What does financial freedom actually look like — and how do you get there?

In this episode of The Mal Show, Youssef sits down with Sherine Kabesh, founder of Flash, Egypt's leading financial wellness platform and Ex - Uber. Shireen brings rare honesty to the conversation — from the social challenges of being a woman in fintech, to how she walked away from a Dubai salary to build a startup, to her take on investing, data privacy, credit culture, and what it really means to be financially free.

If you've ever spent money to impress people, avoided saving because of what others might think, or wondered how to start building real financial wellness — this episode is for you.

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel to get the latest episode of The Mal Show

CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
1:06 Women in Fintech: The Real Challenges
4:23 Where Do Women in Finance Disappear To?
5:34 From Finance to Marketing — Numbers Are Everywhere
6:53 What Is Financial Wellness?
10:45 How Shireen De-Risked Before Starting Flash
13:23 Breaking Free From Social Pressure
14:10 Confidence Comes From Within
15:52 What Is Financial Freedom?
18:37 Ethics & Investing — Is the S&P 500 Halal?
22:00 How Flash Uses Your Financial Data
25:04 The Culture of Credit
29:54 Why You Should Trust QR Code Payments
32:26 Digitization Is Like Electricity
34:35 Uber, Safety & Moral Responsibility
36:46 One Step Towards Financial Freedom

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

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To get in touch with Sherine Kabesh
https://eg.linkedin.com/in/sherine-kabesh-9b385860

#TheMALShow #financialfreedom #Startup #Fintech #IslamicFinance #UAE #entrepreneurship #business

In this episode of The MAL Show, we sit down with Dr. Vishnu Katara — GM of SMEs at MAL, investor, operator, and former finance leader at companies like Flipkart, Noon, and Ola — to explore how AI, ethical finance, and SME banking could completely reshape the future of business.

We discuss why traditional banks continue to fail SMEs, why 90% of the economy is powered by small businesses while only a tiny percentage gets funded, and how AI-native banking could change underwriting, collections, payroll, and business operations forever.

Dr. Vishnu also explains how companies like Flipkart, Noon, and Ola competed against Western giants like Amazon and Uber — and won through local understanding, speed, and entrepreneurial culture.

The conversation also dives into:

The transformation of the UAE into a global business hub
Ethical and Sharia-compliant finance
AI agents replacing entire business functions
What founders actually need to raise capital
Angel investing and startup evaluation
Why learning and curiosity matter more than ever in the AI era
The mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur

This is a deep conversation about the future of finance, startups, technology, and building meaningful businesses in the Middle East and beyond.

Don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations on business, finance, technology, and culture.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:56 From Heavy Industry to Startups
5:05 Being Entrepreneurial Inside a Corporate
6:19 The Non-Unicorn to Unicorn Secret
8:06 Competing With Western Giants
11:22 Why the Middle East?
13:26 UAE as a Global Business Hub
15:38 From CFO to Running a Business Segment
17:23 The SME Funding Gap
18:26 Why Banks Fail SMEs
20:08 MAL's AI-Native Banking Vision
26:17 AI Agents Working for Your Business
29:44 Competing With Traditional Banks
36:48 Sharia Compliance & Ethical Finance
44:23 MAL's Hiring & AI-Driven Recruitment
49:51 The Obsession With Learning
53:49 Angel Investing: How to Start
1:06:36 Finance Career Advice: From CFO to CEO
1:17:42 Advice for Founders Raising Capital

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
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To get in touch with Dr. Vishnu Katara
https://ae.linkedin.com/in/vishnukatara

#TheMALShow #AI #SMEs #Startup #Fintech #IslamicFinance #UAE #Entrepreneurship #Business #ArtificialIntelligence #MiddleEast #MAL

In this episode of The MAL Show, we explore the world of private credit, SME financing, and alternative investments in the Middle East.

Why are startups and SMEs still massively underserved by traditional banks in MENA? Why does the region allocate only around 2% of financing to SMEs compared to nearly 28% globally? And why are private credit and alternative financing becoming one of the biggest emerging opportunities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?

Our guest is Omar Alyawer, Partner and Chief Capital Formation Officer at Ruya Partners, with more than 25 years of experience across global firms including J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Franklin Templeton, and Man Group.

We discuss:
• The SME funding gap in the Gulf
• Why banks avoid startups and SMEs
• Private credit vs venture capital vs growth debt
• How returns of 15–18% are generated
• Direct lending vs sponsor-led deals
• The impact of mega projects on capital demand
• Sovereign wealth funds and institutional capital
• Why private credit is booming globally
• The future of alternative finance in MENA

This is a conversation about where money is really moving — and how the financial system is changing in the Gulf.

Subscribe to The MAL Show for more conversations on money, business, technology, and the human side of finance.

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
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https://www.tiktok.com/@themalshow.podcast
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/youssefsamysalem?hl=en

To get in touch with Omar Al Yawer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/omaralyawer13/

#themalshow #islamicfinance #ai #podcast #fintech #shariafinance

In this episode of The MAL Show, we go beyond finance… and into the deeper forces shaping how we make decisions about money.

How much do your beliefs influence your financial choices?
Can a modern financial system truly align with faith and values?
And what happens when AI enters the equation?

We explore the intersection of faith, law, and innovation—and unpack what it really takes to build a financial system that is not only advanced… but principled.

Our guest is Dr. Angel Wesley—Chief Legal Officer at MAL, with over 20 years of experience in corporate and commercial law, and a graduate of Harvard Law School.

We discuss:

The real meaning of Sharia-compliant finance in today’s world
The legal and ethical challenges of building an AI-native bank
How culture shapes our relationship with money
Whether innovation can coexist with deeply held values
And what MAL is trying to build at a much bigger level

This is not just a conversation about finance.
It’s a conversation about belief, systems, and the future of money.

Powered by MAL
An AI-native financial platform rethinking money through the lens of ethics, values, and intelligent systems.

Please don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to get the latest episodes of The MAL Show.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:45 Dr. Angel's Introduction to Islam
05:35 Does the West understand Islam?
14:04 The UAE culture
32:40 Joining Mal
35:29 How is Mal changing Islamic Finance?
39:09 Commercial Transactions in Islam
45:01 What does Ai Native mean?
53:07 The underserved demographic Mal is solving for
1:02:55 Ethical Banking?

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/themal.show/
https://www.tiktok.com/@themalshow.podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566478614883

To get in touch with Yousef Salem
https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/youssefsamysalem?hl=en

To get in touch with Dr. Angel Weslely
https://ae.linkedin.com/in/angel-wesley-abudhabi

#themalshow #islamicfinance #ai #podcast #fintech #shariafinance

In this episode of The MAL Show, we step beyond finance and into the deeper forces that shape how we think, believe, and act.

This conversation takes us on a journey through philosophy, religion, political economy, and civilizations—exploring ancient history, Islamic history, Egyptian history, and the roots of how societies form, evolve, and understand themselves over time.

Our guest is Roy Casagranda—an academic and lecturer known for his powerful ability to connect civilizations, belief systems, and historical moments into one coherent, thought-provoking perspective. Through years of teaching political science and history, he has developed a unique lens on power, meaning, and the evolution of human societies.

Together, we explore:

The roots of civilizations and why they rise and fall
The relationship between religion, philosophy, and power
How historical narratives shape modern societies
The search for meaning—and whether it can ever be fully understood
The deeper forces—seen and unseen—that continue to shape the world today

This is not just a conversation about history…
It’s a conversation about understanding the world—and our place in it.

Powered by MAL — the first AI-native Islamic digital financial platform.
https://www.mal.ai/

Please don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to get the latest episodes of The MAL Show.

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/themal.show/
https://www.tiktok.com/@themalshow.podcast
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566478614883

To get in touch with Yousef Salem
https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/youssefsamysalem?hl=en

To get in touch with Dr. Roy Casagranda
https://www.instagram.com/roycasagranda/
https://www.youtube.com/@UCUGwVgtUewevtLvu7NaxVrw

#themalshow #history #economy #war #podcast

What really happens when founders raise money? How do venture capitalists evaluate startups, and why do so many founders fail to secure funding?

In this episode of The MAL Show, we go deep into the world of venture capital and startup fundraising. We break down how investors think, what VCs look for in founders, and the real reasons startups get rejected during the funding process. From pitch preparation to deal-making, this conversation gives a clear, insider perspective on how venture capital actually works.

We also explore the realities of building startups in emerging markets, including currency volatility, raising capital in dollars while operating in local currencies, and how venture capital firms support founders through these challenges.

Our guest is Dalia El-Mohamady, CFO at Sawari Ventures, one of Egypt’s leading venture capital firms. She shares practical insights on fundraising, venture capital decision-making, startup investment strategies, and what founders need to understand before raising money.

If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or interested in venture capital, startup funding, and how investors make decisions — this episode breaks it down.

Please don’t forget to subscribe to our channel to get the latest episodes of The MAL Show.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
02:32 Ethics in Business
13:49 Between Judgement & Scrutiny
23:08 Transparency for founders
25:09 Balancing investment portfolio as VC
27:13 Due-diligence for founders
29:13 Preparing the right pitch
36:05 What do VCs want?!
43:37 Signs of troubled companies
46:10 The role of Finance
51:23 Currency's risk management
58:00 Expansion and diversification
59:08 Who is Dalia El Mohamady?
1:01:00 VCs' real clients?
1:04:49 Founders & VCs relationship
1:11:33 How VCs choose founders?
1:14:16 Final advice from Dalia

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/youssefsamysalem?hl=en

To get in touch with Dalia El Mohamady
https://eg.linkedin.com/in/dalia-elmohamady-76270370

#themalshow #vc #entrepreneur #fundraising #podcast

In this episode of The MAL Show, we sit down with Mohamad Kaswani — entrepreneur and fintech & proptech leader, and former Managing Director of Mortgage Finder, part of the Property Finder Group — for a deep conversation on how money, systems, and technology intersect in the real world.

We dive into the mortgage and real estate ecosystem, unpacking why the mortgage process has historically been complex, how technology and data are reshaping the experience, and what’s really driving the Dubai real estate market today.

From there, the discussion expands into the broader startup and investment landscape, exploring the relationship between companies, customers, and investors, and what it takes to build and lead ventures in a fast-moving environment like Dubai.

Along the way, we touch on the role of initiatives and organizations in enabling entrepreneurship across industries, and how ecosystems are built through collaboration between different players.

Toward the end, the conversation shifts into something more personal, reflecting on the situation in Syria and the support initiatives taking place there. Mohamad Kaswani is a venture builder who has spent years operating at the intersection of technology, real estate, and financial services, contributing to the growth of platform-driven businesses and supporting initiatives that empower entrepreneurs and innovation across different markets.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
2:37 Startup ecosystem & Mohamad initiatives in Syria
10:12 The advantage of adversity
12:23: Mentorship
19:43 Ethical standards
21:02 ChatGPT vs Claude
26:32 Transparency loop
27:37 Most important factor in home buying
31:15 Buying Vs Renting
40:35 How Mortgage is calculated?
46:22 Mortgage period
48:26 Balancing Business vs Ethics
54:42 Choosing the right bank
1:08:36 Rent Now, Pay Later
1:11:45 Growth Debt in Startups
1:22:21 Mohamad Kaswani at heart
1:29:41 Investors as partners
1:38:38 Final advice from Mohamad

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
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To get in touch with Mohamad Kaswani
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamadkaswani/

#themalshow #proptech #mortgage #realestate #entrepreneur #podcast

Cryptocurrency is one of the most talked-about industries in the world today.

Some people see it as the future of finance. Others see it as speculation and hype. But beyond the headlines and price charts, an entire financial infrastructure is being built — exchanges, platforms, and systems that allow millions of people to buy, sell, and store digital assets.

One of the people helping build that infrastructure in our region is today’s guest.

Talal Tabbaa is the CEO of CoinMENA, a cryptocurrency exchange serving users across the Middle East and beyond, providing access to digital assets within a regulated environment.

In this episode of The MAL Show, we explore Talal’s personal journey into the crypto industry and what it takes to build a company in such a fast-moving and often controversial space.

We also break down cryptocurrency itself — why it exists, the problems this technology is trying to solve, and how the crypto market actually works. From trading and exchanges to the risks and realities of the industry, this conversation aims to help viewers better understand the world of digital assets.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

Talal Tabbaa’s journey into crypto
How cryptocurrency works and why it exists
How crypto exchanges operate
How trading works in the crypto market
The risks and opportunities in the industry
Building a regulated crypto company in the Middle East

Subscribe to the channel to get the latest episodes of The MAL Show.

To get in touch with us:
podcast@mal.ai

Follow us on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/themal.show/
https://www.tiktok.com/@themalshow.podcast
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To get in touch with Yousef Salem
https://www.linkedin.com/in/youssefsamysalem/?skipRedirect=true
https://www.instagram.com/youssefsamysalem?hl=en

To get in touch with Talal Tabbaa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/talaltabbaa/

#themalshow #crypto #bitcoin #cryptocurrency #entrepreneur #podcast