What I Did Next What I Did Next

We’re continuing my conversation with entrepreneur Mohamed Al Fayed, founder of Grubtech. On this bonus episode, we’ll talk a bit about his early years, and the launch of Ounass, the region’s premiere luxury marketplace.

Thank you for being a subscriber of What I Did Next. If you haven’t already, you can also listen to our bonus episodes with award-winning Saudi fashion designer Hatem Al Akeel, sustainability pioneer Dr. Mounir Neamatalla, and CNN’s Becky Anderson.

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 luxury online marketplace, Ounass. He also served as Senior Vice President of Omnichannel at Al Tayer Group, where he worked for 12 years before launching his startup, Grubtech.
Moe has a great professional story, and a very moving personal story that shapes his outlook today. He shares how much he has changed from the guy starting out 30 years ago in the US, and what failing early in life has taught him.
On our bonus episode for members next week, Mohamed tells me about his early years, and how Ounass was launched out of Al Tayer Group.
This episode is brought to you by:
EFG Holding, a trailblazing financial institution with a Universal Bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thank you for being a subscriber of What I Did Next. On this bonus episode, we talk about Becky’s role as Managing Editor and how our region fits into the larger CNN programming agenda worldwide.

Thank you for being a subscriber of What I Did Next. If you haven’t already, you can also listen to our bonus episodes with award-winning Saudi fashion designer Hatem Al Akeel, Egypt Country Manager for Visa, Malak El Baba, and sustainability pioneer Dr. Mounir Neamatalla earlier this season.

We’ll be back with a new guest next week, see you then!

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 news with Becky. We talk about the industry as a whole, her pivot to broadcasting, and her mission to change the perception of this region through her work.
On this members’ bonus episode next week, we’ll talk about her role as Managing Editor and how our region fits into the larger CNN programming agenda worldwide.
This episode is brought to you by:
EFG Holding, a trailblazing financial institution with a Universal Bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing my conversation from last week with pioneering environmentalist Dr. Mounir Neamatalla. On this bonus episode, we talk more about EQI’s micro-finance program and how the ground-breaking eco-lodge and restoration work in Siwa led to their involvement in a sustainable development project in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.

Thank you for being a subscriber - we’ll be back with a new guest next week, see you then!

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. Mounir was special for a number of reasons—he is a family friend, I’ve long-admired his philosophy on life and how he sees the world, and he has all the characteristics of what is fast becoming a bygone era. He is a romantic, a dreamer, a deep thinker, choosing the slower measured approach over today's fast and frenetic pace. He has been on my podcast wish list since the show's inception but he kept resisting my requests to come on and share his story...until now. 
This episode is brought to you by:
EFG Holding, a trailblazing financial institution with a Universal Bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices