The SME Paradox No One Is Fixing! | The Mal Show (Podcast) with Dr. Vishnu Katara

Why Most People Stay Broke? | The Mal Show (Podcast) with Sherine Kabesh

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 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 Sherine Kabesh https://eg.linkedin.com/in/sherine-kabesh-9b385860 #TheMALShow #financialfreedom #Startup #Fintech #IslamicFinance #UAE #entrepreneurship #business

The SME Paradox No One Is Fixing! | The Mal Show (Podcast) with Dr. Vishnu Katara

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: 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. Vishnu Katara https://ae.linkedin.com/in/vishnukatara #TheMALShow #AI #SMEs #Startup #Fintech #IslamicFinance #UAE #Entrepreneurship #Business #ArtificialIntelligence #MiddleEast #MAL

Private Credit Want Small Businesses to Win! | The Mal Show (Podcast) with Omar Al Yawer

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: 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 Omar Al Yawer https://www.linkedin.com/in/omaralyawer13/ #themalshow #islamicfinance #ai #podcast #fintech #shariafinance

People Are Tired of Unethical Banking | The Mal Show (Podcast) With Dr. Angel Wesley

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

Why Civilizations Fall? | The Mal Show (Podcast) with Dr. Roy Casagranza

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