Exciting plans for Season 4 are already in motion, and in this 100th-episode special, Arjun takes a turn on the other side of the #couch! Hosting this special edition is Vuk Zlatarov, Co-founder and CEO of Poddster, who delves into Arjun’s journey behind the scenes. Vuk leads Arjun through a candid discussion about the journey of building the show, from its early days to becoming a space for the region's most insightful conversations. They explore the challenges, standout moments, and the future direction of the show as it continues to grow.

We continue celebrating the 100th episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! For this milestone episode, we’re happy to welcome back Roelant Prins, Chief Commercial Officer at Adyen. Roelant and Arjun had an interesting conversation at the end of Season 1, where we filmed a special episode in Amsterdam. Today, Roelant joins us remotely to discuss the evolving payments landscape and explore the critical shifts happening in both Europe and the Middle East. Catch this insightful conversation with Roelant as we celebrate 100 episodes of learning innovation, and community!

We’re celebrating the 100th episode with the return of Ramana Kumar, CEO of Magnati! Ramana first joined us in Season 1, and now he’s back to share how Magnati has evolved into a leading cloud-based payments company. In this special episode, we explore the shift to tech-driven payments, the rise of embedded finance, cross-border payment challenges in the MENA region, the role of CBDCs, and the potential of stablecoins in transaction banking. Plus, how Magnati is navigating the regulatory landscape across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

We're joined by Deepak Mehra, Chief Economist at Commercial Bank of Dubai, on the new episode. We explore the megatrends that are shaping our world—from the impact of AI and environmental changes to the challenges posed by aging populations across various countries.

Our conversation covers the complexities of wealth management, trading strategies, and the best approaches to investing in today’s unpredictable markets. We also take a closer look at the economies of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, discussing their reliance on fossil fuels and their ongoing efforts to diversify. Lastly, we touch on the inspiration behind Deepak's latest book, 'Think Like a Golfer, Win Like a Golfer.'

In this episode, Arjun engages in a fascinating conversation with Mikhail Lomtadze, CEO and co-founder of Kaspi, the groundbreaking super app that is transforming daily life in Kazakhstan and beyond. 

Mikhail shares Kaspi's journey from traditional banking and financial services to becoming a super app that offers everything from shopping and payments to government services and even marriage registrations—all within one platform.

In this episode, Arjun sits down with Roger Rouhana, CEO of Alpheya, to explore the future of wealth management in the MENA region.

Their conversation delves into global wealth and asset management trends, highlighting the growing demand for innovative digital solutions and the crucial role of robo-advisors in making wealth management more accessible.

They also discuss Alpheya's mission and foundation, the evolving landscape of wealth management in the GCC region, and the impact of trading apps on the wealth tech industry.

Digital Leadership: Embracing the New Tech Age!

This week, we sit down with Pedro Sousa Cardoso, Chief Digital Officer at Emirates NBD, to explore the state of banking in the UAE. We have an in-depth conversation on the evolving role of CDOs, increasing collaboration between banks and fintechs, and venture building within banks, using Liv Bank as an example.

Tune in to discover how Emirates NBD is leading the charge in banking innovation.