This week we sit with Stasha Toncev, founder of Dubai’s award-winning Balkan bistro, 21 Grams. Hailed in the media, Stasha’s restaurant was praised as “charming” and “brain melting” by The Financial Times supplement, How To Spend It, and Bill Addison, the Los Angeles Times’ celebrated food critic.
In our first episode since Ramadan break, Hashem is joined by Manal Ataya who, as the Director General of Sharjah Museum Authority, sits at the helm of 16 museums documenting and consolidating the cultural heritage of the region. They discuss the “inner workings” of a museum director and why Manal...
This week Hashem caught up with Dr. Carine El Khazen, clinical psychologist at the American Center in Dubai, and Vice President of MEEDA (Middle East Eating Disorders Association). Eating disorders are the deadliest form of mental illness, and 95% of sufferers are women between the ages of 15 to 25....
The discussion around the support of mental health in the Middle East is an ongoing one, and one we feel deserves continued attention, much like our previous seasons. The key element of course in discussing mental health is having a secure environment where people are comfortable talking about it. Today’...
We sat down with Zainab Al Sawalhi to discuss an idea that made us think, ‘Now, why didn’t I start this?’ The Picture Happiness Project works to spread a message of compassion and inspire kindness. This Dubai-based movement is a simple, but generous way to anonymously make someone’s...
We’re going behind the scenes this week with the Lighthouse’s Hashem Montasser & Hany Bassiouny who speak with producer Chirag Desai about how they’re dealing with the consequences of Covid-19 and its current impact on their business. They also share their insights on how the F&...
