Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge

Spencer Lodge
  • 4.3 (15)
  • Entertainment News
  • Updated Biweekly

Formerly the Unscripted Podcast with Spencer Lodge Join Spencer Lodge as he connects with the most fascinating personalities in Dubai. A city that rose from the desert sands to become one of the most ambitious, innovative and inspiring places on Earth. Behind its glittering skyline are people with stories just as extraordinary - pioneers, dreamers and doers who dared to turn bold visions into reality. Made in Dubai is where those stories are told. Hosted by Spencer Lodge, each episode is a front-row seat to conversations with the people shaping the UAE's future — from business leaders and record-breakers to cultural icons and creative disruptors. But this isn't just about their success. It's about the journey - the risks they took, the challenges they faced and the moments that defined them. It's about the unique magic of Dubai: a place where ambition meets opportunity, where cultures from around the world collide to create something truly special and where anything feels possible. Whether you're an entrepreneur searching for your next big move, someone curious about life in the UAE or simply in need of inspiration, Made in Dubai is your invitation to step inside this vibrant city and meet the people who make it remarkable. If it was made in Dubai, you'll hear it here.

  1. 3d ago

    #411: She Rescued 682 Children | Hannah Badi, CEO of Himalayan Entrepreneur Resources

    She grew up in a community that Nepal doesn't count. Below all 126 castes. Girls in her village had no access to education, healthcare, or transport. From the age of 11, they were sold. Hannah Badi was nearly trafficked at 9 years old. She escaped at midnight with 32 girls and a stone in her hand. She went on to rescue 682 children. Her sister is now a minister of Nepal. This is one of the most powerful conversations Spencer has ever had.   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Hannah's childhood in far west Nepal 02:52 No food, no water, no school: what survival looked like 05:00 How the Badi community made money: selling daughters 08:03 What the Badi community is not allowed to do 10:18 There is no age: when girls are sold 14:15 A baby bought before she was born 16:36 Price tags on girls: Hannah's personal story 22:50 She collapsed. Her father took her to hospital for the first time. 25:25 What the doctor did 27:51 Her father's instruction: say nothing 28:14 The moment she realised it was wrong 28:31 Uncle Raju arrives in the village 29:48 Nobody believed him 31:20 The midnight gathering in the jungle 32:37 32 girls, one bus, a stone in her hand 33:41 Arriving in Kathmandu for the first time 38:50 Seeing a toilet for the first time 43:17 How long it took to change their mindset 44:41 At 13: her first rescue 46:11 682 children rescued 46:50 From that first group: doctors, bankers, a minister 47:18 Hannah's sister is now a minister of Nepal 51:06 Spencer's visit to Nepal and the documentary 52:00 Meeting the president of Nepal 53:54 The caste system: where the Badi sit within it 56:36 Below all 126 castes: not even counted 58:43 Hannah's message to the world   Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV  https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Hannah Badi on Social Media:  https://www.instagram.com/hannah_badi_/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/hannah.badi.487845 linkedin.com/in/devisara-badi-168720250

  2. Aug 10

    #410: She Survived a Liver Transplant. Then Questioned If She Deserved It. | Nadia Musiuk Liver transplant survivor

    Her son was 12. While she was on the waiting list for a donor liver, he went home and Googled everything she was too scared to search. She came through the surgery. And then sat with a question that stopped everyone in that room. Dr. Kaiser Raja, her surgeon at King's College Hospital Dubai, is also in this conversation. And Spencer does something in this episode that Nadia did not know was coming.   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:17 Why Nadia chose to share her story 02:12 When the diagnosis changed everything 07:21 Waiting for a donor: the school run she will never forget 11:30 The operating theatre and what her son said before she went in 17:16 Did I really deserve this second chance? 28:06 Her first steps back: 30 seconds at a time 34:26 Living with someone else's liver: the fear of rejection 42:23 What Dr Kaiser means to her 43:22 The moment Spencer brought Dr Kaiser into the room 55:38 Dr Kaiser on the reality of liver transplant surgery 1:08:00 Quick fire with Dr Kaiser Raja Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV  https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow King's College Hospital on Social Media:  https://www.facebook.com/kingscollegehospitallondon/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/king's-college-hospital-london-uae https://www.instagram.com/kingscollegehospitaldubai/

  3. Aug 3

    #409: The Truth About Medical Insurance in Dubai That Nobody Tells You Until It Is Too Late | Sam Douglas, Insurance Broker of Beneple

    Most people in the UAE assume their company medical plan is there to look after them. Sam Douglas has spent 13 years on the other side of that assumption. This is one of those conversations that changes the way you think about something you assumed was straightforward. Sam is honest, specific, and genuinely good at explaining a world most employees never get to see inside. Time stamps 0:00 Introduction 3:03 Corporate wellness: why it almost never moves the needle on claims 9:12 What an insurance broker actually does (and why everyone gets this wrong) 13:03 He works in insurance. He still couldn't claim. 23:30 The real reason he stayed in the industry for 13 years 36:03 Your company sees every medical claim you have ever made. You don't. 43:00 The single expensive claim that changes your entire team's renewal 52:43 Why insurance companies need brokers more than brokers need them 1:05:48 Mental health claims: the number companies aren't looking at 1:14:35 The questions you should ask before you hire an insurance broker 1:16:00 Quick Fire with Sam Douglas Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV  https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Sam Douglas on Social Media:  https://www.instagram.com/samdougydouglas/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuellewisdouglas/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneple https://www.instagram.com/beneple.ae/ beneple.com

  4. Jul 27

    #408: Your Employer is Gambling with Your Gratuity | Safa Bouzidi, Managing Director of Daman Investments

    Most people in the UAE have spent years building a career and assuming their gratuity is sitting somewhere safe, waiting for them when they leave. Safa Bouzidi is one of the few people who will actually tell you what is happening to it. If you work in this country and you have never asked your company where your end-of-service money is, this is the conversation that will make you start. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction  1:11 Why gratuity was never designed to be your pension  3:31 The DIFC DEWS scheme and what changed  7:21 How your company has been using your gratuity as cash flow  9:20 The mistake most people make when they change jobs  17:31 Why companies are pushing back against the new scheme  21:51 The five approved providers and who is holding your money  28:23 The truth: your gratuity might not actually exist  31:58 Is Dubai actually built for you to retire in?  40:42 The freelancer and SME gap nobody is filling  44:19 Where financial habits really come from  48:18 Why fresh graduates spend before they save  51:36 Quick Fire with Safa Bouzidi   Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/ Follow Safa Bouzidi on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/safa_bouzidileterme/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/safa-bouzidi-leterme-5a515416/ https://www.instagram.com/daman.investments/

  5. Jul 20

    #407: THE CEO OF LEO BURNETT JUST CALLED OUT HIS OWN INDUSTRY | Nadim Ghrayeb, CEO of Leo Burnett

    We talked about what the advertising industry actually gets wrong, and why most agencies won't tell you. We got into Jaguar, Ferrari, data, creativity, and the uncomfortable truth about what really makes a campaign work. And then halfway through, he said something that had nothing to do with any of that. Sixteen years. That's how long he's been sitting with something most men in this part of the world would never say out loud. This is one of those episodes you don't skip to the end.   Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 00:44 The Audi Campaign Flop — His Biggest Career Mistake 03:42 What Agencies Actually Do Now 08:51 The Scale of Leo Burnett and Publicis 10:55 B2B vs. B2C Marketing 15:34 Sales and Marketing: Stop Working in Silos 19:06 Calling Out Digital Agencies 23:08 Billboards Are Not Dead 30:44 Data vs. Creative Ideas 36:16 The Cadillac Win — A Facebook Road Trip That Changed GM 39:45 Clients Who Refuse to Evolve 43:11 Jaguar and Ferrari: Where Did It Go Wrong? 51:02 AI in the Creative Industry 56:56 The CEO's Hidden Battle — 17 Years of Anxiety 1:02:06 Disconnecting to Lead 1:03:34 Corporate Culture and Career Fulfilment 1:05:15 Legacy and What Really Matters 1:09:25 Quick Fire — Two Decades of Advertising in 60 Seconds   Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Nadim Ghrayeb on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/ghrayebnadim/tagged/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadim-ghrayeb-848b2515/ https://www.instagram.com/leoburnettuae/ vero.co/babaghanouj

  6. Jul 13

    #406: Success Has Nothing to Do with What You Build | Paul Evans, CEO of Solutions Leisure

    Paul Evans is the CEO of Solutions Leisure, one of the most recognised hospitality brands in the UAE with 23 venues across the region. But that is not the reason we brought him in. He grew up dyslexic and spent years being told he wasn't enough, and the decisions he made in his early twenties landed him in a UK prison cell at 21. What followed was years of searching for something he couldn't name, until his body made the decision for him. While building a business in Egypt, acute pancreatitis brought on by years of serious alcohol abuse put Paul in a coma for 77 days. He woke up with a different set of priorities and the kind of clarity that only comes when you have had to earn the right to still be here. This conversation goes places most successful people never go publicly. He talks about what accountability really looks like when you stop blaming everything else, about the real price of starting over from nothing, and about why a man who has built all of this still believes that success has nothing to do with what you build. Some conversations change how you think about things. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction Spencer introduces Paul Evans and Solutions Leisure. 19:30 — Growing Up: Dyslexic, Bullied and Written Off Paul on his childhood in Cheshire, being diagnosed with dyslexia, the bullying, a distant father, and the moment at 14 when he decided to prove everyone wrong. 25:36 — Going to Prison at 21 An altercation. A 12-month sentence. Six months served across Walton and Kirkham prisons in the UK. Paul on what he took from it. 31:07 — From General Electric to a Bar in Egypt After prison, Paul builds a successful career in sales at General Electric. Then makes an accidental £30,000 investment in a bar in Hurghada, Egypt and never looks back. 35:43 — The Spiral: When It All Started to Fall Apart The Egypt years. Running his father's diving business, managing his own bar, and the heavy drinking and long hours that quietly took everything to the edge. 38:20 — 77 Days in a Coma Acute pancreatitis. An emergency flight to England. Seventy-seven days in a coma while his family lived in Singapore. The most intense part of the conversation. 56:19 — Building Solutions Leisure: 20 Venues in Dubai Paul on arriving in Dubai, founding Solutions Leisure from scratch, and building one of the most recognised hospitality portfolios in the UAE. 1:10:12 — Finding Purpose and Getting a Life Coach What do you do when you have everything and still feel lost? Paul on finding direction, working with a life coach, and the advice he gives people who feel stuck. 1:13:38 — The Daily Practice That Changed Everything Three things. Every morning. The gratitude habit Paul picked up through coaching that he says shifted everything. 1:14:04 — Selling 50% of the Business Paul on the decision to sell half of Solutions Leisure to Sunset Hospitality, the timing, and why he has no regrets. 1:14:58 — How He Saved 400 Jobs During COVID The pandemic. The decisions nobody talks about. Paul on how he kept 400 people employed when most of the industry was collapsing around him. 1:20:57 — Quick Fire Round No alcohol. Daily gym. Surround yourself with the right people. Fast, unfiltered, and completely honest. Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Paul Evans on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/pauljohnevs/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/solutionsleisure/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/SolutionsLeisure https://www.linkedin.com/company/solutions-leisure-group/ https://solutions-leisure.com/

  7. Jul 4

    #405: Sami Kayyali: Most CEOs Are Terrible Communicators and Nobody Tells Them

    Sami Kayyali is the founder and managing director of Rekarda, one of the most specialist communications businesses in the UAE. But the work he does is not what most people think. He is not building slides. He is sitting behind the scenes of the rooms where the most consequential decisions in the region get made, shaping how CEOs, government entities and multinational boards communicate before they walk into the moments that define their careers. With over 20 years of experience, Sami has watched brilliant leaders with brilliant ideas lose the room, not because the idea was wrong, but because nobody had ever told them the truth about how they were coming across. This conversation covers building a specialist consultancy from the ground up in Dubai, the hidden work behind high-stakes presentations, what AI is doing to leadership communication, and the one pattern he sees in every single boardroom that almost nobody is willing to talk about.   Timestamps: 0:00 Who Sami Kayyali is and the work that happens before leaders walk into high-stakes rooms 3:30 What brought him to Dubai and the gap in the market he spotted that nobody else was filling 10:00 How a presentation design business became a full strategic communications company 16:00 The moment he realised the problem was never the slides, it was always the thinking behind them 22:00 The biggest communication mistakes CEOs make and why nobody ever tells them 30:00 What actually happens behind the scenes before a major board meeting or investor presentation 38:00 Can you tell within minutes whether a leader is a strong communicator and what gives it away 45:00 How AI is changing executive communication and why most leaders are getting worse, not better 53:00 The Kernel, cybersecurity and why it is a leadership problem, not an IT problem 60:00 Failure, what success means to him now versus ten years ago and the advice that changed everything 66:00 Quickfire: favourite books, the worst phrase in any business deck, the most underrated communication skill, PowerPoint loved or hated, AI as a creative shortcut or a creative risk, and one thing every CEO should fix tomorrow   Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/   Follow Sam Kayyali on Social Media: linkedin.com/in/samikayyali https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearerekarda/ https://www.instagram.com/wearerekarda https://www.facebook.com/hello.rekarda

  8. Jun 29

    #404: Dennis McGettigan, From a House of Ten in Dublin to Dubai's Biggest Pub Empire

    Dennis McGettigan is the founder and CEO of McGettigan's, one of the most recognisable hospitality brands in the UAE. But the story behind it starts in Dublin, in a house with ten children run "like a business", where the kitchen was locked at 7pm and every kid got jobs and five pounds a week. His father started as a dishwasher on the QE1 at nineteen, bought his first pub for eight thousand pounds in 1964, and built a hotel empire across Ireland, the UK and eventually Dubai.  This conversation is about grit. The 2008 crash that left him with zero revenue and hundreds of millions in exposure. The international expansion he opened in three weeks and closed during Covid. And the personal side too: his wife Nicola's cancer and recovery, told through a racehorse and a moment at Royal Ascot that still moves him.  This is one of the most grounded, human conversations about what it actually takes to build something that lasts.    Timestamps:  0:00 Growing up one of ten in Dublin, a house run like a business, the kitchen locked at 7pm  6:30 His father: from dishwasher on the QE1 to a pub empire across Ireland and the UK  12:15 Why he would hire work ethic over a university degree every single time  14:00 The Burlington Hotel, the 2008 crash, and becoming a fireman putting out fires  18:30 How McGettigan's was born from one simple idea: a bar he wanted to go to himself  36:45 Where he got it wrong: New York, Singapore, Jakarta and the cost of moving too fast  44:00 The £70 million monster in JBR and the deal he signed right as the conflict began  52:18 Why he believes Dubai will bounce back bigger than ever  1:14:00 Nicola's cancer, a racehorse at Royal Ascot, and the moment that still moves him  1:04:00 Quickfire: one word for Dubai 2026 and the hardest phone call he ever makes    Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/madeindubaipodcast/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586194260076 https://www.instagram.com/spencer.lodge/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer.lodge https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerlodge/ https://www.youtube.com/c/SpencerLodgeTV https://www.facebook.com/spencerlodgeofficial/    Follow Dennis McGettigan on Social Media:  https://www.instagram.com/dennismcgettigan/?hl=en  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismcgettigan/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/mcgettigan's-irish-pubs/  https://www.instagram.com/mcgettigansjlt/?hl=en  https://www.instagram.com/mcgettiganspubs/?hl=en

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4.3
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Formerly the Unscripted Podcast with Spencer Lodge Join Spencer Lodge as he connects with the most fascinating personalities in Dubai. A city that rose from the desert sands to become one of the most ambitious, innovative and inspiring places on Earth. Behind its glittering skyline are people with stories just as extraordinary - pioneers, dreamers and doers who dared to turn bold visions into reality. Made in Dubai is where those stories are told. Hosted by Spencer Lodge, each episode is a front-row seat to conversations with the people shaping the UAE's future — from business leaders and record-breakers to cultural icons and creative disruptors. But this isn't just about their success. It's about the journey - the risks they took, the challenges they faced and the moments that defined them. It's about the unique magic of Dubai: a place where ambition meets opportunity, where cultures from around the world collide to create something truly special and where anything feels possible. Whether you're an entrepreneur searching for your next big move, someone curious about life in the UAE or simply in need of inspiration, Made in Dubai is your invitation to step inside this vibrant city and meet the people who make it remarkable. If it was made in Dubai, you'll hear it here.

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