Thank you for joining me for an incredible year of What I Did Next. This week, I’m joined by the show’s producer, Chirag Desai, to look back at how quickly the year has gone by, and what is to come in 2025.

This episode is brought to you by EFG Holding. For 40 years, EFG Holding has been realising more, for clients, investors, businesses, communities and individuals. See the world differently, and realize more with EFG Holding.

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Omar Elsahy is General Manager for Amazon in Egypt, overseeing 2,500 employees in the country as well as after-market services across the region. He told me about his early years in the US and Egypt, starting a number of businesses with his brother before pivoting to e-commerce with Souq.com.

I enjoyed getting to know Omar through this conversation, and also got some great insights into the way he thinks as a leader, and how Amazon approaches innovation.

This episode is brought to you by:

EFG Holding, a trailblazing financial institution with a Universal Bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

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A quick note: we recorded this conversation before the conflict began in Lebanon earlier this year.

Sarah Beydoun is the founder of Sarah’s Bag, a social enterprise that produces bespoke luxury accessories and clothing. She tells me how her company was born out of a University thesis and how they continue to empower women in spite of the never-ending turmoil afflicting Lebanon, as well as her son’s being diagnosed with autism. I find her story so inspiring and moving.

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Louis Barthélemy is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based between Marrakech and Paris. He went on to work for Dior after studying fashion design at Central Saint Martins, before pivoting away from the fashion world after the public departure of designer John Galliano. 

Louis designs beautiful works of art, from tapestry to rugs to stained glass and works on paper. He is a passionate exponent of craftsmanship and turns to ancient and trusted techniques to execute his work. We also talk about Louis’ disillusionment with the fashion industry, and how a cancer diagnosis led Louis to the Middle East.

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Yasmine and Farida Khamis are continuing the legacy left by their father, Mohammed Farid Khamis. He launched Oriental Weavers in 1979, which grew to become one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers. Yasmine took over as Chair of its Board since his passing in 2020, while her two siblings joined her as board members. Farida chairs the Petrochemical business and looks after the British University in Egypt.

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Haitham Mattar is the Managing Director of the Intercontinental Hotel Group for India, Middle East & Africa. Haitham has had a distinguished career working for global hotel giants as well as leading tourism for the Governments of Ras Al Khaimah and Saudi Arabia. His story is one of individual will, grit and resilience starting from his first job at 17. He tells me about the importance of maintaining and nurturing relationships all his life and how he’s now trying to get new generations interested in hospitality.

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I’m excited to welcome Her Royal Highness Nourah Al Faisal as this season’s inaugural guest. She’s the founder of bespoke jewellery brand Nuun, and the founder of design and research consultancy Ahdlal for Design. She’s also the great-granddaughter of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

As someone who grew up in Saudi, I continue to be impressed by the transformation taking place across the country. I talked to her about her work with Vision 2030, and her recent appointment as CEO of the Art of Heritage Center.

Members, we have something special for you to kick off Season 8! You can listen to the next 2 episodes today—just head over to our website (or in Apple Podcasts) and listen now.

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I’m excited to bring you a new season of What I Did Next, where I talk to people about their pivotal moments and life journeys. Season 8 begins September 24, with new episodes every second Tuesday.

This season, we’re also adding new benefits to our members’ club. You’ll be getting early access to our episodes—in fact, members can listen to the first THREE episodes of our season on Tuesday—we’ll be continuing our bonus episodes with guests and we’ll also be checking in some of your favourite What I Did Next alumni.

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Hope you’re having a great summer so far. We’ll be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, here’s another one from our archive: my conversation with author, entrepreneur & tech giant, Mo Gawdat.

Mo was Chief Business Officer at Google X, and is now the popular author of Solve for Happy, Scary Smart, and more recently, That Little Voice in Your Head, with more books to come. He is also behind the One Billion Happy movement which is inspired by his late son, Aly, who died tragically in 2014.

Mo today is more monk than mogul. He has gone from corporate man to living out of a carry-on bag, lugging his podcast equipment around the world, and having conversations with people who will shine a light on a hidden corner of the human experience. 

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We’ll be back with new episodes in September. In the meantime, here’s one from our archive–actor and comedian Ramy Youssef. Ramy is the starof 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.

As writer, actor, director and producer of the show, Ramy brings nuance and subtlety to what are, on the surface, extremely difficult issues to broach on US TV and he does so with the one tool that always breaks down prejudices—humour.

He talks about growing up in New Jersey, the show, and how his life has changed before and after the show's global success.

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