WHAT I DID NEXT

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What I Did Next

A & T Media
  • 4.9 (35)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Connecting the dots across the Middle East through storytelling. Join host Malak Fouad, as she brings you the most inspiring people and unpacks their life journeys — successes, failures and everything in between! You can connect with us on Instagram, X and on LinkedIn, and watch extended clips from our interviews on our YouTube channel.

  1. Azzam Fakhreddin on getting started in hospitality & his love for football

    3D AGO

    Azzam Fakhreddin on getting started in hospitality & his love for football

    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

    24 min
  2. Azzam Fakhreddin

    OCT 7

    Azzam Fakhreddin

    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

    39 min
  3. Our AI future, with Mo Gawdat, Tarek Nour, Omar Elsahy & Ramy Youssef

    SEP 23

    Our AI future, with Mo Gawdat, Tarek Nour, Omar Elsahy & Ramy Youssef

    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

    34 min
  4. Mona Hamdy unpacks the role of Artificial intelligence and its ethical implications

    SEP 16

    Mona Hamdy unpacks the role of Artificial intelligence and its ethical implications

    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 ‘Bitcoin and Birkins’ community, 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/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    30 min
  5. Dr. Mona Hamdy

    SEP 9

    Dr. Mona Hamdy

    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

    40 min
  6. Double-Take: Giving Back, with Sir Magdi Yacoub and Meta’s Fares Akkad

    SEP 2

    Double-Take: Giving Back, with Sir Magdi Yacoub and Meta’s Fares Akkad

    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

    18 min
  7. How I prepare for guest interviews

    AUG 19

    How I prepare for guest interviews

    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

    2 min
  8. Omar El Akkad

    AUG 5

    Omar El Akkad

    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

    42 min
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Connecting the dots across the Middle East through storytelling. Join host Malak Fouad, as she brings you the most inspiring people and unpacks their life journeys — successes, failures and everything in between! You can connect with us on Instagram, X and on LinkedIn, and watch extended clips from our interviews on our YouTube channel.

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