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I'm Aaron Henriques, a British expat, business investor and entrepreneur who buys simple businesses. I own multiple businesses in the UK and Dubai and am a former police officer. Ready to transform your financial journey and build wealth? You're in the right place! Subscribe for expert Dubai expat tips and join our Opportunity Awaits podcast community. Here, I share my own real-world, no-nonsense, ad-free insights to empower you to seize lucrative opportunities in business and investing. Be ...
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Hashem Montasser, Founder of the The Lighthouse Restaurant & Concept Store in the UAE, is a raconteur who avidly follows the work of arts, culture, technology and, of course, food. In a series of conversations aimed at introducing its audience to the Middle East’s entrepreneurial landscape, Hashem asks his guests about their life journeys, inspirations, successes and failures and everything in-between. New episodes available every second Thursday. You can also follow us on: Instagram Twitter ...
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7csGKSSBsNc Join Aaron Henriques as he shares an eye-opening experience about firing the first employee in one of his companies. With over 15 years as an entrepreneur and a decade as a police officer, Aaron delves into the reasons behind the termination and what could have been done differently. Discover insights …
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Hashem catches up with Avni Doshi, author of ‘Burnt Sugar’, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. In her book, Avni explores the themes of identity, culture and motherhood. The heartfelt discussion captures the poignant moments of personal growth that permeate her narrative, now seen through the lens of maternal experience, where …
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In our upcoming episode, award-winning novelist Avni Doshi opens up about her literary journey. From the process of crafting her debut novel Burnt Sugar, to grappling with the aftermath of critical acclaim, she shares insights into her creative process and the cultural depth that defines her work. Avni and Hashem’s conversion navigates Avni’s love …
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J2wVjk4A-jY Join British Entrepreneur Aaron Henriques as he delves into the revolutionary principles from Dan Sullivan's 'Who Not How'. Discover how Aaron transformed his approach to business, freeing up valuable time and skyrocketing productivity. In this episode, Aaron shares his personal journey and insights on…
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Hashem catches up with chef, hotelier, and author, Fadi Kattan in Bethlehem. Chef Fadi talks about his newly published cookbook, Bethlehem, which is essentially a celebration of Palestinian Food. It is a beautiful homage to Palestine’s food culture conveyed via Fadi’s memories. Snippets of oral history are prominently featured including his grandmo…
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZKj0Rz4i8e4 Join Aaron Henriques as he addresses a crucial mistake from his previous video on the UK general election. Discover an unforeseen constituency boundary change in 2023 and understand why it matters. Aaron tackles misconceptions, clarifies his voting stance, and dives into the discrepancies in seat alloc…
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H8kpMXmS0KA In this video, British entrepreneur Aaron Henriques discusses his scepticism about the recent UK election results, which saw Keir Starmer's Labour party win by a huge majority over the Conservative party, defeating former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after 14 years of Tory rule. He questions the fairness…
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In this episode, Aaron Henriques, a former police officer and experienced entrepreneur from London, shares his journey of becoming comfortable with not being constantly busy. He reflects on his habit of starting multiple businesses without seeing them through and discusses how he learned to value downtime. Aaron talks about shifting his focus from …
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في هذه الحلقة من بودكاست شرطة دبي، نستضيف سعادة اللواء الدكتور صالح عبدالله للحديث عن فرص توظيف الطلبة المرشحين والمرشحات في شرطة دبي. سيتناول اللواء صالح الفئات المستهدفة من الشباب والشابات الطموحين الذين يسعون للانضمام إلى صفوف شرطة دبي، موضحًا اشتراطات التسجيل التي تشمل المعايير الأكاديمية والمهارات الشخصية المطلوبة. كما سيتطرق إلى طرق التواصل و…
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Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/w8nul5d7vcA In this highly requested episode of Opportunity Awaits, Aaron Henriques dives into his personal journey of setting up both corporate and personal bank accounts in Dubai. This episode is especially helpful for free zone business owners with residency in Dubai. Aaron shares the steps he followed, the hurd…
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This week, we’re flipping the script. Art consultant Caroline Louca gets behind the host’s mic to chat with Hashem the art collector! As a long-time friend of Hashem’s, an art advisor, and former Managing Director of Christie’s Dubai, Caroline digs deep into Hashem’s passion for art. They talk about Hashem’s art enthusiast and academic mother, who …
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Join Aaron Henriques, a seasoned entrepreneur from London, as he shares his journey of moving his business to Dubai. Discover the challenges he faced with high taxes and low opportunities in the UK, and how Dubai’s favourable environment for entrepreneurs offered a fresh start. Learn about why Aaron pivoted away from his start up idea and instead c…
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Hashem catches up with the renowned art collector and CEO of Vivium Holding, his newly established family office. Elie, a self-made man who grew up during Beirut's civil war has had a fascinating career journey, pivoting to advertising early in his career and then building & leading Omnicom Media Group MENA for 18 years. In 2017, he established Viv…
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Hashem catches up with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the home-grown burger brand, High Joint, a police officer and a creative artist. Having met at a shawarma place in a very interesting coincidence, Hashem decided to bring their conversation to The Lighthouse Podcast room and explore the man with multiple hats. Hamad walks us through how he is abl…
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Discussing tax insights and requirements for setting up a company in Dubai, addressing two common questions and misconceptions from viewers of the channel in this first Q&A video. 🎥 WATCH THIS NEXT: https://aaronhenriques.com/OAP014YT ✍️ EPISODE PAGE: Dubai Free Zone Business Set Up Process: What You Need To Know | EP 14 https://aaronhenriques.com/…
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Hashem catches up with Mohamed Maktabi, the CEO of Iwan Maktabi, the go-to address for rare carpets and textile art in the MENA region. They go back in time as Mohamed reveals the captivating tale of his family's heritage: from his grandfather's migration from Iran to Lebanon, fueled by a passion for collecting the most exquisite carpets, to the pr…
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In our 2023 review episode, our producer Chirag Desai catches up with Hashem to discuss the milestones from this past year such as coping with fear of failure, the allure of leaving a legacy behind and the loneliness of being an entrepreneur. Plus, Hashem talks about his soft spot for the late Queen Elizabeth – and we finally find out why!…
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In this throwback episode from 2023: Our conversation with Ayman Fakkousa, co-founder of The Qode. Hashem and Ayman chat about his experience growing up in Saudi Arabia before eventually moving to Dubai and embarking on a multi-faceted career that culminated in launching his own communications firm at the young age of 30 (with partner Dipesh Depala…
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Hashem catches up with Mariana Wehbe, the creative force behind MWPR. Renowned for crafting extraordinary events and transformative projects, Mariana shares her journey from surviving the Beirut blast in 2020 to embracing Abu Dhabi as her newfound haven. Stumbling into PR 'by accident', and ending up becoming the PR Queen in the Middle East, Marian…
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Hashem catches up with Tom Arnel, founder of EatX and the man behind some of the most successful dining concepts in Dubai, including The Sum of Us, Common Grounds, Harvest & Co, Byron Bather’s Club, HawkerBoi, and The Guild at DIFC. Known for constantly trying to push the envelope in the F&B industry, Tom candidly discusses his journey as an entrep…
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Hashem catches up with Pakistani couturier Hassan Sheheryar Yassin, or HSY. In one of our rawest episodes yet, HSY gets candid about his past as the child of a single mother and the effects of poverty and living in a women’s shelter. HSY and Hashem then delve deeper into his experience as a medical guinea pig when a bout of blindness led to a serie…
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Hashem catches up with the Nakkash family: patriarch Wajih Nakkash, his daughter Aya, and son Omar. To celebrate their 40th business anniversary, Wajih recounts how the Nakkash journey started with a showroom in Sharjah in 1983 and an avant-garde Emirati couple that approached him to design the interiors of their home. Wajih also shares how the Nak…
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Hey, I'm Aaron Henriques, a seasoned entrepreneur and business investor from the United Kingdom. Following the requests from people who watched my video on setting up a freezone company in Dubai, in this episode, I delve deep, detailing the full UAE residency visa process. This is tailored specifically for entrepreneurs and investors who have estab…
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Diving into the joy of Guatemalan retreats and the love of Microsoft Excel, Hashem sits with Ayman Fakoussa this week to have a wide-ranging conversation. Hashem and Ayman chat about his experience growing up in Saudi Arabia before eventually moving to Dubai and embarking on a multi-faceted career that culminated in launching his own communications…
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In this throwback episode to our live episode at The Lighthouse: HE Minister of State Zaki Nusseibeh shares personal anecdotes from his childhood in Jerusalem, the early days of the UAE when he worked as a translator for HH Sheikh Zayed and the development of its arts and culture scene. While sharing snapshots from his various life experiences with…
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In this throwback episode from 2022: Hashem invited Ahmad Al Marri, Founder of Dubai-based ice cream brand Canvas Gelato to the hot seat. Launched in 2017, Canvas Gelato’s raison d'être is to produce ice cream that is made exclusively with “real” ingredients and delivered at negative 70 degrees celsius. Ahmad’s ice cream delivery concept proved suc…
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In this throwback to our first episode from 2019: Hashem talks to Mryna Ayad, the former Editor-in-Chief of art magazine Canvas and now an independent art consultant who continues to shape the way art & artists from the Middle East are represented internationally. In addition to her professional journey that took her from Canvas to Director of Art …
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Our guest is up-and-coming designer Meshary AlNassar. Hailing from Kuwait, Meshary’s journey into interior design started during childhood with American TV pop culture influences The Oprah Winfrey Show and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Hashem and Meshary discuss his “design education” surrounded by an all-female cohort and how he managed to navig…
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Cairo, mon amour! This week Hashem catches up with Sotheby’s veteran Mai Eldib, whose recent book release ‘Cairo Eternal’ was instantly sought after even by the iconic Fifi Abdou. Hashem and Mai bond over their experiences in Cairo—from overbearing doormen to the perpetual noise factor. Leaving giddiness aside, they agree that what makes Cairo magi…
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In this video, I will be sharing my experience as an entrepreneur from the UK of setting up a free zone company in Dubai. If you are thinking of starting a business in the UAE, setting up a free zone company can be a great option. In the video, I will be discussing all the important things that I wish I knew before so that you can establish a free …
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We're throwing it back to our 2022 conversation with Anoud Alzaben. Anoud is a multidisciplinary designer rooted in the practice of architecture. She shared snippets from her childhood growing up in a family steeped in tradition, and how this upbringing has influenced her passions and, ultimately, her career trajectory. We were delighted to see Ano…
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Hashem catches up with Natasha Sideris after a two-year scheduling ping-pong. He instantly bonds with the iconic restaurateur and founder of Tashas, Avli, and Flamingo Room, over their quest for work-life balance and sustaining a timeless brand with menu classics and sleek interior design. Natasha shares her most cherished metrics for success and w…
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Hashem catches up with publisher Yasmina Jraissati, who manages content strategy and acquisition at Storytel MENA. They explore the commonalities of growing up in Arab homes with a French-speaking parent, and the implications of language on societal participation in the Middle East. Hashem and Yasmina also discuss the lack of Arabic content and att…
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On the back of his recent trip to Singapore, Hashem catches up with Ivan Brehm, chef-owner of Michelin-starred restaurant, Nouri. They discuss the essential role storytelling plays in Ivan’s “crossroads” menu and how he curated his space at Nouri so that sharing takes center stage enabling his guests to bond and find commonalities. Hashem and Ivan …
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Hashem meets up with Shereen Al-Mulla, soon-to-be Master Herbalist, and co-founder of Hikma Rituals, a homegrown brand of botanicals including oils, tinctures and dusts. Hashem and Shereen discuss the beginnings of her journey into herbalism by way of a rose infusion ritual, the desire to reclaim her Iraqi heritage, and the serendipitous meeting wi…
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Hashem catches up with fellow Harvard alumnus and EFG Hermes Pax Americana boot buddy Rami Sarafa, who recently launched Cordoba Advisory Partners, a private wealth management firm. Rami divulges key tips on how to build a strong investment portfolio and demystifies the arcane nature of finance. He is of the view that a key ingredient to successful…
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In this week’s episode we are transported to Cairo via Mexico City. Hashem chats with Mohamed Elshahed, curator, architectural historian and author of Cairo Since 1900: An Architectural Guide. Hashem and Mohamed expand on how Cairo, the architectural compendium of 220 buildings and sites, was put together. They also uncover the challenges and surpr…
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Entrepreneurship can be challenging, particularly when you're grappling with finding focus or feeling inundated with choices. In this episode, Aaron discusses his own struggles and offers valuable insights. From overcoming procrastination to navigating conflicting advice, Aaron covers key topics that are essential for every entrepreneur to understa…
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Hashem catches up with Sunny Rahbar, co-founder of legendary Dubai-based art gallery The Third Line, which is celebrating its 18th year. Our episode quickly morphed into a gem of oral history as Sunny shared her story of growing in and around Dubai’s rapidly changing cultural landscape and contributing to the seismic shifts that propelled the evolu…
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It is a frequent problem among numerous entrepreneurs to get sidetracked by social status instead of prioritising sales. They hold the belief that acquiring a blue tick on Instagram and Facebook is the sole key to success, and they will go to any extent to attain it. In the wake of Elon Musk's recent verification on Twitter, Meta has declared its p…
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Hashem catches up with Ayman Baky, fellow Cairene and Founder of Baky Hospitality. Baky Hospitality is the group behind the award winning restaurants Sachi and Kazoku, as well as Reif Kushiyaki (Cairo) which have reshaped the dining scene in Egypt. Successful, gritty and what many would call “Type A personality,” Ayman is no stranger to risks and l…
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All good things come to an end and so too did 2022. As is our podcast tradition, we recorded our year in review on Hashem’s birthday with the usual balloons and confetti (yeah right). And with birthdays come reflections on the past and predictions of the future. This includes our podcast which is now in its fourth year. Hashem, a self appointed “we…
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