How to build an AI startup in Dubai

Can you run a fully virtual business out of Dubai? Ekta Gandhi and Hannan Moti have successfully done itSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom and Paul explore the leadership landscape of 2025 - and how it can level up in 2026. They're joined by three leaders with different perspectives: Sasha Marashlian, Founder of Imagine FMCG, Farhan Rehman from Rehman Sheriff Group, Nazneen Abbas from Ma’an Legacy & Legal ConsultancySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom and Neil explore the journeys of two Brits who are coming back to Dubai to live or do business. After years in the property business, Nicky Way is back in the city to launch his newest venture, Little Biga Pizza. And Jason Leavy finds himself doing business in Dubai to expand his executive coaching business, Prime Performance Labs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Morales, Brand Manager of Aura Bakery and Café and Basma Chaieri, founder of Etika Jewels - our featured guests, have built brands that feel premium, emotionally engaging and very Dubai. How did they do it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new Visa Global Economic Insight report has found that while luxury spending is slowing in cities like London and New York, Dubai tells a different story.  About 1 in 9 Dubai residents makes a premium purchase every quarter, supported by a huge base of high-earning households. But what really makes a brand luxurious? Manuel Arnaut, Head of Editorial Content at Vogue Arabia, tells Starting Up what really matters to high-end customers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does retirement really look like today, and can you design a life you never need to retire from?Tom Urquhart and Neil Petch sit down with aviation legend Habib Fekih, who reflects on life after four decades at the top of the industry.  They also learn a thing or two from Florian Urghetto and Liz Nunez, founders of Easy Wedding, who are living the FIRE lifestyle — Financial Independence, Retire Early.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our all-female panel tell Tom and Neil how they ditched their pay cheque to take the plunge into starting a new business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No matter your industry, you can build an AI-powered startup. We have experts in studio who have done it: Nokhez Usman, Psychologist and Founder of MindMe Sonny Sangha, YouTube and software developerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom and Paul speaking to biohacking expert CJ Malhotra, business psychologist Amanda White beauty tech entrepreneur Haifa Addas about why all entrepreneurs need to reset and slow down, even amidst a busy business period.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kicked things off with Dubai Holding’s Innovate For Tomorrow Impact Accelerator 2025 - a platform empowering entrepreneurs to drive real sustainability change.Then, we shifted gears to one of the UAE’s hottest sectors: real estate. Our guests, James Gosling from Exclusive Links Real Estate Brokers and Atif Rahman, Founder & Chairman of ORO24 Developments, broke down how investors and founders tapped into the property boom sweeping across the Emirates.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.