Amazon Acquisition of Souq, Alexa’s Impact in Saudi, Regulations Legality & Privacy | Raf Fatani 93

Dr Raf Fatani, Amazon General Regional Manager, Alexa, MENA. He grew up and studied in the UK and later moved to the UAE, when Amazon acquired souq.com in 2017. Amazon utilized 18,000 beta testers in Saudi to teach Alexa to understand and speak Arabic from different regions and with different accents. Tech-savvy Saudis are the most engaged Alexa users in the word, with the average customer having 11 connected devices. This technology is truly life-changing, especially for elderly and disabled populations. Raf keeps his mother in mind while improving Alexa, ensuring ease of use and safety. In this episode, he addresses Mo-s fears about Amazon, Alexa, and voice recognition and shares his personal outlook on happiness, marriage, boundaries, and the future of Saudi Arabia.

Hassa Marwan Alsudairy 92 | Researcher in Archaeology and Tourism

An archaeologist with a masters degree in International Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management from Berlin, Hassa has participated in several archaeological excavations for international missions and published a number of research papers in her field.

Matt and Gerard Murphy 91 | Life After Paralysis, Culture & Reminiscing on Living in Saudi for 15 Years

Matt and Gerard Murphy spent their childhood in Saudi Arabia. Their parents taught at the British International School in Jeddah, commonly known as Conti, for 15 years. In 2012, they returned to the United Kingdom. At the age of 21, Gerard became paralyzed after diving headfirst into a shallow lake. Since losing control of his hands and legs, Gerard has continued living a full and interesting life. He completed a Master-s Degree in Science, watches foreign films, listens to every genre of music, makes art, and plays FIFA with his brother using an accessible remote. Meanwhile, Matt pursues a career as a freelance journalist and producer. Today, the brothers discuss their proficiency in Arabic, the transformations they have observed in Saudi Arabia, their shared love for football, and their perspectives on life.

S7S 90 | Working Out, Cheat Meals & the Road to 1.6 Billion Hits on Youtube

S7S is a Saudi body-builder, competitive eater, social media sensation, and business owner. With 3 million + followers on Instagram and an impressive 1.6 billion views on YouTube, Hussain has amassed quite a fanbase. His mouthwatering videos feature seemingly impossible challenges, like eating 60 donuts in one sitting. To conquer these extreme meals, Hussain dedicates hours each day to rigorous workouts and strictly adheres to a disciplined diet for most of the week. On this honest and open conversation, S7S opens up about life before internet fame, his support system and family, being a single father, and his outlook and goals in life.

Nada Hariri 89 | The Rise in Divorce Rates, Divorce Coaching, Co-dependency and 'The 5 R’s'

Nada Hariri is a Saudi wellbeing and divorce coach, who coaches individuals through major life transitions. She draws lessons from her own personal experience with divorce, motherhood, and getting remarried. She explains the five R-s of a deteriorating relationship- Resistance, Resentment, Rejection, Resignation, Repression. Many couples are afraid to fail, so they postpone divorce and stay unhappy out of fear and family pressures. Once they finally accept the end of their marriage, Nada can help them stay grounded through the range of strong emotions that follow and move forward. Nada shares the secret to a happy, lasting marriage and reiterates the importance of acceptance.

Julio De La Rosa 88 | Process of Desalination and Water Scarcity in the Middle East

Julio De La Rosa is the Business Development Director of Acciona, a multinational conglomerate who builds sustainable infrastructure solutions and water desalination plants. Desalination is a process that takes away salts and minerals from saline water. With a growing population and no river, Saudi goes to great lengths to provide potable water to citizens and farmers. Since 2011, Julio has lived and worked in the Middle East and is optimistic about the sustainable innovations going on in Saudi. Having clean running water is a privilege that only 35% of the world enjoys.

Rahaf Al-Harbi | TMS 87 | Miss Saudi Arabia, Law of Attraction & The Medical Field

Rahaaf Al-Harbi is a doctor, actor, model, and beauty pageant contestant. She became interested in a career in medicine while volunteering at a cancer society for children. A self-described -nerd,- her photographic memory aided her through school. Breaking down barriers, Rahaaf became the first ever Saudi to compete in Miss Europe Continental in Napoli. If given the chance, she would love to compete in Miss Universe. You can watch Rahaaf act on-camera in the Saudi thriller series, -Eayal Nouf.-

Tala Alsahsah | TMS 86 | Launching a Delivery App, Entrepreneurship, Divorce and Motherhood

Tala Alsahsah the visionary CEO and Founder of Doos, an app that Delivers lifestyle products from grocery, personal care, gifting and beyond to your doorsteps in less than 20 minutes in Jeddah and Riyadh. Additionally, Tala is the CEO and Founder ofTAN Gulf, the leading company in distribution, sales and marketing Functional foods and personal care in the Saudi market. Her unwavering determination and entrepreneurial drive were instilled in her by her father. She loves proving skepticswrong and defying expectations of women business owners. She candidly talks about the joys of motherhood, navigating life after divorce, and imparts valuable advice to female entrepreneurs.

Zaid Al-Tamimi | TMS 85 | The Rise and Fall of Western Media

Zaid Al-Tamimi is an expert on the history of media, communications and geopolitics. On this episode, he discusses the rise and fall of Western-media and the changing global narratives and spheres of influence. He explains how media has the power to shape public discourse, sway public opinion, and influence positive and negative change. The current state of American-media highlights the country-s deep political and moral divisions. Drawing upon the work of Edward Bernays, the father of public relations and propaganda, Zaid illustrates how media has been used to manipulate public opinion for decades. As Saudi Arabia undergoes rapid modernisations, media is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the country-s narrative.

Sh. Abdal Hakim Murad | TMS 84 | Islamic theology, Xenophobia, Faith and Anglo-Muslim Relations

Shiekh Abdal Hakim Murad, a renowned Islamic scholar, English academic, writer, and theologian, is the Founder and Dean of Cambridge Muslim College. He converted to Islam in England in the 1970s after questioning Christianity as a child. His areas of expertise include Islamic theology, modernity, and Anglo-Muslim relations. Shiekh Abdal Hakim is worried about the decline in mental health among young people, and explains how our modern world is causing this early-onset existential dread. In this episode, Abdal and Mo delve into various topics such as xenophobia, the history of Islam, racial tensions, biology, human connection, morality, faith, nature, and the connection between religion and mental health.