Money Moves

An Olympic career can cost up to $200K a year. 

And according to Farida Osman, prize money is not what keeps elite athletes going. 

The three-time Olympian breaks down the money behind competing at the highest level, what brands are actually paying athletes for and the sacrifices that come with staying world-class. 

Plus, what happens when the sport you’ve built your entire life around eventually ends? 

Farida breaks it all down on this episode of Money Moves.  

Chapters:  

00:00 Introduction 
01:08 When did Farida first realize the business problems of her sport? 
02:18 Is it economically viable for an average Egyptian to pursue sports? 
03:43 An athlete’s income streams & the misconceptions around it 
04:30 What do brands get when they sponsor an Arab, female athlete? 
05:22 Has Farida faced challenges while securing sponsorships? 
06:17 How does Farida choose her sponsorship deals? 
07:15 Why does Farida want to open a swimming academy? 
07:32 When did the academy start feeling like a business venture? 
08:24 What does Farida still have to learn about business? 
09:08 The business details of Farida’s swimming academy 
10:17 What does success look like for Farida in 10 years 
11:25 What does it cost to be an Olympic athlete? 
13:01 The sacrifices behind becoming a world-class athlete 
14:50 Farida’s Paris Olympics saga – what happened? 
16:17 Would Farida handle the Paris Olympics situation differently now? 
17:43 What would Farida do differently if she was 18 today 
18:59 One thing Farida wished people asked but nobody has asked her yet 
20:22 Bye 

She left Dior, went full-time as a creator and says she tripled her salary. 

But the bigger lesson came later: followers don’t automatically become customers. 

Zeynab El-Helw joins Money Moves to break down what creators are actually worth, the deals that taught her how to say no, building Reborn Society and why launching a brand is the easy part. 

Because as she puts it: people launch businesses and close them faster than they launched. 

Chapters:  

00:00 Intro 
01:03 From Dior to Full-Time Creator 
03:14 What Creators Get Wrong 
04:23 Followers vs. Customers 
05:12 What Brands Get Wrong About Influencers 
06:39 Explaining Social Media to Her Family 
07:29 The Biggest Mistake She Made Early On 
08:26 How Creators Can Actually Make Money 
09:20 Creator Red Flags to Watch For 
10:20 Her First Paid Deal After Dior 
10:55 Building The Reborn Society 
12:56 Do Creators Get Paid Differently in Dubai vs. Europe? 
13:26 Making Triple Her Dior Salary 
15:14 The Sacrifice No One Sees 
16:37 What to Know Before Launching a Product 
18:08 What Founders Shouldn’t Spend Money On 
18:59 What If Instagram Disappeared Tomorrow? 
19:44 Audience vs. Network: What Actually Matters 
20:30 What’s Next for Zeynab? 

Born into one of Egypt’s best-known business families, Dina Ghabbour inherited opportunity but also the pressure to prove that she could build an identity of her own. 
 
On Money Moves, she opens up about watching her family endure bankruptcy, rebuilding her career after four years away and navigating the expectations placed on women in business and beyond. 

0:00 Dina Ghabbour: Legacy, Pressure & Reinvention 

0:58 Building a Business in Egypt Today 

2:48 The Pressure of a Family Business Legacy 

5:57 Risk, Bankruptcy & Rebuilding with Her Father 

8:01 Visibility, Influence & the Dark Side of Social Media 

9:48 Divorce, Loss & Why She Keeps Pushing 

11:36 Why Authenticity Matters in Business 

12:44 The Reality Behind Entrepreneurship & Hustle Culture 

13:12 Feeling Like a Failure and Starting Again 

14:21 Shark Tank: What Dina Looks for in Founders 

15:45 Overlooked Opportunities in Egypt & the Middle East 

17:10 Women in Business in the Middle East 

19:53 Raising Her Daughters Without the Same Pressure 

20:50 Advice for Female Entrepreneurs 

21:22 What’s Next for Dina Ghabbour 

What does it take to reinvent a telecom giant and what makes a founder worth betting on? 

Hatem Dowidar, investor and former Group CEO of e&, joins Money Moves for a conversation spanning big business, technology, entrepreneurship and investing. 

He takes us inside the thinking behind Etisalat’s transformation into e&, and how the relationship between telecom companies, technology platforms and their customers have changed over the past two decades. 

We also get into Hatem’s life as an investor: what catches his attention in a founder, why a brilliant idea isn’t always enough, whether a corporate career can actually prepare you for entrepreneurship and what happens when a company once valued at $80 million ends up at zero. 

Plus, Hatem shares his approach to making difficult decisions, building at scale and knowing when a business or its leadership needs to change. 

Chapters 

 
00:00 Intro 

00:54 Why Etisalat Became e& 

01:51 How Telecom Lost Its Power 

03:53 How e& Expanded Beyond Telecom 

06:03 Who Will AI Replace? 

07:16 What Hatem Looks for Before Investing 

08:38 The Two Founder Types That Failed 

11:17 Why Startups Struggle to Scale Across Emerging Markets 

13:19 Where Hatem Sees the Biggest Investment Opportunities 

16:08 What Emerging Market Leaders See Before Everyone Else 

17:20 Can a Company Grow Too Fast? 

18:29 Entrepreneur vs. Corporate Career 

22:26 The Most Important Advice for Any CEO 

In Dubai, where you eat tonight was probably decided by a video, and that video was probably paid for. Alex Augusti, founder of Just Food DXB, has spent five years building one of the city's most trusted food pages in an industry where trust is routinely for sale, and he says the thing that made it valuable was learning to say no. 

In this episode of Money Moves, Alex explains how a 500-dirham ice cream review turned into a full-time business, why he asked for money from day one instead of accepting free meals, and what a brand partnership actually pays at the top end. 

He breaks down where the real money sits and where the traps are, why taking 10,000 dirhams off a mom-and-pop restaurant can do more harm than good, why he gives clients their money back when the food isn't right, and the three number rules he gives creators, restaurants and anyone running this as a side hustle. 

Alex also shares how to spot a bought review as a viewer, what happened when he rated a burger below its competitors and the owner turned out to be his wife's boss, why he hates the algorithm with every fiber of his being, and the video that sold out a friend's entire weekend of stock in four hours. 

From fake followers and five-star Google reviews to burger fatigue, boycott accusations and the inside scoop about the restaurant he's opening, this is a conversation about building something people believe when everyone around you is for sale. 

Watch the full episode of Money Moves with Alex Augusti. 

Chapters  

0:00 Inside Dubai’s Paid Food Review Economy 
1:19 How JustFoodDXB Started 
3:03 From Free Ice Cream to Paid Reviews 
3:55 How Much Food Bloggers Really Make 
4:32 Standing Out in Dubai’s Food Scene 
5:33 Where the Real Creator Money Is 
6:42 Should Creators Quit Their Day Jobs? 
7:35 Why Alex Hates the Algorithm 
8:28 Can Paid Reviews Still Be Honest? 
10:13 How to Spot Fake Food Reviews 
11:17 Why He Turns Down 95% of Deals 
12:57 The Review That Triggered Legal Threats 
15:13 Which Restaurants He Won’t Cover 
16:07 The “Alex Effect” on Restaurant Sales 
17:03 What Restaurants Get Wrong About Influencers 
17:47 3 Rules for Creators, Restaurants & Side Hustlers 
19:20 Alex’s Next Move: Opening Aatish 

What does it take to build a global brand from the Gulf? 

Anam Khalid and her husband started SQUATWOLF from their Dubai apartment with AED 250,000 in savings. Today, the activewear brand ships to more than 120 countries.  

In this episode of Money Moves, Anam, founder and co-CEO of SQUATWOLF, takes us inside what happened in between. 

She explains how personal trainers and micro-influencers helped build SQUATWOLF's early community, why opening its marketing globally during COVID brought orders from more than 60 countries in a single day, and how Dubai became a launchpad for taking the brand international.  

But scaling brought a new set of problems. Anam breaks down the shift from D2C to an omnichannel business, why the team now works on products 18 months ahead, and why expanding into retail meant building what was essentially an entirely new business unit.  

Her lesson? 

“If you follow someone, you will always be the number two.”  

From profitability before growth to the role luck plays in success, this is a candid conversation about building, funding and scaling a homegrown brand and trying to make sure SQUATWOLF becomes one of the names global competitors must watch. 

Chapters 

00:00 Introduction 
00:47 Why the name SQUATWOLF? 
01:36 The role of activewear brands in establishing gym communities in the UAE 
02:44 The journey from starting in their apartment to shipping to 120+ countries 
05:12 Was SQUATWOLF ready to ship their products to 120+ countries? 
05:33 Who were SQUATWOLF’s first customers? 
06:35 Anam discusses the dynamics and impact of the ASCA investment 
08:34 Anam’s most surprising learnings while building SQUATWOLF 
11:11 Is growing too fast a disadvantage? 
13:52 How does the additional costs get distributed? 
12:40 The impact of geopolitical tensions on SQUATWOLF 
14:39 Most underestimated challenges of building a brand in the Middle East 
17:03 How did Anam navigate pressures in her corporate to startup transition? 
17:54 What was Anam’s most expensive mistake? 
20:26 A rule that Anam feels founders must follow 
21:52 A moment when Anam felt SQUATWOLF might not work 
23:53 Anam on the “luck factor” in success 
24:25 Bye

In 2016, Ahmad Hammouda pitched the idea of a brokerage without brokers. The industry said no. So he built it himself. 

Today, Thndr is helping reshape how people across the region invest, growing from $120,000 in annual revenue to $8 million in just three years and reaching $1 billion in assets under custody. 

In this episode of Money Moves, Ahmad breaks down the conviction it took to keep building when the numbers were not moving, why chasing hype is one of the biggest investing mistakes and how Thndr uses both code and content to make finance feel accessible. 

He also gets honest about why most people should not start a company, the mental toll of entrepreneurship, and the fundraising milestone that left him feeling empty. 

For Ahmad, the real win was never the valuation. It was hearing from a mother who used Thndr to invest in her son’s future. 

Chapters:  

00:00 Why Your Paycheck Isn’t Enough 

01:10 What Is Thndr? 

02:13 Building Through Egypt’s Financial Crisis 

04:35 The Brokerage Without Brokers Idea 

07:03 Why Only 0.5% of Egyptians Invest 

08:59 Fixing the Financial Literacy Gap 

09:44 Why Thndr Treats Creators Like Engineers 

13:37 The FOMO Trap 

16:21 From $120K to $8M 

17:18 Thndr’s Biggest Early Product Mistake 

19:16 Building a $1 Billion Investment Platform 

20:41 Why Starting a Company Shouldn’t Be Your Goal 

21:16 The 3 Reasons People Start Companies 

23:40 The Problem Ahmad Is Obsessed With 

25:29 The Mental Health Cost of Building a Company 

26:53 Why Fundraising Left Him Feeling Empty 

27:30 Getting More Women to Invest 

29:15 The User Story That Made It Worth It 

What does it really take to build a global luxury brand from Cairo? 
 
Aya and Mounaz Abdel Raouf, the co-founders of Okhtein, take us behind the scenes and reveal the business behind the brand. From celebrity placements to their premium pricing strategy and why it is time for brands to stop seeking Western validation. 

00:00: Introduction 
00:53: Mounaz and Aya describe Okhtein as a business 
02:07: Okhtein’s most difficult challenges 
05:42: How does Okhtein navigate difficulties? 
07:41: Where all does an Okhtein bag travel? 
08:57: Do logistical costs cut Okhtein’s margins? 
10:20: How is Okhtein’s most expensive handbag manufactured? 
14:08: How did Okhtein partner with Harrods? 
15:41: The Bidayat investment and the relationship with Rachid Mohamed Rachid 
16:51: Why did Okhtein expand into fine jewelry? 
18:01: How did Emma Watson & Queen Rania carry Okhtein bags? 
19:55: The MENA luxury market dynamics & how does it impact brand building? 
26:37: Why did Mounaz and Aya position Okhtein as a “luxury” brand? 
27:46: Bye Bye 

Dubai property has made people rich, nervous and sometimes reckless. Dr Mohanad Al Wadiya, CEO of Harbor Real Estate and the man the market calls the Wolf of Real Estate, has spent 25 years watching all three, and he says most buyers still decide with emotion instead of numbers. 

In this episode of Money Moves, Mohanad explains why the down payment is the wrong number to anchor on, what price per square foot actually reveals about value, and why he told a client not to buy a $20 million home in Downtown Dubai. 

00:00 Introduction 

00:51 Why They Call Him the Wolf of Real Estate 

01:50 Dinner With the Wolf of Wall Street 

02:09 Leaving the Family Business for Dubai Holding 

03:29 The Plot That Sold for Almost a Billion Dirhams 

04:06 2008 Was My First School 

04:58 The Abandoned Supercar Myth 

06:08 How Harbor Grew Through the Crash 

07:53 How Serious the Conflict Really Is 

09:48 What 20% Below Asking Really Means 

11:00 Why Dubai Recovers Faster Than Other Markets 

12:14 The Assets That Hold Up in a Crisis 

13:30 The Only Number That Shows Real Value 

14:29 What Institutional Buyers Ask That You Don't 

15:21 The $20M Home He Told a Client Not to Buy 

16:30 Tokenisation, REITs and Fractional Ownership 

18:12 What to Check Before Buying a Fraction 

19:03 One Rule for First-Time Buyers 

19:52 One Rule for Landlords 

20:47 One Rule for Off-Plan Buyers 

21:12 The Mistakes Buyers Make Over and Over 

22:27 Don't Rush, But Don't Procrastinate 

23:58 The Biggest Red Flag in Broker Ads 

24:43 The One Question to Ask Your Broker 

25:12 Buying With Emotion Instead of Numbers 

In this episode of Money Moves, The Giving Movement CEO Rania Masri El Khatib explains why homegrown brands need to understand their own market first, how The Giving Movement is balancing growth with profitability and what it really takes to build a fashion business that lasts. 

00:00 Introduction 

00:55 Winning Your Home Market First 

01:55 The Experience Behind Level Shoes 

03:15 The Mistakes That Nearly Killed the Brand 

03:53 The Silicon Valley Growth Trap 

04:54 Taking Over After the Founder Exited 

06:39 Where Fashion Brands Trap Their Cash 

07:05 Why the Gulf Has Few Global Fashion Brands 

08:40 The Rise of Homegrown Brand Pride 

10:12 How The Giving Movement Gives Back 

11:49 Can Purpose and Profit Coexist? 

12:47 The Real Cost of Manufacturing in the UAE 

14:52 The First Number Every Fashion CEO Should Check 

15:17 The Margin Mistake That Kills Brands 

16:31 Why Creative Founders Need Business Education 

17:28 The First 90 Days as CEO 

18:18 Combining Fast Fashion and Luxury Lessons 

19:10 Why The Giving Movement Stopped Global Shipping 

21:14 Leading Through Rising Costs and Conflict 

22:30 Two Rules for Gulf Founders 

22:41 Plans for the US and UK 

23:19 Why Community and Culture Matter 

23:59 Navigating the Brand Through Crisis 

25:12 What’s Next for The Giving Movement