Unplugged with iSolution

What can a lifelong chess player teach you about cloud strategy? Julien Rateau, Google Cloud EMEA platforms director, on humility in leadership, responsible AI and Google Cloud's strategy for the Middle East, recorded at Google in Paris.

Julien shares his decade at Google, why hiring smarter and trusting local expertise beats top down control, and how imposter syndrome can sharpen leaders. He explains what it takes to align cloud investment with Saudi Vision 2030: a partner first model, round the clock reliability, an API platform and sustained investment in local talent.

In this episode

• Confidence vs complacency in leadership
• Chess, calculation and long term strategy
• Responsible AI and agentic AI in practice
• Google Cloud's partner first model in the Middle East
• Investing in Saudi talent for Vision 2030

جوليان راتو من Google Cloud يتحدث عن القيادة والذكاء الاصطناعي المسؤول واستراتيجية Google Cloud في الشرق الأوسط والسعودية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

A failed restaurant, a move from Lebanon to Kuwait with no job, and a $2,000 first order that became a successful exit. Rami Kichli on building a regional business, leading Software AG in the Middle East and guiding a team through IBM's acquisition.

Rami explains how integration lets AI agents act, why enterprise data is the new fuel and what breaks when that layer is weak, with webMethods and StreamSets in plain language. He also shares how he led people through a 48 hour reset after the acquisition, and gives a grounded answer to whether AI will take jobs.

In this episode

• What a failed restaurant taught about differentiation
• Building HITS from a $2,000 order to an exit
• A decade long turnaround at Software AG Middle East
• Leading through IBM's acquisition of webMethods and StreamSets
• Will AI take jobs? Why critical thinking is the best hedge

رامي كشلي يتحدث عن رحلته من مطعم فاشل إلى قيادة أعمال إقليمية، وعن التكامل والبيانات والذكاء الاصطناعي.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Why might your next car be a subscription, a shared ride or a hybrid you upgrade by software? Dr. Zakaria El Naggar of Naghi Motors on how mobility is changing the automotive business in Saudi Arabia, far beyond EV hype.

Dr. Zakaria shares a candid view from inside the industry: when EVs make sense, where hybrids lead, why charging reliability, financing and skilled technicians drive adoption, and how digital transformation supports the shift from one time sales to lifetime customer relationships.

In this episode

• EVs vs hybrids and real market readiness
• Total cost of ownership and lease to own models
• Cybersecurity now that cars are rolling computers
• Gut vs data in urgent decisions
• Leadership rituals that keep teams aligned

الدكتور زكريا النجار من ناغي للسيارات يتحدث عن مستقبل التنقل والسيارات الكهربائية والهجينة والتحول الرقمي.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

If your security stack feels like a Jenga tower of dashboards and alerts, this one is for you. Founder Ziyad Al Shehri on building a cloud native security operations platform, AI guardrails and the hard truths of building an AI enabled business.

Ziyad opens up about choosing SaaS for speed, pricing puzzles, surviving pivots and hiring for mindset over CVs. He maps the Saudi ecosystem of accelerators and government backed funds that helped the company move faster, and explains why AI won't replace people, but people who use AI well will set the pace.

In this episode

• Fixing fragmented SecOps tools and noisy alerts
• Founder lessons on SaaS, pricing and pivots
• Hiring for mindset and equity for ownership
• AI hallucinations, guardrails and keeping a human in the loop
• Accelerators and funds in the Saudi startup ecosystem

زياد الشهري يتحدث عن بناء منصة للأمن السيبراني على السحابة، وحدود الذكاء الاصطناعي، وتجربة ريادة الأعمال في السعودية.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

What makes a technology leader truly effective? Sultan El Enezi (Abu Talal) of ELM on going from technician to leader, seeing the full tech stack and cutting service delivery from weeks to 3 hours.

Abu Talal describes the moment he stepped out of his programming comfort zone to lead a service management project, and why the best leaders are experts in their domain with a solid grasp of the areas around it. He shares how clear vision and value communication build strong teams, and why generative AI raises the bar for expertise.

In this episode

• From programmer to technology leader
• Understanding the full stack: infrastructure, data centers and networks
• Communicating a clear vision that inspires teams
• Cutting service delivery from 15 to 20 days down to 3 hours
• Generative AI as a push for deeper expertise

سلطان العنزي (أبو طلال) من علم يتحدث عن القيادة التقنية وبناء الفرق القوية والذكاء الاصطناعي التوليدي.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Camel milk meets digital transformation. Mohamed El Ejo, IT Director at Sawani, on taking Saudi heritage dairy products global with smart farms, ERP and a security first data strategy.

Mohamed explains how Sawani brings traditional camel and goat milk products to modern consumers, expanding into cheese, yogurt and gelato, with ambitions in America, Europe and China. He shares why IT is inseparable from business operations, and how an omnichannel ecosystem turns data into "digital gold".

In this episode

• The smart farm approach to camel care
• ERP and cybersecurity foundations
• Security first, with data as an asset
• Omnichannel journeys for B2B and B2C customers
• Career advice for technology professionals

محمد العجو، مدير تقنية المعلومات في سواني، يتحدث عن التحول الرقمي في صناعة منتجات حليب الإبل ونقلها إلى العالم.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Dina Amin, who leads Google Cloud marketing for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, on a decade at Google, the challenges women face in tech leadership and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Dina talks about unconscious bias, building strong networks and the I Am Remarkable program, then shares a first hand view of the energy driving the region's tech scene at GITEX.

In this episode

• A decade of marketing at Google Cloud
• Women in tech leadership in the Middle East
• Unconscious bias and building strong networks
• Imposter syndrome and the I Am Remarkable program
• Google Cloud's growing presence in the region

دينا أمين من Google Cloud تتحدث عن المرأة في القيادة التقنية والتسويق والتغلب على متلازمة المحتال.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

Can being in the right place at the right time ignite your next big move? Entrepreneur Sameer Mubarak on launching more than a dozen companies, taking Nafith Logistics to the cloud and what he saw in AI and robotics at GITEX Dubai.

Sameer shares how he went from logistics to serial entrepreneurship, the balance between timing and innovation, and how working with iSolution and Google Cloud helped Nafith Logistics through its cloud journey.

In this episode

• Timing vs innovation in entrepreneurship
• Launching more than a dozen companies
• Moving Nafith Logistics to Google Cloud
• AI and robotics from the GITEX floor

سمير مبارك يتحدث من جيتكس دبي عن ريادة الأعمال والانتقال إلى السحابة والذكاء الاصطناعي.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text

How does a hobby become a career? Saber Thabti, Director of Engineering at Mumzworld, on going from building websites to running a web hosting company in 2005, and how AI is personalizing ecommerce for new mums in MENA.

Saber explains how Mumzworld uses technology to offer a personalized shopping experience, the potential of Google Cloud's Vertex AI in retail, and his advice on leadership, ambition and career growth in engineering.

In this episode

• From hobby to web hosting company
• Engineering leadership at Mumzworld
• AI and personalization in ecommerce
• Vertex AI and the future of retail
• Career advice for engineers

صابر ثابتي، مدير الهندسة في ممزورلد، يتحدث عن الذكاء الاصطناعي والتجارة الإلكترونية والتطور المهني.

Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnpluggedwithiSolution
Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7EFWACAbl5qI1jaiYS3FsK
Follow on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unplugged-with-isolution/id1775407361

About Unplugged with iSolution
Unscripted conversations with the business and technology leaders shaping Saudi Arabia, the GCC and MENA. AI, cloud, fintech, ecommerce, leadership and Vision 2030, told by the people doing the work. Powered by iSolution and Google Cloud.
iSolution: https://www.ismena.com

Have a question for our guests? Send us a text