Zero to N

When IKEA announced its arrival in Morocco, many assumed KITEA’s days were numbered. Othman Benkirane shares how competitive pressure became a catalyst for transformation—rebuilding the family business around people, supply chain, customer experience and agility before taking its ambitions beyond Morocco and across Africa.

CHAPTERS

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Othman Benkirane
02:23 Joining KITEA as IKEA Announces Morocco
03:07 Leaving Sydney and Coming Home
05:44 “Everyone Thought KITEA Was Dead”
06:30 “We’re Going to Prove Everyone Wrong”
07:01 The Day IKEA Opened
07:49 Growing 17–18% Under Pressure
10:03 The Habit of Constant Improvement
15:22 Why Supply Chain Became Critical
18:10 Building for the Next Stage
23:29 Taking KITEA Beyond Morocco
32:13 Building the Team Around the Business
38:56 The Family-Business Rule His Father Taught Him
43:34 “Don’t Listen to Anyone. Listen to Yourself.”
49:24 The African Ambition
53:33 The “Rough Diamond” Lesson
54:31 Investing in Technology and AI
01:05:03 “You Can Disrupt Giants”
01:06:23 What Success Means to Him N

At 23, Karim Amor was told he had a pituitary tumour and needed surgery within a month. The entrepreneur and investor shares how that diagnosis changed his relationship with work, brought him back to Morocco and shaped a career spanning technology, entrepreneurship, healthcare and AI - from building and selling companies to creating Epinium.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Karim Amor
01:25 The Moment Everything Shifted
02:19 “I Was Too Busy”
03:01 The Decision to See His Parents
04:09 The Unexpected Hospital Visit
05:02 “We Think You Have a Tumour”
05:34 One Month to Act
06:14 The Operations That Changed His Life
07:19 Facing the Diagnosis Without Fear
09:44 Making His Illness a Friend
10:42 The Decision Karim Says Saved His Life
11:30 Why He Returned to Morocco
13:23 Discovering Morocco Again
15:06 Starting Again as a Bank Intern
16:10 Quitting to Build His First Company
17:17 Growing Into Technology
18:31 Building One Opportunity at a Time
20:26 Karim’s Formula for Success
20:37 Why He Doesn’t Believe in “Follow Your Passion”
23:25 Passion Is Only 5%
23:35 The Other 95% Is Work
24:47 How Much Does Luck Matter?
25:49 The Plane Conversation That Led to a Sale
27:27 Why You Can Never Succeed Alone
27:55 “Share to Grow”
29:46 What a Buyer Noticed About His Leadership
30:23 Why Impact Became Personal
31:35 Ambition, Time and Partnership
33:06 The Childhood Behind the Entrepreneur
36:17 What He Teaches His Children
37:07 What He Would Tell His 18-Year-Old Self
39:57 “I Failed Miserably Four Times”
40:41 Why His Health Led to Epinium
41:30 Tackling Metabolic Health
44:01 The Vision for Personalised Health Technology
46:24 Investing in the Next Generation
49:29 Will AI Replace Humans?
49:59 Entering the “Renaissance Era”
50:47 Working With 41 AI Agents
51:49 The Side of AI That Scares Him
57:28 Build Something With Humanisation
57:54 Who Will Win in the AI Future?
58:52 Why the Human Must Stay in the Loop
01:00:49 How AI Changes Entrepreneurship
01:01:59 AI Agents Are Already Replacing Roles
01:05:05 Going Back to Our Human Essence
01:07:09 Could a Plumber Become More Valuable Than a Lawyer?
01:08:06 Karim’s Warning About AI
01:09:10 The Real Code of Transformation
01:10:07 “Get Back to Your Humanity”
01:11:45 What Success Means to Karim Today
01:14:15 What Morocco Means to Him
01:17:49 The Experience That Grounded Rachid

Moustafa Hamwi had the multi-million-dollar business, Dubai lifestyle and success people envied yet something inside still felt empty. A one-way ticket to India and a life-changing journey through the Himalayas forced him to rethink success, identity and purpose, and ask the question that changed everything: what makes a life actually matter?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Moustafa Hamwi
02:06 When Success Still Feels Empty
07:00 The Yacht Moment That Woke Him Up
08:41 “Success Becomes Your Curse”
16:23 When Your Identity Is Just Packaging
23:12 Buying a One-Way Ticket to India
27:44 The Health Scare He Didn’t Expect
29:58 “Do You Know What You’re Thirsty For?”
30:28 What Would You Regret If You Died?
31:55 Unlearning His Old Definition of Success
33:35 Coming Back to Reality
33:57 “I Wear a Suit. I’m Not the Suit.”
34:26 The Stranger Who Said “You Changed My Life”
36:44 Reinventing Himself Every Five Years
38:42 Give Up Who You Are to Become Who You’re Meant to Be
39:14 The Practice That Carried Him Through
49:40 From Personal Transformation to Leadership
01:01:04 Luck Is Opportunity Meeting Preparedness

Hussein Al-Mahmoudi’s career has followed the transformation of the UAE itself—from oil and gas to technology, global business and entrepreneurship. He joins Rachid Labrik to explore why the first career decision matters, how to keep investing in yourself and what it takes to build ecosystems that outlive you.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Hussein Al-Mahmoudi
01:59 Growing Up With Sharjah
10:54 The Scholarship That Changed His Perspective
27:58 Choosing Learning Over the Obvious Path
31:31 Growing With ENOC’s Transformation
33:00 Why Your First Career Move Matters
35:37 “Your First Step Can Shape Your Life”
37:44 Leaving Oil & Gas for Technology
41:26 Discovering He Was an Ecosystem Builder
44:20 “A Brand Is Not Just a Logo”
45:24 Why He Chose Shell
50:25 Bringing Global Learning Back to Sharjah
52:13 Creating Sharjah Tatweer Forum
01:02:10 From Global Business to Sharjah Chamber
01:06:26 Building Sharjah’s Technology Park From Scratch
01:07:29 The Beginning of Sharjah’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
01:11:59 How He Thinks About Setbacks
01:13:43 When One Door Closes
01:14:47 Eagles or Ducks?

Huda Al Lawati left a successful role in Oman and moved to Dubai without a job, driven by conviction that the region was changing. From helping build private equity in the Middle East to founding Alif Capital, she joins Rachid Labrik to discuss risk, competence, women in leadership and why there is no copy-and-paste formula for success.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Huda Al Lawati
03:32 The Childhood That Removed Invisible Barriers
05:05 The Chalk Circle Lesson
08:16 Leaving Oman for the US
15:55 What Her First Corporate Job Taught Her
19:43 “There’s Safety in Competence”
23:06 Moving to Dubai Without a Job
24:09 From Zawya to 12 Years at Abraaj
25:29 Why Conviction Matters More Than Certainty
31:53 The Two Biggest Risks of Her Career
35:01 Making Partner—Then Walking Away
37:10 Moving to Saudi in 2016
42:25 Returning to Private Equity in Dubai
44:08 Why She Wanted to Build Differently
45:35 What Happens When You Lose the Business Card
49:17 The Conviction Behind Aliph Capital
58:34 Why There Is No Copy-Paste Formula for Success
01:02:23 What She Would Tell Her Younger Self
01:04:50 Your Capability Is Your Weapon

Hussein Wehbi started on the operations floor, rose through corporate leadership, moved into government, became an entrepreneur and at one point had to rebuild after losing almost everything. He joins Rachid Labrik to unpack reputation, calculated risk, servant leadership and why the real legacy of a leader is the people they leave stronger behind them.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Hussein Wehbi
02:27 The Pilot Dream That Never Happened
03:03 Starting on the Operations Floor
08:50 Why Leadership Is About Growing People
11:14 The Day Government Came Calling
13:20 What Public Service Taught Him
17:04 Why Reputation Creates Opportunity
21:50 The Unexpected Push Into Entrepreneurship
23:23 What Entrepreneurship Really Feels Like
27:22 Take the Risk—but Calculate It
29:28 What Founders Need Before They Jump
33:13 Why He Returned to Corporate Life
38:41 The Leadership Lesson That Changed Him
43:44 Why “Ultimate Success” Doesn’t Exist
46:23 Losing Almost Everything Overnight
47:42 What Helped Him Stand Back Up
48:26 Impact, Legacy and the Next Generation
59:50 The Lesson He Wishes He Learnt Earlier

Before 30, Mustafa lost everything he had earned over nine years. Years later, the death of his father, depression, a 54kg weight gain, divorce and job loss forced him to rebuild all over again.

Now, after 22 years leading FMCG businesses across more than 20 countries, he shares what repeated failure taught him about resilience, calculated risk, self-belief and knowing when it is finally time to start again.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Mostafa Zaghloul
02:09 The Three Turning Points That Shaped His Life
02:39 Going Bankrupt Before 30
07:43 The Hardest Three Years of His Life
12:15 “I Collapsed”
12:53 The People Who Helped Him Rebuild
16:09 Faith, Hajj and Asking for Help
19:34 Leaving Corporate for Good
25:35 The Childhood Behind His Resilience
33:03 What 22 Years in Corporate Taught Him
38:41 “You Did the What. But Not the How.”
42:30 You Don’t Need to Be 100% Ready
46:57 Why He Fears Missed Opportunities More Than Failure
50:14 Rebuilding Body, Mind and Soul
53:23 Building His Next Business Chapter
56:36 The Year of Decisiveness
59:11 What He Would Tell His Younger Self
01:01:05 Mostafa’s Real Code of Transformation
01:04:24 Follow Your Gut and Don’t Fear Failure

At around 40, Nisreen left the security of a successful corporate career to build ENY Consulting—just three months before COVID, while also becoming a mother. From working across 35+ countries to discovering the painful reality behind entrepreneurship, she shares what it takes to leave the comfort zone, build credibility and create something of your own.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Nissrine Elqobai
02:05 Becoming a Mother and Founder at the Same Time
03:42 The Dream She Had Back in 1999
06:03 Why It Took 18 Years to Leave Corporate
08:36 Making the Jump Three Months Before COVID
16:14 “It’s Time”
17:18 The Five-Month Break That Changed Everything
19:12 “If I Don’t Jump Now, When?”
21:51 The Reality of Entrepreneurship: 95% Pain
23:14 The Quality Every Entrepreneur Needs
26:01 The Danger of the Comfortable Chair
31:40 The Childhood Behind Her Growth Mindset
39:00 The Father Who Taught Her to Trust Herself
46:14 Building ENY Consulting
52:17 What Businesses Get Wrong About Supply Chain
57:31 Why Transformation Shouldn’t Be Rushed
01:01:49 What Gets a Business Beyond Five Years
01:08:43 Values, Work Ethic and Self-Belief
01:18:12 Building a Business With Family
01:21:38 Travel, Learn and Stay Grounded

Fifteen years of corporate success ended with a six-month ultimatum and a layoff. With his savings disappearing and his bank account nearing zero, Ahmed had to choose between returning to the life he knew or rebuilding from scratch; what followed became the journey behind Unleash, entrepreneurship and helping hundreds of CEOs build their personal brands and thought leadership.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Ahmed Khaled
01:16 Successful on Paper, Unfulfilled Inside
08:00 The Call That Changed Everything
09:39 Losing His Corporate Career After 15 Years
11:28 Choosing Entrepreneurship Without a Clear Plan
14:40 When the Money Started Running Out
17:10 Rock Bottom—and Finding Out Who Stayed
19:34 Why He Refused to Go Back
23:08 Landing the First CEO Client
27:55 The Skills Entrepreneurs Learn the Hard Way
30:03 Entrepreneurship Isn’t for Everyone
32:06 How to Leave Corporate Without Making His Mistake
35:48 Building Unleash Around Thought Leadership
41:41 Why Authenticity Beats More Content
47:16 Why CEOs Need a Personal Brand
53:31 Ahmed’s Real Code of Transformation
56:09 Networking Without Becoming Transactional
01:00:51 The Lessons He Would Carry Forward
01:03:59 What He Would Tell His Younger Self

Before the conversations begin,there’s context.Months in the making, built deliberately, refined with intention.Not just a series of conversations,but a cinematic exploration of pressure, growth,and the moments that quietly change everything.The stories that define us.The climb from zero… to now.0 to N The Real Code of Transformation. The trailer is live.