Formerly the Unscripted Podcast with Spencer Lodge
Join Spencer Lodge as he connects with the most fascinating personalities in Dubai. A city that rose from the desert sands to become one of the most ambitious, innovative and inspiring places on Earth. Behind its glittering skyline are people with stories just as extraordinary - pioneers, dreamers and doers who dared to turn bold visions into reality.
Made in Dubai is where those stories are told. Hosted by Spencer Lodge, each episode is a front-row seat to conversations with the people shaping the UAE's future — from business leaders and record-breakers to cultural icons and creative disruptors.
But this isn't just about their success. It's about the journey - the risks they took, the challenges they faced and the moments that defined them. It's about the unique magic of Dubai: a place where ambition meets opportunity, where cultures from around the world collide to create something truly special and where anything feels possible.
Whether you're an entrepreneur searching for your next big move, someone curious about life in the UAE or simply in need of inspiration, Made in Dubai is your invitation to step inside this vibrant city and meet the people who make it remarkable.
If it was made in Dubai, you'll hear it here.
Site
RSS
Apple
Données mises à jour le 07/11/2026
Classements récents
Dernières positions dans les classements Apple Podcasts et Spotify.
Liens partagés entre épisodes et podcasts
Liens présents dans les descriptions d'épisodes et autres podcasts les utilisant également.
#421: From Reporting to Sir Richard Branson to Shaping One of the UAE's Biggest Telecoms Businesses | Karim Benkirane
lundi 2 novembre 2026 • Durée 01:13:10
Karim Benkirane is responsible for driving billions in revenue as Chief Commercial Officer at du. From launching Virgin Mobile in the region with Richard Branson to leading commercial growth in one of the UAE's biggest industries, his career offers a unique perspective on business, leadership and innovation.
Why do telecom services cost so much in the UAE? Is competition enough to keep prices down, and what are customers really paying for when it comes to network quality? This episode also explores the future of 5G and 6G, AI and data security, the rise of digital payments, and what it takes to build a high-performing team.
Timestamps
02:54 - Telecom Pricing & Cost Factors in the UAE 04:27 - Market Competition & Telecom Duopoly 05:27 - VoIP Restrictions (WhatsApp Calls & Botim) 06:54 - The Difference Between 5G and 6G Technology 09:30 - How to Choose a Telecom Provider in Dubai 11:08 - Smart Home Connectivity & Device Usage Growth 12:40 - Mobile Number Portability (Switching Networks) 13:58 - What Makes du Different? 15:07 - Karim Benkirane's Background & Early Life 17:15 - Early Career Journey in Telecom 19:09 - Working with Sir Richard Branson & Virgin Mobile 22:17 - Career Influences & Mentorship 25:39 - Lessons in Leadership & Challenging the Boss 27:34 - Innovation Environment in the UAE 29:28 - AI's Role in Business & Industry 33:14 - Data Security & Enterprise AI Tools 35:41 - Introducing du Pay & Digital Financial Services 37:41 - The Evolution of Payments: Cash vs. Digital Wallets 40:19 - Key Revenue Drivers for du 42:38 - Leadership Style & People Management 45:11 - Managing Diversity & Motivating Teams 47:36 - Is Leadership Inherent or Learned? 49:54 - Mentoring the Next Generation 53:01 - University Degrees vs. Real-World Experience 58:52 - What Makes a Successful Salesperson? 01:01:15 - du's Stock Performance & Financial Success 01:07:48 - Future Growth & Ambitions for du 01:10:58 - Morocco & Personal Retirement Plans
#420: From Being Adopted as a Child to Building a Global Sim Racing Business | Michael King
lundi 26 octobre 2026 • Durée 56:35
Michael's story goes far beyond business. Adopted as a baby, he grew up with parents who went on to foster around 300 children. Their example helped shape his approach to leadership, honesty and how he treats people.
Michael also shares his experience of leading a business through a period of change, the challenges of transforming its business model and the lessons he has learnt throughout his career.
Timestamps
01:54 - What Is Sim Racing? 02:41 - Inside the Simulator Experience 04:53 - The Sim Racing Market & Max Verstappen 07:01 - Michael's Journey to Dubai 08:08 - CIMCO Venue & Production City HQ 10:08 - Brand X Sims & Global F1 Partnerships 11:43 - Early Career & Law School Lessons 13:30 - Leadership Through Change 15:00 - Sales Lessons & Learning to Listen 17:41 - Personal Growth & Integrity in Business 20:24 - Building Company Culture & Managing Ego 22:47 - Managing a Multinational Team 25:20 - Hiring & Growing the Business 27:10 - Michael's Childhood & Adoption Story 35:34 - Host Shares Personal Story on Adoption 38:56 - Fostering 300+ Children: Parents' Legacy 48:08 - Drive, Ambition, and Personal Mindset 50:35 - Future Business Strategy & Personal Branding 55:12 - Advice for Business Growth & Closing Thoughts
#419: Can AI Make Healthcare Accessible to Everyone? | Michele Tarnow
lundi 19 octobre 2026 • Durée 47:08
Michele Tarnow is the CEO and founder of Alliance Care Technologies, a company developing technology and partnerships to expand access to preventative health screening.
Michelle explains how her technology can screen people in minutes, even in communities with limited access to doctors and healthcare facilities. She shares the example of 800,000 people screened for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Lagos, where 60% of those needing follow-up were lost in the process.
00:00 - Introduction & ACT's Mission 01:53 - How AI & Tech Enable Universal Healthcare 04:05 - Preventive AI Screenings vs. Traditional Methods 09:57 - Gamification & Increasing Patient Engagement 11:27 - Data Privacy, Security, and Compliance in the UAE 13:30 - Safe Use of AI: Risk Assessment vs. Diagnosis 18:40 - Ecosystem Approach & Healthcare Adoption Challenges 25:48 - Will AI Ever Replace Doctors? 35:43 - Economic & Health Benefits of Early Detection 40:58 - Why ACT Chose Dubai and the UAE 42:49 - Michele Tarnow's Background & Peace Corps Experience 46:14 - Conclusion
#418: How AI Is Changing Guest Expectations and Reshaping Hotels | Raki Phillips
lundi 12 octobre 2026 • Durée 01:15:59
Technology is changing the way hotels operate, from how guests choose where to stay to how businesses manage pricing and performance. But as Raki Phillips explains, hospitality still comes down to the experience guests have and whether they want to come back.
Raki Phillips also shares his perspective on protecting room rates during periods of disruption, the resilience of the UAE's tourism industry, and the growth opportunities across the Middle East and Africa.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction 4:05 How hotel groups decide where to open new properties 7:34 The opportunities and risks of investing in Africa 14:50 Why the guest experience matters more than the numbers 16:20 How the UAE's tourism industry is handling disruption 28:49 Hotel occupancy, profitability and protecting room rates 32:02 What UAE travel figures reveal about the industry's recovery 40:32 How AI is changing the way people book hotels 41:26 Will hotel brands still matter when AI chooses where you stay? 43:55 Why hospitality still needs a personal touch 45:15 How technology could transform the hotel guest experience 48:25 Why hotel pricing needs to change 51:39 The difference between being an entrepreneur and a corporate leader 1:01:18 Why Rakki Phillips believes in the UAE's long-term future 1:03:01 How hotels can adapt and generate revenue during a crisis 1:08:52 What makes guests choose one hotel over another 1:10:04 Where Rakki Phillips would invest $500 million in hospitality 1:12:19 Why Africa could be the future of hospitality growth
#417: What happens to the UAE's supply chain when one of the region's most important trade routes is disrupted? | Ayman Kabbara
lundi 5 octobre 2026 • Durée 01:01:09
From alternative ports and rerouting cargo to rising freight costs, limited capacity and the importance of keeping essential goods moving, Ayman explains how logistics companies adapt when the usual routes are no longer available.
Ayman Kabbara also discusses pharmaceuticals, global trade, AI, blockchain and preparing for future supply chain disruptions.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction 1:08 What happens when Jebel Ali is disrupted 14:22 How the UAE keeps goods moving through alternative routes 21:48 Why freight and air freight costs can rise during a crisis 27:04 How logistics companies prioritise essential and life-saving goods 30:49 Why supply chain disruptions affect businesses far beyond shipping 33:24 Why blockchain could transform global logistics 36:36 How AI is changing freight forwarding 39:45 Preparing for the next "black swan" event 52:29 Why logistics is the engine behind global trade 55:17 What businesses should look for in a freight forwarding company
#416: From Nissan to Louvre Abu Dhabi: Reda Raad on 27 Years of Making Brands Stand Out
lundi 28 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:09:25
Reda Raad has spent the last 20 years shaping how one of the world's biggest car brands is seen across this region, and picked up international recognition along the way for his work putting the Louvre Abu Dhabi on the map.
He talks to Spencer about the discipline he says most people are losing in the age of AI, and why some brands earn decades of trust in this region while others never get close.
Timestamps
02:00 – Starting a new podcast and personal motivations
03:07 – Working with his father and their early professional relationship
08:06 – Childhood memories, growing up in Dubai, and family dynamics
13:07 – Starting at the bottom as an Assistant Account Executive
22:50 – A humbling lesson from his father about consistency
26:33 – Nissan's long-standing history and brand loyalty in the GCC region
33:23 – Founding TBWA and gaining Nissan's trust
39:48 – Understanding agency identity: "The Disruption Company"
45:00 – The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advertising and thinking
56:56 – Specific AI tools used in business (Omni, Claude, ChatGPT)
59:01 – Outdoor advertising and the Louvre Abu Dhabi case study
01:06:11 – Five key things to look for when choosing an advertising agency
#415: What Does It Actually Take to Build Landmarks Like Ain Dubai and the Royal Atlantis? | Dean McGrail, WSP
lundi 21 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:03:21
Dean McGrail has spent over two decades building his career in the Gulf, and today he leads WSP's operations across the Middle East and Asia.
He talks to Spencer about the humbling start that shaped his entire career, his approach to leading his team, and what it's actually taken, personally and professionally, to get to where he is now.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction 0:28 What WSP actually does 1:45 The landmarks across the region, Ain Dubai, Royal Atlantis, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and more 3:26 "We've been part of building a nation" 4:14 The scope of his role 5:47 Does he feel presidential 6:39 Imposter syndrome 7:39 Growing up in Aldershot 8:44 Rejected from the RAF and told he was "socially inadequate" 10:19 How he ended up studying fire engineering by chance 11:47 His first job overseas in Hong Kong 13:19 Joining WSP and his dad's reaction 19:01 His two mentors, Chris Cole and Norman Curtis 29:23 Why you can't fake thirty years of trust in ten 31:22 His warning to newcomers arriving in the Gulf 34:33 The hardest conversation he's had with his mentor 40:11 Would he give someone a blueprint for his job 41:06 Build your network, get uncomfortable 44:34 "Quality is the absolute cornerstone of everything we do" 46:20 What he's sacrificed for his career 48:58 Was it a price worth paying 50:07 Does he feel guilt 53:41 Who is Dean McGrail without the title 55:29 What AI has actually changed at WSP 1:00:00 What he'd tell himself at 19
#414: Jon Marchant: "The enemy isn't AI, it's mediocrity" | Ogilvy Middle East President
lundi 14 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:12:19
Jon Marchant is Group President at Memac Ogilvy, part of WPP, leading 450 people across one of the region's biggest advertising networks after 27 years in the industry.
Jon explains why he believes the real threat to the advertising industry isn't AI, it's mediocrity, and what that means for agencies trying to stay relevant. He also opens up about why he believes vulnerability builds more trust in leadership than authority ever will, and how his own definition of success has changed over nearly three decades at the top.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and imposter syndrome about the guest list 1:07 Moving to Dubai and running an international agency for the first time 2:01 "Dubai is not a city, it's an attitude" 3:25 Temping as a secretary and falling in love with advertising 4:23 Fighting for a job on the Manchester United account 5:21 The 1999 treble shoot and sneaking in with the European Cup 9:06 What mental availability actually means 9:45 Why billboards still work in a digital world 14:36 Getting inspiration and using AI as a spark, not a replacement 15:32 "The enemy is not AI, the enemy is mediocrity" 21:07 Why being an introvert is an advantage in leadership 22:46 The call to the hospital and the hole in one that changed everything 24:41 His father was 45 29:01 The car accident that reminded him who he does it for 30:32 Redefining success: is the ladder leaning against the right wall 41:00 The misconceptions Brits have about working in the Middle East 43:00 Dubai as the shop window, Abu Dhabi as the strategic engine 46:31 Never been fired, but he has had to fire people 47:57 Three things that make a good leader 49:19 From British fell running champion to endurance sport as de-stressing 55:03 Running the Lebanon office during the conflict 1:00:01 What roles AI will actually replace 1:11:10 The Go Compare story 1:12:15 End
Follow Spencer Lodge on Social Media:
#413: Nick Watson built a special running chair and bike so his disabled son could race triathlons by his side.
lundi 7 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:13:01
Nick Watson is a former Royal Marine who moved to Dubai in the late 1990s and later founded Team Angel Wolf, a nonprofit built around his son Rio, who is 23 and lives with a rare chromosome condition. The wider mission behind Team Angel Wolf, teaching communities and schools across the UAE what real inclusion looks like.
Timestamps
0:57 Nick and Spencer meet after 21 years of near misses 2:12 Why Nick says the timing wasn't right before now 2:56 Growing up in Cornwall and his parents' cafe in Falmouth 4:06 Leaving school at 16 and the family's move to central France 5:38 Discovering art and the dream of designing cars 6:31 Finding triathlon and building a community in Toulouse 9:56 Choosing the Royal Marines over art school 10:35 Joining the Marines at 21 13:19 The hardest decision of his career, stay or leave 14:50 Meeting his wife Delphine on a personal training course 16:15 The conversation that led them to Dubai 16:56 Arriving in Dubai in 1996 with £850 to his name 18:41 What Dubai looked like before the Marina and the Burj Khalifa 22:06 Rio is born in 2003 23:44 "Something's not right" 24:18 The first time Rio stopped breathing in the bath 26:05 It happens again, and the hospital sends them home a second time 27:16 The four and a half year search for a diagnosis 29:41 The call from Paris confirming Rio's chromosome deletion 30:08 What Rio lives with today at 23 38:02 Holidays, and the last one they took 10 years ago 39:19 Delphine, the backbone of the family 40:30 Tia, and her bond with her brother 41:43 A day in the life of the family 44:37 Why Team Angel Wolf was founded in 2016 46:24 What inclusion actually means to him 47:56 Whether organisations are genuinely inclusive or just ticking boxes 48:44 The four step plan behind Team Angel Wolf 53:01 What it would take to fund the mission properly 55:56 Three practical tips to become more inclusive 58:29 Whether he sees himself as successful 1:00:22 How hard it is to ask for help 1:01:41 A brush with clinical depression 1:05:44 The conversations he has with Tia about the future 1:07:00 What he'd ask of Spencer's audience 1:09:37 How to follow and support Team Angel Wolf 1:11:38 The advice he'd give himself, looking back 1:12:58 End
#412: Why getting a health check once a year could save you a lot of money, and it might just even save your life | Dr. Hasan Alogaily
jeudi 27 août 2026 • Durée 51:55
Dr. Hasan Alogaily is a global expert in longevity, and he's here to cut through the noise. Peptides, supplement stacks and expensive therapies dominate the conversation online, but he says none of it matters if the basics aren't in place first.
In this conversation, Hasan explains why lifestyle is the real foundation of a longer life, how often you should actually be getting your bloods checked, and why skipping your annual health check is a bigger risk than most people realise.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:09 Longevity vs health span: what is the actual difference?
04:00 The longevity pyramid and why Dubai has it upside down
06:41 The patient on 37 supplements who was still smoking
07:29 Peptides, RCT evidence, and what the science actually supports
09:30 Blue zones: movement and food as a cultural norm
11:06 "Lifestyle doesn't sell. It's not sexy enough till you're 80."
11:28 Why the blue zones data may not be what we think it is
14:06 Mental well-being and why no supplement addresses it
15:25 What health span medicine actually challenges about standard practice
16:01 "In my medical school, I was never taught to write an exercise prescription."
18:00 Ozempic, BPC157, and what the peptide space actually looks like
19:17 1 in 3 people in this region have fatty liver
22:10 Why even 10 minutes in the gym changes your mortality risk
23:13 Why muscle mass is a bank account you draw from later
24:29 Zone 2 cardio and the Maffetone formula
25:51 Why walking uphill on a treadmill might be all you need
Découvrez des podcasts liées à Made in Dubai with Spencer Lodge. Explorez des podcasts avec des thèmes, sujets, et formats similaires. Ces similarités sont calculées grâce à des données tangibles, pas d'extrapolations !
