Thank you for joining me on an incredible season 5 of What I Did Next, and for your feedback and comments. This week, I’m joined by our producer Chirag Desai to talk about my own life’s pivots and a few highlights from our season. We’ll be back with new episodes in early September. Until then, you can catch up on our previous episodes, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates. Thanks to our partners EFG Hermes for their support of this season, and to Egypt Fashion Week for...

I’m joined on the show this week by the talented Lebanese/Iraqi chef, Hussein Hadid.  If you’ve been lucky enough to attend his unique kitchen table experience in Beirut, you'll know that Chef Hussein conjures up magic not just for your taste buds, but also by giving a lot of thought to the atmosphere and decor. He actually started out working in finance, quickly discarding that career in favour of a chef's jacket and hat.  Our conversation took many twists and turns, with amazing anecdotes...

I’m joined this week by poet, author and radio host, Salma El-Wardany. Salma is the author of These Impossible Things, a best-selling novel that that breaks down barriers by looking at how a group of muslim girlfriends navigate love, friendship & sex. She also currently hosts The Breakfast Show on BBC Radio London, which reaches over half a million listeners daily.  Salma is of Irish and Egyptian descent, combined with influences from the Pakistani community of Northern England and her...

I'm joined on the show this week by Fares Akkad. Fares is currently Regional Director for Meta and has a long track record with the company formerly known as Facebook. Over the course of his career, Fares has had stints at KPMG, Booz Allen and media giant MBC, as well as going it alone as an entrepreneur.  As a son of a Syrian diplomat, Fares grew up in South America and Europe, before moving to the US for university. We talk about how being exposed to so many different cultures has...

Mounaz and Aya Abdel Raouf are the sisters behind the global luxury brand, Okhtein. They have always had a love for fashion and accessories, and day-dreamed about working in the industry from when they were children.  In 2014, they turned their fantasy into a reality, launching Okhtein. Since then, they’ve had celebrities like Beyoncé, Emma Watson, Cardi B and Gigi Hadid photographed with their accessories. Their brother, Mohamed Abdel Raouf, joined the company as CEO in 2018. Today, Okhtein...

Ramy started out as a stand-up comedian, and is the star of the eponymous hit show, Ramy, which has won Golden Globes and Peabodies, as well as Emmy nominations. He's also the co-creator of Mo with Mo Amer, and can be seen later this year in Poor Things with Emma Stone, William Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo among other big wigs of the industry. I binged watched all 3 seasons of Ramy and am so happy we are finally seeing a show that potrays the Arab immigrant experience as more than a 2D cliché. The...

This season we've partnered with the Egypt Fashion & Design Council, which is launching the first edition of Egypt Fashion Week from May 12 to May 15. I’m joined on this bonus episode by two of the Council’s co-founders, Paul Antaki & Susan Sabet. We talk about the mission behind the EFDC and what they’re hoping to achieve with the first Egypt Fashion Week. You can find out more on their website, and also follow Egypt Fashion Week on Instagram and on TikTok. Learn more about your ad...

Omniya is an architect and a specialist in cultural heritage conservation, working between Cairo and London. She has worked on some landmark projects in the region, and now divides her time between the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation (EHRF) in Cairo and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London. Omniya was also one of four co-curators of the Islamic Art Biennale in Jeddah.  Omniya talks about the effort that goes into maintaining our historical sites, including raising funds from...

I'm joined on this episode by Ali Shihabi. Ali is a businessman, an investor, a scholar, a writer, and a pundit. A few years ago, Ali left the management of his company, Rasmala Investment Bank, to focus on his passion for writing and commentary. Ali has published two books — Arabian War Games and The Saudi Kingdom — and also writes for outlets like The New York Times, The Atlantic and Foreign Policy. We dig into his life's pivots, from being at the center of one of the biggest reshuffles in...

Welcome to Season 6! We're kicking off with a powerhouse broadcaster and journalist, Hala Gorani. Over a career spanning 25 years, Hala has covered natural disasters, wars, elections and interview key global leaders. Last year, Hala took a sabbatical from CNN and is currently working on her first book—a memoir that explores the subject of identity—which will be out in Spring 2024. We dig into her life’s pivotal moments, growing up in the US and France, how and why she chose to become a...

What I Did Next is back with a new season beginning March 6. On the show, we delve into people’s life journeys from the point of view of twists and turns, shifts and pivots. We’ve all had these moments in our lives that make us stop in our tracks, and course correct. Often we realize the importance of these moments only with hindsight, and this is what forms the underlying current of What I Did Next. We’ll also have a bonus episode with each guest exclusively for our members. You can...

I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to Season 4 of What I Did Next! It’s been an incredible season and we want to thank each of you for listening in and sending in your feedback and reviews. As always, we end the season with our wrap-up episode where I’m joined by our producer Chirag Desai to chat about some highlights from the season, and a special interview with Magued Sherif, Managing Director at our season partner, SODIC. We’ll be back with new episodes in early March. Until then, follow us...

On our final episode of the season, I’m joined by a powerhouse business woman and role model, Neveen El Tahri. Neveen is the first woman to sit on the board of both the Egyptian Stock Exchange and the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority. More recently, she’s been associated with the world of entrepreneurship. As Chairperson of Delta Shield, Neveen is enhancing growth and employment with a focus on youth, entrepreneurship & SME activities. Our conversation though did not just focus on...

I’m joined today by a living legend, Tarek Nour, who single-handedly revolutionised the advertising world in Egypt and the Middle East at large. He made household names out of major brands with catchy jingles and his signature voice-overs. Today Tarek is semi-retired, active in some aspects of his business but also able to take a bird’s eye view of the industry, his life and Egypt.  We also have more from Tarek in a bonus episode exclusively for our members coming out next week. You can...

I’m joined on the show today by Caroline Louca. Carol is an art consultant and started out as a corporate lawyer in Paris and Cairo. In 2008, she moved to the UAE and joined the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority. In that role, she was intricately involved with the establishment of the Louvre, the Guggenheim and the Zayed national museums. She then joined the Middle East team at Christie's in Dubai. Carol and I are old friends and we had a great chat about her career and the art world,...