The Middle East is ripe for new ways of thinking and doing things. TMR is a Western perspective on the East, including conversations with open-minded thought leaders with innovative ideas. Writer and journalist Nadia Michel invites a diverse roster of friends and guests that include the most inspired CEOs, chefs, adventurers, entrepreneurs, musicians, authors, artists, and beyond.

Nadim Khater is the Chief Commercial Officer at Touch, the leading mobile operator in Lebanon owned by Zain, a Kuwait-based telecommunications company. In this episode, we discuss the technological disruptors affecting mobile carriers' bottom lines and threatening their future existence, and touch's Innovation Program, which seeks out and mentors tech startups and their founders.

The endangered future of telecoms with Nadim Khater

Maxime Chaya was the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest in 2006 and since then he's followed up with incredible feats, like rowing 6,500 km over 57 grueling days across the Indian Ocean and biking 1000 km across the unforgiving Rub' Al Khali desert. In this episode, he talks about the challenges of having to manually desalinate sea water and digging up supplies in shifting sand dunes. He also reveals his next adventure.

Extreme adventures and the rise of ultra-trail races with Maxime Chaya

The Dalai Lama, Bill Gates and HM Queen Noor Al Hussein of Jordan- Ricardo Karam has interviewed some of the world's biggest personalities. This pioneer of TV reporting in the Middle East has plenty of stories to tell as we discuss his current projects, including Al Khatef Moukabel Al Fidya (Kidnapping for A Ransom) on Abu Dhabi TV, an investigative series documenting the world of kidnappers.

Documenting real stories in the Middle East with Ricardo Karam

Meet one of the influencers of regional politics. Dirk Kunze is the new head of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom MENA, a German think-tank devoted to the promotion of liberal principles and to political education. Find out how the organization is tactically contributing to shaping a new Middle East.

A German think-tank in the Middle East with Dirk Kunze

Are men getting into plastic surgery? Jaw implants, chin injections and nose jobs are just a few of the procedures being sought out by men who want to look more attractive. In this episode, Dr. Paul Yazbek, a well known facial plastic surgeon and ENT doctor, shares his thoughts and anecdotes on this growing trend and discusses how men in the Middle Eastern compare with those in the West when it comes to their attitudes towards plastic surgery and their genetically determined physical traits.


http://www.drpaulyazbek.com/

Incels, Arab men and plastic surgery with Dr. Paul Yazbek

Mario Haddad is the Head of Distribution at Empire Group, a family business established in 1919. He oversees all Empire Cinemas and film distribution across the Middle East. He is also a passionate foodie and busy restaurateur, overseeing several restaurants in Lebanon and Dubai.

From the first cinemas to ushering in sushi bars with Mario Haddad

Eli Khoury is the CEO of M&C Saatchi MENA and the founder and CEO of Quantum Group, a strategic communication firm that has rolled out campaigns in Iraq, Jordan and the US aimed at shaping public opinion. He is also a political activist who was heavily involved in Lebanon's Cedar revolution and he is vocal about his desire to see regime change in that country.

http://www.quantum.com.lb/
http://www.mcsaatchi.me/

Effecting political change in the stratcom industry with Eli Khoury

Michel Zoghzoghi is a Lebanese businessman who has turned a passion for wildlife photography into a way of life, regularly traveling to remote parts of our planet to capture candid portrait of the world's most beautiful creatures. With his photographs, he aims to raise awareness about endangered animals and the catastrophic effects of pollution, global warming and deforestation.  When he's not trekking around the world or auctioning off his work for charity, he is the founder and CEO of Dima Healthcare, a successful medical supplies company.

Wildlife photography and our vanishing planet with Michel Zoghzoghi

Samer Khouzami is a makeup artist-turned-entrepreneur whose namesake cosmetic brand was launched at Sephora Middle East in June, 2019. He has over 2 million followers on Instagram and in this episode, we discuss the demise of social media and his journey from cash-trapped student to overseeing a growing beauty empire in an industry that's expected to be worth 44.55 billion USD by 2023 in the Middle East alone.

The 16 billion USD business of makeup in the MENA with Samer Khouzami

Donald Batal is the founder of Ministry of Food, a restaurant management company that operates over 30 Classic Burger Joint and Tomatomatic restaurants in Kuwait, Cyprus, Lebanon, Iraq and the UAE. In this episode, he shares his formula for running a successful fast food restaurant, does a blind taste test of CBJ vs. a competitor's french fries and he tells us why burgers are king in the F&B business.

Selling fast food in a changing world with Donald Batal

Fadi El-Jardali is a Professor of Health Policy and Systems at the American University of Beirut and the Director of the Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center. In this episode, we discuss the ongoing legislative process for the legalization of cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Lebanon and the potential benefits and risks of implementation.

Legalizing medical cannabis in Lebanon with Fadi El-Jardali

What do women want from men? It's a universal conundrum, irrespective of one's culture, ethnicity or language. Men are constantly scratching their heads over their mysteriously disgruntled girlfriends, and research since the 1940s has revealed that women are responsible for initiating at least 70 percent of divorces. So what's going wrong? In this episode, we finally solve the riddle that's been plaguing mankind since the beginning of time, with the help of renowned Lebanese sexologist Dr. Sandrine Atallah, host of Sex Talk, and Lebanese journalist Rayane Abou Jaoude, host of Khilqit Binit. Warning: This conversation is raw, uncensored and brutally honest.

What do women want from men?

Mouhamad Rabah is the CEO of Beirut Digital District, a buzzing tech hub and real estate development in downtown Beirut that’s made up of ten buildings housing over 20,000 square metres of office space and housing 135 companies. In this episode we discuss the ongoing project and the benefits of co-working spaces.

Building connected live/work communities with Mouhamad Rabah

French-Syrian photojournalist Ammar Abd Rabbo talks about his latest exhibition IM-Matricules, a series of nude photographs meant to highlight the collapsing world around us and how we cope. Known for his portraits of international figures including Bashar al-Assad, Muammar Gaddafi and Stephen Hawking, he has also been lauded for chronicling events in Iraq, Libya and Lebanon since the 1990s.

Nudity, dictators and the daily reality of Syrians in a war ravaged Middle East

Michel Elefteriades founded Music Hall in 2003 and has since replicated the concept internationally, including soon in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In his first interview in the last four years, he talks about building his entertainment empire and why he now favors driving utilitarian company cars over his highly publicized, matte black custom Bentley.

Selling entertainment and the perks of living a minimalist life with Michel Elefteriades

The Middle East's Interior Designer of the Year Rabih Geha of RG/Architects talks about winning the Middle East's top industry awards. Find out why clients from all over the world are seeking him out.

Designing experiential spaces with Rabih Geha

Actor and video blogger Issam Merheb/ SiMi voices his criticism of the film and television industry in Lebanon and the actresses who rely on plastic surgery to grow their popularity.

Building an acting career with Issam Merheb/ SiMi

Imad Salamey, a political science professor at the Lebanese American University, explains how Lebanon's October Revolution is different from previous uprisings and should be the starting point for a benchmark-setting, non-sectarian, forward-thinking government in the Middle East.

A roadmap to the future in Lebanon with Imad Salamey Ph.D

Rami El Ali, a professor of philosophy at the Lebanese American University and a political activist, shares his views on the circumstances that have led to Lebanon's October Revolution and explains the post-Civil War mindset and main socio economic issues.

Explaining the Lebanese revolution with Professor Rami El Ali

Puerto Rican basketball player Walter Hodge reveals the advantages of not playing in the NBA, the perks of living in the Middle East and he suggests ways the sport could be marketed better in the region.

Inside professional basketball with Walter Hodge

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حكواتي هي شبكة بودكاست تعنى بإنتاج وتقديم محتوى صوتي متميّز للمتحدثين باللغة العربية في جميع انحاء العالم

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