Making It

EnterpriseAM
EnterpriseAM
  • 4.9 (19)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Six days a week, we help top executives make sense of the Arab world’s companies and economies — and every Thursday, our editor-in-chief, Patrick, talks shop with the people who run them.  Making It is an hour where the founders, CEOs, investors, and policymakers making the biggest decisions in our region show their work and talk about what’s next.  From EnterpriseAM, the Arab world’s business daily.

  1. 1d ago

    Cairo Food Week’s Hoda El-Sherif on stories, flavors, and community

    Is Egyptian food having a moment? And more importantly, is our cuisine finally claiming its seat at the global table?  Hoda El-Sherif says, “It’s coming.” Hoda is the co-founder and CEO of Flavor Republic, and the force behind Cairo Food Week. On this episode of Making It, Hoda argues that Egyptian food belongs on the same table as the great cuisines of the world. That’s the thesis behind Cairo Food Week, whose fourth edition runs between 24 September and 4 October.  Hoda and Patrick dive into our burgeoning food industry and how it’s changed over the last few years, chefs who are carving their spot on the global map, the gaps that still exist in the market, and the lessons Egypt can learn from countries that have championed their culinary narratives, making gastronomy tourism a matter of state policy. With a sprinkle of AI and its impact on the making and marketing of food, in true Making It fashion.  Check out Cairo Food Week’s full calendar of events. Listen to Morning Drive from Sunday to Thursday.  Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox every Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Cairo Food Week’s Hoda El-Sherif on stories, flavors, and community

  2. Sep 10

    The mechanics of retail with Baraka’s Ahmed Ragab

    After almost 50 years of competition, why would two companies choose to merge? Is it as simple as the big entity buying the smaller one, or is there more to the story?  On this episode of Making It, Ahmed Ragab joins Patrick to share how things actually played out for him.   Ragab is the CEO and Partner at Baraka Retail Group. This past May, Ragab sold control of Baraka Optics to Maghrabi, via a merger through acquisition, where Maghrabi bought 51% of his company. He chose not to walk away, even though he could have.  Baraka launched in 1979 as a wholesale business focusing on optics. Today, they operate in a number of industries: optics, fashion and e-commerce. Ragab explains the why behind the decision, and then breaks down the projected outcomes. He also shares his ethos as a manager, how he keeps up with trends “in a classic industry,” and how he thinks about the question of succession. Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox every Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The mechanics of retail with Baraka’s Ahmed Ragab

  3. Sep 3

    Why Rep. Neveen El Tahri is optimistic

    Foreign investors see a lot of potential in Egypt. Their optimism, however, is not necessarily shared by many inside Egypt. So where does the gap lie? On this episode of Making It, Neveen El Tahri joins Patrick to make the case for optimism. Neveen is a legend in banking and finance. She is a serial entrepreneur, the first woman to sit on the board of the Egyptian Stock Exchange and the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority, and a member of parliament. Neveen was not always optimistic, but she recently saw the puzzle pieces come together. She dives into policy, privatization, the many opportunities ahead of Egypt, and her personal belief that changes on the policy level will eventually trickle down. Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox every Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Why Rep. Neveen El Tahri is optimistic

  4. Aug 27

    The Chinese takeover with Ankush Arora

    When Chinese cars first appeared in Egypt around a decade ago, they were met with backlash. Now, they’re everywhere. Why? And how? On this episode of Making It, Ankush Arora joins Patrick to break down how this happened, and why the pace of adoption is accelerating. Ankush is the CEO of Al Mansour Automotive Group, a leading Egyptian and regional automotive distributor. With both global and local industry knowledge, Ankush provides an insider’s perspective on the automotive industry in Egypt. Particularly on policy, development, and the bet Mansour is making on manufacturing. Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox every Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    The Chinese takeover with Ankush Arora

  5. Aug 20

    Decoding AI with Tarek Assaad

    Past the doom and gloom, what the heck is actually going on with AI at the moment? On this episode of Making It, Tarek Assaad joins Patrick to decode the latest in AI. From one of the smartest people in business and tech, this is an episode for both the novice and the pro, about what we should make of the recent technological breakthroughs, and what we’re yet to find out. Tarek is Managing Partner at Algebra Ventures, one of Egypt’s leading venture capital firms. Algebra turned 10 in May 2026. So we also discuss the journey of backing Egyptian founders through three devaluations, a pandemic, the end of free money, and the hyper AI moment we're all living through. Tarek is the first guest we’ve invited on Making It twice. You can listen to the previous episode here.  Sign up to our newsletter to get Making It in your inbox every Thursday. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Decoding AI with Tarek Assaad

  6. Aug 13

    Making It: A preview

    Six days a week, we help top executives make sense of the Arab world’s companies and economies — and every Thursday, our editor-in-chief, Patrick, talks shop with the people who run them.  Making It is an hour where the founders, CEOs, investors, and policymakers making the biggest decisions in our region show their work and talk about what’s next.  From EnterpriseAM, the Arab world’s business daily. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Making It: A preview

  7. 11/04/2025

    A note from Patrick

    In this special feed drop, Patrick shares an episode of EnterpriseAM’s new show, Morning Drive. It's a 10-minute rundown of the biggest business stories that will shape your day. To get new episodes straight in your feed every morning, follow EnterpriseAM | Egypt wherever you're listening right now. We’ll be back with a new season of Making It soon, so stay tuned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    A note from Patrick

  8. 07/14/2025

    Special: Doing it differently | Marakez Exec Vice Chairman Dasha Badrawi

    For the last few decades, Sahel has cemented its place as a go-to summer destination for many. Clear waters. Crisp weather. Buzzing nightlife.  Last year, the Ras El-Hekma deal swung the spotlight on the potential of Sahel as a regional investment hub. But what exactly are we building up there?   In this special episode of Making It, we speak to Marakez Executive Vice Chairman Dasha Badrawi.  Dasha stumbled onto the real estate industry in the mid-2000s, and he has been at its forefront ever since. Having been brought up in the UK, his ties to Egypt remained unwavering, and so did his penchant for creation. For the last decade, he has been at the helm of Marakez. Ushering in iconic projects like Mall of Arabia and District 5, Dasha has pushed forward a philosophy that centers innovation, team effort and homegrown partnerships. In conversation with Patrick, Dasha opens up about his early years as a lawyer and entrepreneur, the challenges posed by Egypt’s unique real estate financing model, the way buyers should assess developers, and how favoring recurring revenue through retail and commercial properties was key to Marakez’s success. They speak at length about the changes taking place along Egypt's North Coast, the ethos and architecture of Marakez’s Ramla, and what his team has in store this summer.  This episode was produced as a part of our four-part special Destination Sahel.  In case you missed it, check out these two episodes from our archive: How Gourmet Egypt survived the float of the EGP  How Karim Awad has grown EFG Hermes from a regional giant into a global player Learn more about how you can advertise with EnterpriseAM by emailing Moustafa Taalab mtaalab@enterprisemea.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Special: Doing it differently | Marakez Exec Vice Chairman Dasha Badrawi
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4.9
out of 5
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About

Six days a week, we help top executives make sense of the Arab world’s companies and economies — and every Thursday, our editor-in-chief, Patrick, talks shop with the people who run them.  Making It is an hour where the founders, CEOs, investors, and policymakers making the biggest decisions in our region show their work and talk about what’s next.  From EnterpriseAM, the Arab world’s business daily.

Information

  • Channel
    EnterpriseAM
  • Creator
    EnterpriseAM
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 EnterpriseAM.com
  • Show Website
    Making It

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