dubai's ultimate music industry insiders! Thrilled to present our world exclusive with Big Hass and Jamil Jabbour Big Hass is a UAE based Radio Host and Blogger. While Jamil Jabbour is a Dubai based musician. And both of them are rocking the industry with musical talent and passion for the Dubai music industry. In this Dubai Wave exclusive, hear their unique insights on the Dubai hip hop scene, and culture around it.Produced by Dr. Spencer Striker, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai, the show is created with the help of a talented student production team at AUD About Big Hass:He hosted Saudi's FIRST FM Hip-Hop radio show & he is also a well-known Blogger. He usually likes to conduct interviews with dope people and loves supporting local talent. The first on-air message Big Hass received, during his first radio show, was short but hardly sweet. “You’re an infidel.”  Starting the debut FM hip-hop programme in the conservative Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was always going to ruffle feathers – but such a stark message brought the fresh-faced presenter face-to-face with the gravity of his opposition.“I saw straight away I had a choice: I could either give up there and then, or fight it and carry on,” says Hass, whose real name is Hassan Ahmad Dennaoui. “For one second, I panicked – and then I went with fighting it. Reading that message sparked a huge fire in me to prove everybody wrong.” His groundbreaking show Laish Hip-Hop celebrated its fifth anniversary in June. It remains an unrivalled voice focusing on the region’s underground music scene. Such is its influence that Hass has been elevated to the unlikely status of a regional musical ambassador, invited to public-speaking gigs and exchange opportunities in Europe and the United States.Broadcast on Saudi’s Mix FM and streamed online, the show (which translates literally as Why Hip-hop?) has regular listeners around the globe. Since Hass moved to the UAE, Laish Hip-Hop has been broadcast from Dubai Media City. One of the programme’s biggest milestones was an interview with Kool Herc, the DJ considered one of the “founding fathers of hip-hop”. “He said: ‘You’re calling me from Saudi Arabia?’,” says Hass, adding that the pioneer was dumbfounded that “hip-hop reached that far”. It did – in part because of the hard work and bountiful on-air enthusiasm of Hass.When Mix FM started broadcasting in Saudi Arabia – one of the Kingdom’s first commercial stations – Hass embarked on a six-month campaign to earn his own show, which eventually aired for the first time in June 2011. It started out as a weekly one-hour slot, but after a Twitter campaign from listeners, station chiefs expanded the show to a two-hour format. “I became a voice for this music, so now I have to educate even myself,” says Hass. “So many people know hip-hop music better than me. My job is to support local talent. I don’t care about how many followers you have – I care about how much talent you have.” These days, he says, the greatest and largest variety of regional hip-hop talent is found in Saudi Arabia – a country where live musical performances remain a rarity.“The main challenge that is always discussed is the lack of support. There is a lot of amazing talent here and I can name ten people that can really make it internationally from the top of my head. But there is no specific eco-system here to support that” Dennaoui says. “Now, there is some support here and there, but it is not consistent. It is kind of done from the side. Now that’s not an attack on the mainstream media, it may just mean that these artists have to produce bigger and stronger things to get noticed. He states that some struggling or frustrated musicians have to think more critically about their careers if they want to progress. He points to successful E

The Dubai Wave Podcast’s influential Season 3 continues with a riveting conversation with one of Dubai's ultimate music industry insiders! Thrilled to present our world exclusive with the one and only Saif and Sound. A UAE based Radio Host, DJ and MC: his Music and entertainment company “Saif and Sound” has taken the Dubai music industry by storm! Produced by Dr. Spencer Striker, Digital Media Professor at the American University in Dubai, the show is created with the help of a talented student production team at AUD.
About SaifA music "multitasker" - is how Time Out Abu Dhabi describes Saif. Born in the capital city of UAE, Abu Dhabi, he started his career in 2005, as he was a DJ for various pool parties, school proms and private events as a teenager. He has grown to achieve numerous achievements in the region that gained him an established reputation, along with an active and growing fan base.
Saif starred in the ‘Anghami’ app advertisement, which was broadcast across all MBC channels. He was also invited to speak at ‘Ted Talks’, an internationally popular motivational speaking event. ‘Yasalam’ (Flash Entertainment), one of UAE’s biggest events during Formula 1, invited Saif to be a mentor for the ‘Emerging Talent Competition 2015’. Saif is the official Brand Ambassador for the online platform of daily deals in UAE, ‘CutWallet’. Also, check out Saif’s updates in local magazine ‘Tempo’ on a monthly basis.
In April 2015, Saif introduced his new company ‘The Project’, a DJ Booking and promotion agency that offers services of club promotion as well as a DJ line-up. Having previously worked with most of the A-list nightclubs and venues in Abu Dhabi, such as People by Crystal, Saadiyat Beach Club, Sax Club, ‘Musicology’ at Stills Bar, The Yacht Club, Legends, Up and Below, and more: ‘The Project’ is continuing to gain recognition for delivering top eventsSaif and Sound is one of the most established personalities in the Music & Entertainment industry in the UAE. Having taken part in some of the region’s biggest events. Saif’s ability to perform at the highest level comes as second nature. As a result, he has performed in the industry’s biggest events.
Saif began as a record breaker. At 19 he was the youngest ever radio host in the UAE. Inspired and driven by his passion for the music industry, Saif now hosts the “Drive Show” on 104.8 FM Channel 4, one of the most popular radio shows in the country. Saif’s unique style has earned him a reputation as one of the region’s favorite radio hosts, consistently providing the best music and most interesting current topics of discussion and entertainment.
He has interviewed the likes of Rita Ora, Sean Paul, French Montana, Craig David, Tiesto, Mark Ronson, and more!
Away from the Radio, Saif has performed in the region’s biggest events such as the 2017 & 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, Dubai Cares Walk for Education 2019 and 3 Editions of Beats on the Beach alongside J. Cole, Travis Scott, Jason Derulo and more! Saif’s stellar reputation is well known among industry greats, with legendary Hip Hop Artist Juicy J specifically requesting for Saif to open a crowd of 30,000. This reputation has led Saif to open for the world’s biggest names in Coldplay, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Cheb Khalid, Sam Smith and more! His ability and passion for entertaining a crowd has led him to host brilliant events such as Sole DXB, Yasalam Emerging Talent Competition, NEO Run, Red Bull Air Race and the ITU World Triathlon, to name a few.
Saif has become one of the most established names in the nightlife scene in the UAE. Brushing shoulders with A-List celebrities as a result, and playing at venues like Mad Yas Island, Billionaire Mansion, Movida, Gotha Club, People by Crystal, Saadiyat Beach Club and many more. Saif has been invited to perform at elite clubs in Miami, London, Germany, Baku and beyond. With a

Mr. Levier’s first love, music, translated into becoming a DJ. Growing up in a musical home playing instruments such as the drums, violin and piano, he's always had a passion for music. Started DJ'ing in summer of 2015, what started as a harmless pass time translated into passionate hours of practice, downloading, hardware upgrades, and self-teaching via YouTube resulting into a career. In the short time the young Levier has played at some of the biggest venues in the Middle East which includes, Pacha, Movida, White Dubai, Cavali, Cirque Le Soir, and holds residencies at Provocateur Dubai and Billionaire Mansion and VIP Room as well internationally playing for events such as Formula One Grand Prix, 1Oak Baku, Kiss Club France and Le Maginifique to name a few. His unique style of playing mixes Hip Hop, Funk, House, Dance, Afro, Reggae and Latin, making sure you get the perfect combination of open format music. 
 
About Timothy Knight:
Based in Dubai since 2008 Timothy has worked at some of the hottest nightclubs including Cirque Le Soir, Cavalli Club, Movida, Nobu Restaurant, Koi Las Vegas, Armani Prive, XL Beach Club, and Café Del Mar Dubai. Tim regularly appears as a guest DJ across the Dubai superclubs.
Tim’s been a part of club tour nights in Dubai with brands such as Ministry Of Sound, Nikki Beach, Pacha, Pukka Up, Circo Loco and Stereo Sushi. Tim Kay’s warmed up for the biggest DJ’s in the world – Axwell (Swedish House Mafia), Afrojack, and Avicii (Good Feeling) – Thats a fine 3 of the DJ Mag top 10 DJs in the world. He’s also played with many other Worldwide Accredited performers – DJ Antoine (Welcome to St Tropez), Alex Gaudino, Sandy Rivera, David Morales, Danny Rampling, Todd Terry, Ron Carrol, Richard Grey, Edward Maya and Judge Jules to name but a few. 2012 saw Tim Kay selected to play at Atelier Dance Events – the biggest festivals in the Middle East. Djing to crowds up to 18,000 capacity. With Artists such as 50 Cent, Nelly, Ciara, Skylar Grey, Chris Brown, Eva Simmons, Faithless, Gorillaz, and Snoop Dogg + many more.
Tim has fine-tuned his sound to work across the board of Dubai which has both an underground and educated understanding, as well as maintaining accessible. His edge is being able to adapt to any crowd with a vast repertoire of new and old music. Tim has produced under the alias Speaker Tweaker and has just had a string of releases signed to one of the biggest dance music labels in the world from the creator Tiesto himself – Black Hole Recordings.
 
Hosted by: Spencer Striker, PhD, Digital Media professor at the American University in Dubaihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerstriker& Kamel El Haj, Digital Media Student at AUD
Special Guest:DJs Timothy Knight & Mr Levier
Edited by:Maria Garaeva & Nicolas Kamel, AUD Digital Media student
Audio engineering by:AUD Digital Media’s own Anil Mathew James
Special thanks to the AUD Marcom Team.