Claim OwnershipThe Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser
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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.
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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 vulnerability and understanding intertwine. Their conversion navigates Avni’s love of astrology, her artistic doubts, and the prospect of her book hitting the big screen.
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Nadia Wassef on narrative structure, trafficking in nostalgia and life after publishing a debut memoir.
Yasmina Jraissati on unlocking the potential of the Arabic language and how she accidentally became a rebel with a cause.
00:00 Coming up
02:21 Character development
07:56 Anticipating success
08:53 The role of the mother in India
11:26 From child to caretaker
15:42 Moving to India
18:40 Harper’s Bazaar India comes knocking
20:55 Homesick but not sure where home is
22:18 Girl in White Cotton
24:35 First publication by Harper Collins India
25:35 Second publication by Penguin’s Hamish Hamilton in the UK
26:29 ‘Girl in White Cotton’ becomes ‘Burnt Sugar’
28:46 Booker’s Prize Shortlist
30:08 The brutality of motherhood
32:50 Real politics plays out in the family
34:38 The pressure of success
38:02 Avni’s writing process
44:48 Writing peer groups
46:54 Responding to critique
49:55 UAE’s literary scene
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 of astrology before moving on to her artistic doubts and the prospect of her book hitting the big screen.
Coming to your podcast player August 8!
Chef, hotelier and author Fadi Kattan shares a special recipe to help Hashem reuse his leftover Molokhia. Listen to the full episode with Fadi in your podcast apps right before this one, or on our website: https://thelighthouse.ae/podcast/fadi-kattan/
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 grandmother’s recipes, his twists on traditional Palestinian dishes and the concept of ‘loqma’, breaking a dish down to its essence of a single bite. He also highlights the local farmers who inspired him to bring his culinary vision to life.
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Mohamad Orfali on his sensational pivot from TV chef to award-winning restauranteur
Bethlehem: A celebration of Palestinian Food
Teta’s Kitchen on YouTube
The Markaz Review: An Oral History of Mulukhiya from Egypt, Palestine, Tunisia and Japan
The Maria’s Review: Desire and the Palestinian Kitchen
The Markaz Review: Sacred fire, Profane fire: From Ritual to Barbecue
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 exposed him to the world of art, how memories of Egypt’s bygone era continue to influence his collection, and why the introduction to seminal GCC artists such as Hassan Sharif was so pivotal to him.
Hashem and Caroline also discuss the evolution of The Lighthouse into a vibrant community hub that fosters connections between art-curious individuals and artists. And here’s a sneak peek: Hashem comes from art royalty, the father of modern Egyptian painting, Mahmoud Said, being his great granduncle.
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Hashem Montasser tells Youssef el Deeb about his journey from Wall Street to building The Lighthouse
Artists & Designers on The Lighthouse Conversations:
Maha Mahmoun
Myrna Ayad
Nada Debs
Anoud Alzaben
Vilma Jurkute, Alserkal Avenue
Tarik Al-Zaharna
Maya Allison
Isabelle van den Eynde, Gallery IVDE
David & Nicholas
Cyril Zammit
Bokja: Huda Baroudi & Maria Hibri
Brendan McGetrick, Museum of the Future
Sunny Rahbar, Third Line Gallery
Meshary AlNasser
Nakkash Gallery: Wajih, Aya & Omar Nakkash
Elie Khouri
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 Vivium Holding, a family office focused on all things Elie, a portfolio that includes real estate, tech and hospitality.
This wide-ranging conversation covers the evolution of advertising in the region, the current state of the Dubai art and design scene as well as his patronage and interest in art. Elie is also a "Shark" on the Dubai edition of the hit reality series Shark Tank and shares key advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
As someone with a keen eye for detail, Elie also picks up on Hashem's unwavering commitment to wearing black!
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 able to balance between all of his roles while being a father of four.
Catch our brand new episode this Thursday with Hamad Al Awar, the founder of the beloved home-grown burger brand 'High Joint'.
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 present-day business in Beirut and Dubai. Mohamed shares his passion for storytelling through the intricate artistry of carpets and how the business came to be named ‘Iwan Maktabi’ (spoiler alert: it’s not a family member!).
We're back this week with a brand new episode with Mohamed Maktabi, the man behind the carpet dynasty, Iwan Maktabi. Find it in your podcast player this Thursday.
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!
Hashem and his producer Chirag look back on 2023, sharing who makes a good podcast host, why fear of failure keeps popping up, and how to make a business outlast its founder. Catch the new episode, out this Friday!
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).
Hashem and Ayman also discuss the entrepreneurial energy of Dubai, navigating the pandemic, why The Qode decided to enter the Saudi market, Ayman’s dedication to philanthropy, and…the ubiquity of proverbial buses!
We’ll be back with new episodes in a couple of weeks.
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Cordoba Advisory’s Rami Sarafa on demystifying the art of investing and the importance of psychology in wealth management
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, Mariana attributes it all to her talent for being an excellent waitress!
Tom Arnel talks about the concept behind The Guild, their ambitious 20,000 sq. ft. space in the Heart of Dubai. You can listen to our full episode with Tom in your podcast player or on our website.
Coming this week, Mariana Wehbe, founder of MWPR, on The Lighthouse Conversations with Hashem Montasser
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 entrepreneur and how he now manages its day-to-day operations whilst balancing being present for his family. Tom provides a glimpse of the early, pioneering days when he set out to build his first concept, Tom&Serg, what it’s like to add ten restaurant venues in a single year, and the fun of raising "Dubai'' kids with their Australian-British-American twang!
We also have a bonus episode with Tom talking about pivoting the concept behind The Guild, his new 20,000 sq. ft space in DIFC while facing a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.
Links:
Natasha Sederis
Ayman Baki
Tom Arnel on Tales of the Trade
Coming this Thursday, 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.
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 series of experimental surgeries. Shaped by early traumatic life events, HSY also shares how his journey led him to move to the US and temporarily conform to Western ideals before finding his footing in his native Pakistan. HSY and Hashem also debate the metrics of success, releasing mortal coils, and a tête-à-tête with William and Kate!
Links:
Ayman Fakoussa on launching The Qode, balancing friendship with business, and why he can’t let go of Microsoft Excel
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 Nakkash name evolved from a single showroom to a family-run business that includes interiors, has an online presence, and collaborations with his son Omar on new designs while Aya focuses on marketing (and mediating!) They also discuss the role of design fairs in establishing a collectible design market and the challenges of catering to the needs of Dubai’s diverse population without being all things to all people. Wajih and Omar also share the importance of storytelling in their business, the challenges of shifting from professional to personal in their daily interactions with each other, and what role Matriarch Mrs. Nakkash’s vinyls played!
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