The first time it really clicked for me was during an app-onboarding sprint: half the “users” weren’t employees. We had contractors, service accounts, APIs calling other APIs, and data living across SaaS and GCP. A network firewall didn’t help much there. What actually decided whether something was safe (or scary) was identity, who or what […]
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of B2B procurement, you know the drill: a Google search to find potential suppliers, then a tedious back-and-forth to see if they meet your needs, only to be hit with an Excel sheet bloated with tens of thousands of SKUs—most of which don’t even apply. From there, […]
Generative AI is no longer a novelty — it’s a production-ready toolset that helps brands in the UAE and Saudi Arabia move faster, test more, and spend smarter when creating design and video. By Ilya Zmienko, Founder, Svyazi. Communications Agency Why this matters now Generative AI has leaped far beyond early demos. Today, text‑to‑image and […]
Tell us about yourself and your background. I started my career in business and finance in the Philippines, including early roles at institutions like HSBC, where I was exposed to large-scale operations and complex decision-making environments. While I have a formal background in management—I hold a Master of Science in Management from the University of […]
In today’s rapidly changing business world, industries that until recently operated in complete isolation are discovering powerful opportunities at their intersections — between the worlds of beauty and cutting-edge technology, particularly in the field of conscious artificial intelligence (AI). This is much more than a fleeting trend. It is a fundamental change in the way […]
Tell us about yourselves We’re Mikail Ismail and Anwar Rizk, rising seniors at the American School of Dubai and co-founders of FunFi — the flagship app of our financial literacy platform, Fundamental Finance. I’m Pakistani by heritage but born and raised in Dubai, where my family has been based for over 50 years. Anwar is […]
From sand dunes to skyline, Dubai’s transformation over a few decades has been extraordinary. Now, the city is entering a new phase, a tech-dominant, AI-led paradigm where business processes scale faster, leaner, and more instantly accessible. AI integration spans both private-sector operations and government platforms, increasingly shaping enterprise-level decision-making, especially for business owners. However, many […]
Tell us about yourself and your career journey I began my professional journey in the fields of Legal, Compliance, and Human Resources. My academic background is rooted in law, which I pursued as my initial field of study. Over the years, I complemented this foundation with several master’s degrees—one in Banking and Finance, another in Management, […]
Is AI the ultimate source of truth? As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, many of us are starting to rely on it to answer questions, make decisions, and even form opinions. From Google searches to sophisticated tools like ChatGPT, it’s tempting to believe that the machines know it all. But here’s the real question: Should […]
AI is everywhere in 2025—but for many first-time and women entrepreneurs, the real question is: how can I actually use it today, without funding, developers, or hype? The truth is, AI has quietly become one of the most powerful tools for bootstrapped businesses—if you know where to look. Here are five practical and budget-friendly ways […]
