WIDN with Malak Fouad

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144

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Jun 2026

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About the show

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!

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60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 12320 min

Youssef Salem on AI and the future of the region

On the second part of my conversation with Youssef Salem, we’re talking about AI, energy security and the future of the region. Youssef also tells me why the younger generation needs to prepare for greater competition in the AI age and how he's working to inspire them.Youssef Salem is the CFO of ADNOC Drilling. ADNOC is the UAE’s primary oil company and 12th largest in the world in terms of production. You can also watch the first part of our conversation where we talk about his personal and professional pivots in your podcast app or our website.This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!(00:00) - Coming up... (05:06) - War and energy security (09:30) - Crisis management (12:27) - Building impact (14:16) - Can we integrate the Middle East (15:43) - Podcasting on faith and finance Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

June 9, 2026Episode 12238 min

Youssef Salem

I‘m delighted to be joined by Youssef Salem, CFO for ADNOC Drilling. ADNOC is the UAE’s primary oil company and 12th largest in the world in terms of production.I’ve followed Youssef for quite some time now and in addition to his many professional accomplishments, he’s a wonderful role model for the younger generation entering the corporate world.On this first of two episodes, we talk about his personal and professional pivots that brought him to where he is today, and the impact of the recent war on the UAE in particular. We’ll continue the conversation next week on Part 2, where we talk about the oil & gas sector specifically, and how companies like ADNOC handle crisis management in times like these.This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!(00:00) - Coming up (09:00) - Unity and resilience (14:51) - Getting married at twenty (19:15) - From finance to the startup world (21:30) - The importance of saying ‘yes’ (24:58) - No more FOMO (30:25) - The Lightning Round Music ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

May 26, 2026Episode 12127 min

Nabila Abdel Nabi on the future of museums

We’re continuing my conversation with Nabila Abdel Nabi, Senior Curator of International Art at Tate Modern and Lead of the Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational. On this episode, we talk about what those specialisations really mean, the paradigm shifts happening in the art world, and how a curator like Nabila collects feedback from the Museum’s audience.This episode is brought to you by:EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!Azza Fahmy JewelleryOn this episode, Nabila is wearing Azza Fahmy’s:Lotus Bouquet EarringsBlossom Lotus RingWinged Scarab CuffMalak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s:T-Lock Love NecklaceGold Floral Tribal EarringsGold Roman Chain BangleMusic ID: 5ROQ12DERYHSUUVQ

May 20, 2026Episode 12032 min

Nabila Abdel Nabi

I’m joined today by Nabila Abdel Nabi, Senior Curator for International Art at Tate Modern and Lead of the Hyundai Tate Research Center: Transnational. When Nabila and I first met a few years ago I was immediately impressed by her sincerity and depth. She is thoughtful and intentional in how she interacts with the world and those qualities make for deep and interesting conversations. We talk about her curatorial work, in particular her focus on transnational and transcultural approaches to art history and the importance of better institutional support for parents. On Part 2 of our conversation coming out next week, Nabila and I talk about the evolution of the museum-artist dynamic and drill down into something that is especially interesting to me—the idea of repatriating art to its country of origin.This episode is brought to you by:EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!Azza Fahmy JewelleryOn this episode, Nabila is wearing Azza Fahmy’s:Lotus Bouquet EarringsBlossom Lotus RingWinged Scarab CuffMalak is wearing Azza Fahmy’s:T-Lock Love NecklaceGold Floral Tribal EarringsGold Roman Chain BangleChapters:0:00 Coming up11:17 Her pivot into the art world14:28 Being an only child17:39 Institutional support for motherhood21:09 What’s next for Nabila at the Tate27:30 The Lightning Round

April 21, 2026Episode 11940 min

Encore: Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan

I’m re-connecting again with one of my first guests, Jalal Abu-Gazaleh & Dalia Sultan, co-founders of Gourmet Egypt. The headline news since we first spoke in 2021 is that the company went public earlier this year! Tune in for the inside story of their expansion and IPO.This episode is part of Encore, where I check-in with some of your favourite WIDN alumni. We’ll continue this segment with more of the show’s alumni, so stay tuned.Chapters:0:00 Coming up..13:27 The IPO Journey31:53 Balancing marriage and business37:45 The lightning round This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!

April 14, 2026Episode 11820 min

Tim Marshall on the importance of geography

We're continuing my conversation with journalist & best-selling author of Prisoners of Geography, Tim Marshall. On this episode, Tim tells me how the journalism landscape has changed, and the importance of geographical context in understanding current affairs and geopolitics.I’ll be back again next week with a special Encore episode with two of my earliest guests—Jalal Abu Ghazaleh and Dalia Sultan, co-founders of Gourmet Egypt—and the amazing story that led to their incredible IPO earlier this year.Chapters:0:00 Coming up...10:40 The importance of geography in current affairs15:24 The new world order This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!

April 7, 2026Episode 11741 min

Tim Marshall

Tim Marshall joins me on the show this week to talk about his journey from starting out with the British Royal Air Force to his three-decade career in journalism and now best-selling author of ‘Prisoners of Geography’.We also talk about the importance of understanding geography and how that intersects with current affairs and geopolitics. This is particularly relevant considering the ongoing war in the Middle East. More on that in Part 2 which comes out next week. This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!

March 31, 2026Episode 11618 min

Empowering the arab youth, with Thuraya Ismail

I’m continuing my conversation with Thuraya Ismail, CEO of Mentor Arabia, an organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of the Arab youth. On this episode, Thuraya shares her insights on drug prevention, overcoming stigma and how this work intersects with her other passion for arts & film.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!Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠Chapters:0:00 Coming up3:27 Tackling drug prevention12:12 Impact of Saudi Vision 203014:14 Supporting youth through arts16:13 Expanding Mentor Arabia This episode is brought to you by:EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!Azza Fahmy Jewellery

March 24, 2026Episode 11538 min

Thuraya Ismail

I’m delighted to welcome Thuraya Ismail. She's the CEO of Mentor Arabia, an organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of young Arabs in general, and towards drug prevention in particular. Since its launch in 2006, the organisation has reached more than 1.5 million beneficiaries and now operates across 12 countries. Stay tuned for more on that in Part 2 of our conversation next week.I’m really impressed with Thuraya’s work, and I was happy to sit down and get a real in-depth look at her personal journey, including losing her father last year, and her work to mentor the youth of our region.Chapters0:00 Coming up...7:36 Career Beginnings at UNDP 13:53 Love for youth development18:40 Transition to Mentor Arabia21:52 Personal loss29:00 Lightning Round This episode is brought to you by:EFG Hermes One: your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!Azza Fahmy Jewellery

March 13, 2026Episode 11425 min

Double-Take: Art & Heritage with Nada Debs, Louis Barthelemy, Omniya Abdel Barr & Sarah Beydoun

On this episode, you'll hear about the incredible message through art with designer Nada Debs and entrepreneur Sarah Beydoun, and the importance of preservation from Omniya Abdel Barr and artist Louis Barthelemy. 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. This episode is brought to you by Azza Fahmy Jewellery⁠Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode is brought to you by EFG Hermes One, your one app for investing in more than 35 stock markets. Start investing today!