What’s the falafel economy and why is it holding back real innovation in Saudi Arabia?

In this episode of The Next Big Thing – Dhahran, Saleem Bitar discusses the mindset shifts and the five IQs founders need to build real innovative soluations.

From leading tech initiatives at Aramco, Microsoft, Huawei, and Emerson to founding Sailor’s AI, Saleem has spent his career bringing technology closer to industry. Now, his mission is localisation, IP creation, and digital transformation

In this episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, Saleem goes deep on:
 ⏵ The dangers of the falafel economy
 ⏵ His learnings from the Silicon Valley
 ⏵ Why localisation and IP matter for Saudi’s future
 ⏵ What true digital transformation looks like on the ground
 ⏵ The five IQs founders need to build something lasting
 ⏵ The difference between Riyadh's and Dhahran's startup ecosystems

It’s not just about avoiding the copying business. It’s about creating the mindset, culture, and capacity to build what’s next.

This episode is hosted by Albara Nabil Alqurashi, the community manager of Dhahran Techno Valley.

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► Saleem Bitar – Ecosystem Builder & Digital Transformation Expert
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/saleembitar/ 

► Albara Nabil Alqurashi – Dhahran Techno Valley 
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/albara-nabil-alqurashi-11470a38/   

In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtv/ 

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00:00 – Trailer
01:25 – Saleem's Diverse Career in Digital Transformation
05:05 – Why Localisation and IP Creation Matter
06:55 – Lessons from Silicon Valley and Building the same Ecosystem in Saudi Arabia
09:34 – Dhahran as the Hub for Innovation
11:35 – The Growing Digital Transformation in Saudi Arabia
15:25 – Difference between the Startup Ecosystem in Riyadh and Dhahran
19:58 – Saudi’s Transformation and Global Ambitions
24:26 – What Inspired Him in the Silicon Valley
27:52 – Albara’s Entrepreneurial Lessons from Accelerators and Incubators
32:00 – Why Founders Must Ask for Support
35:40 – Startups and Corporates are Two Completely Different Games
38:40 – The Falafel Economy Trap and Why Copying Kills Innovation
40:50 – The 5 IQs Every Founder Needs
42:50 – What Will Saleem Focus on in the Next 5 Years
45:32 – Advice for the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs


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Space Tech isn’t just about exploring space —  Saudi Arabia knows that and is building the future on it. 

In this episode, Khalid AlMahfouz breaks down why space tech is becoming the Kingdom’s next major infrastructure play — not for rockets, but for real-world innovation across climate, health, AI, and national security. 

From launching one of the first incubators in the Eastern Province to investing deep tech and space startups as an angel investor. Khalid has been shaping Saudi’s innovation ecosystem from the ground up. 

What you’ll learn in this episode: 
⏵ How space tech is more than rockets — and why it matters 
⏵  Deep tech vs shallow tech — and why the stakes are higher 
⏵ How satellite data will power the next wave of digital transformation 
⏵ The rise of deep tech in Saudi and the Eastern Province 
⏵ The real opportunities in downstream space tech 
⏵ What it takes to build founders and ecosystems 

This episode is hosted by Albara Nabil Alqurashi –  the community manager at Dhahran Techno Valley. 

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► Khalid Almahfouz – Angel Investor & Space Tech Expert 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyalmahfouz/  

► Albara Nabil Alqurashi – Dhahran Techno Valley 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/albara-nabil-alqurashi-11470a38/  

In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtv/  

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00:00 – Trailer 
 01:15 – Introduction 
 01:40 – How the Eastern Province Has Changed 
 02:38 – Childhood Curiosity and the Path to Tech 
 03:40 – Launching the BADIR Tech Incubator 
 05:52 – The Different Lessons from Working with Aramco, Government, and Startups 
 06:55 – Becoming an Angel Investor 
 08:40 – Why He’s Not a Founder 
 10:40 – The Founder’s Biggest Enemy Is Pride 
 12:45 – What Deep Tech Really Means 
 15:47 – Who’s Investing in Deep Tech in Saudi 
 17:02 – Why Deep Tech Needs a Different Framework 
 18:32 – Comparing Riyadh and the Eastern Province 
 20:25 – Building Deep Tech Communities That Matter 
 22:38 – What Space Tech Really Is (and Isn’t) 
 26:38 – Real Opportunities in Space Tech in Saudi Arabia 
 27:58 – Investing in Space Tech: Risks and Rewards 
 30:05 – Saudi’s Growing Talent in Space Tech 
 31:55 – Cross-Industry Opportunities: AI, Biotech, Health 
 35:05 – The Next 5–10 Years of Saudi Space Tech 
 36:40 – Hopes for the Eastern Province Ecosystem 
 37:55 – What Success Looks Like for a Space Tech Founder 
 38:55 – Final Advice for Founders 

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Follow for more inspiring founder stories.  

📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media 

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📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ856I6b8RRzb0PJS?si=a5546ecd9ddb4dec  

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-thing/id1707012952

Everyone talks about raising. No one talks about building the right team. 

In the first episode of The Next Big Thing – Riyadh Chapter, Mohamed Milyani, founder of Nqoodlet, shares the raw truth behind building in The Kingdom. From bootstrapping his first startups to now closing a $3M round for Nqoodlet - a Saudi Fintech platform helping SMEs manage and automate their financial operations. 

But the episode isn’t about money. 

It’s about what happens behind the scenes: 
⏵ How to choose the right cofounder — and survive hard moments 
⏵ The argument that brought the team even closer together 
⏵ Building a startup based on a personal pain
⏵ What it’s like leading a 75% female and Gen Z team 
⏵ How it's the Golden Age of startups now in Saudi Arabia

This episode is hosted by Hasan Jabarti, serial entrepreneur and key player in Saudi’s growing startup scene. 

For anyone building in the GCC — or trying to understand what real leadership looks like in a shifting ecosystem — this episode delivers. 

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► Mohamed Milyani – CEO of Nqoodlet 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/milyani/ 

► Hasan Jabarti – Host & Ecosystem Builder in Saudi Arabia 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanjabarti/ 

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Chapter: 
00:00 – Introduction
01:40 – Childhood & early entrepreneurial spirit at age 7
02:34 – Discovering computers and falling in love with the internet
03:10 – Launching his first website business in the early 2000s
05:10 – Becoming an Apple instructor
05:52 – Writing his first book on Apple products
06:52 – Starting Lucidiya, his first AI company
08:22 – Why Saudi Arabia wasn’t ready for a venture builder
09:50 – Entering fintech and spotting real problems
10:32 – Being an entrepreneur and a hustler
12:57 – Wanting to build legacy
13:54 – Cofounder rules: transparency, full trust, shared decisions
16:10 – When challenges reveal true cofounder compatibility
17:35 – Yara joins as cofounder during the hardest phase
21:05 – Working with a young team and female Saudi cofounder
22:55 – Why 75% of the team is women
23:17 – Building culture intentionally, inspired by Apple
25:10 – Why now is the golden era for Saudi startups
26:45 – The rise of enablers: VCs, accelerators, and Vision 2030
29:02 – Post-bubble: How the investment landscape shifted
31:02 – Closing a $3M round for Nqoodlet
32:15 – What’s next: A product roadmap for solving SME finance
34:30 – Advice to the next generation of Saudi founders
36:15 – “The most important thing is the culture”

___

Follow for more inspiring founder stories. 

📍 Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheNextBigThing_Media 

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📍 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/nextbigthing-media/

📍 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4EfovpJ856I6b8RRzb0PJS?si=a5546ecd9ddb4dec 

📍 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-thing/id1707012952

What happens when you choose to conquer deep tech in Saudi Arabia?

In this first episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, we sit down with Srrah Algheithy, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, a hardware and product development company based in Dhahran.

She shares how she went to study electrical engineering abroad, to building solar-powered cars and racing them across the Australian desert, managing data centers at Saudi Aramco, and co-founding a deep tech company.

This episode is hosted by Rawan Nasser, a multimedia reporter from the Eastern Province itself.

This is the untold story of building real technology in Dhahran — not the buzzword kind, but the kind that solves physical problems and redefines what’s possible in a region built on oil. 

You’ll learn:
► Why Srrah chose electrical engineering in a family of academics
► Lessons from building solar-powered race cars
► How studying abroad built resilience
► Managing data centers at Aramco
► Leaving safety to join a hard tech development company as a co-founder
► Redefining what "sustainable" means
► The mindset needed to build deep tech in the Gulf

This conversation is a reminder that big things start quietly — and sometimes in places no one’s watching.

______

► Srrah Algheithy – CEO of Sustainable Innovations
https://www.linkedin.com/in/salgheithy/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinnovsa/
 
► Rawan Nasser – Multimedia Reporter 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawan-nasser/?   

In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtvc-/ 

______ 

Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:50 – Passion for Taking on Challenges
03:07 – Being a Woman in Engineering
04:15 – How Studying Abroad Shaped Her
05:27 – Srrah’s Career at Saudi Aramco
07:24 – Joining Sustainable Innovations as Co-founder
09:30 – Competing at the Australian Solar Car Race
12:27 – The Importance of Owning Your Technology
14:36 – Becoming the CEO of Sustainable Innovations
15:39 – The Challenges of Time Management
16:50 – Redefining What “Sustainable” Means
17:50 – Innovating with the Market in Mind
19:40 – Unique Challenges of Deep Tech
21:05 – Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur
22:35 – The Importance of Building Deep Tech
23:59 – The Status Quo of Deep Tech in Saudi Arabia
25:25 – Why Dhahran Is the Right Place for Deep Tech
27:45 – How Dhahran Techno Valley Is Enabling Innovation
29:55 – Challenges for Founders in Saudi Arabia
31:54 – Comparing the Saudi Ecosystem Globally
33:06 – What the Saudi Ecosystem Still Needs
34:55 – How the Saudi Ecosystem Is Evolving
37:02 – Advice for New Founders
38:55 – What’s Next for Sustainable Innovations

______

Follow for more inspiring founder stories. 

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The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have 

► Hasan Jabarti - Serial Entrepreneur 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanjabarti/

► Waleed A. Alballaa - General Partner, Sukna Ventures
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ballaa/ 

► Anamaria Meshkurti - Investor & Advisor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-meshkurti/

► Javier Sanchez-Marco - Entrepreneur & Business Angel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/javiersanchezmarco/

Follow us on our social media!
 → https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
 → https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have
►Egor Romanyuk - Investor & Entrepreneur
https://www.linkedin.com/in/egor-romanyuk-21a548187/
►Jamil Shinawi - Co-Founder & CEO of AHOY and Actual VC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilshinawi/
►Saeed Alajou - Active investor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeed-alajou-5b2a2032/
►Grigorii Trubkin -  Managing partner at 1802 Ventures
https://www.linkedin.com/in/grigoriitrubkin/

Follow us on our social media!
→ https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have:
►Nissrine Elqobai – Co-founder & CEO | ENY Consulting
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nissrine-elqobai-57970a43/
►Benedetta Balducci - Private Equity Specialist | London Business School
https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedetta-balducci-648069a/
►Eva Kazanskaia - Startup Advisor and CEO | Vanguard Ventures
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-kazanskaia-4b29a8142/
►Yasmin Megerisi - Co-founder and CEO | Zilouet
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-megerisi-1215b529/

Follow us on our social media!
→ https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have
► Khurram P. - Founder & CEO of Xreadylab and PlayNet
https://www.linkedin.com/in/khurrampirov/
► Muthana Shirzad - CEO of Protium Technologies
https://www.linkedin.com/in/muthana-shirzad-25305919/
► David Washbrook - Founder & CEO of Red Sea Reef Builders
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-w-40b769b9/
► Munther Walid - Founder of COOLNRAD

Follow us on our social media!
→ https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have
► Nader AlBastaki - Managing Director of Dubai Future District Fund
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadersalim/
► Jamil Shinawi - Co-Founder and CEO of Ahoy and Actual VC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilshinawi/
► Pablos Holman - Managing Partner of Deep Future
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablos08/
► Darshan Thakkar - CFO of Ahoy and Partner at Actual VC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshandthakkar/

Follow us on our social media!
→ https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189

The Next Big Thing is the 24six9 Community Podcast.
Our goal is to foster collaboration and synergy within the startup community and empower aspiring entrepreneurs by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful startup founders.

Joining us today, we have

► Ayax Bader - Co-Founder and CEO of Bellman Media
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayaxbader/
► Silvia Eldawi - Founder of PROPOLOGI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaeldawi/
► Alex Bychkov - CEO of Teleporta
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbychkovic/
► Chris McDonnell - Founder of Creative Broadcast Agency
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcdonnellldn/


Follow us on our social media!
→ https://www.instagram.com/tnbt_podcast/
→ https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/99827774

Are you a startup or entrepreneur and want to join the community? Reach out to us! We're always looking for like-minded individuals who want to challenge the norms and shake a few cages.
→ https://www.linkedin.com/company/81589189