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DHAHRAN: Hatem Alakeel is probably the most immaculately dressed Saudi podcaster with a coronary heart of gold.
His podcast, Gems of Arabia, which goals to spotlight “all of the shimmering hidden gems of the Arab world,” lately launched its third season with an enormous change — he’s partnering with world-famous UK-based luxurious division retailer Harrods.
That is the primary official Center Japanese collaboration between Harrods, established in 1849, and an rising podcast launched in 2021.
I’ve been doing this all my life, like being in a boarding faculty (in Europe) and being the ambassador to Saudi Arabia representing my nation. I hope to proceed with what I’ve been doing over the previous years and alter the perception-based stereotypes and elevate the Saudi tradition and Arab tradition.
Hatem Alakeel
“Harrods and Gems of Arabia are partnering on a podcast collection, themed on bridging the generations by tradition,” Alakeel instructed Arab Information. “As two established establishments in their very own areas, our podcast and Harrods hopes to facilitate conversations between company who’re excelling of their discipline, and to offer a bridge between each generations in each the UK and the Center East.
“We’re internet hosting these particular editions of Gems of Arabia from inside Harrods, Knightsbridge,” he stated.
A softly spoken and articulate host, Alakeel has discovered among the most attention-grabbing UK-based Saudis and different Arabs to interview. The brand new season presents loads of shock company from throughout the MENA area.
With 18 years of expertise, Alakeel first began as a designer along with his label “Toby,” modernizing the normal thobe, and has been elegantly sashaying into every endeavor he has launched into ever since along with his model consultancy Authenticite.
Though Alakeel is happy with his Saudi heritage and his Jeddah roots, he’s largely based mostly in Dubai. However irrespective of the place he’s geographically, he’s at all times captivated with amplifying narratives within the area no matter the place they’re from.
For the previous 4 years, he has been writing an internet column the place he highlights change-makers within the area who’re shaping the Saudi panorama in a optimistic method. He knew it was time to attempt a unique platform to additional amplify the voices of these people to construct on the conversations, so he began the podcast.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The brand new season presents loads of shock company from throughout the MENA area.
• Hatem Alakeel lived a good portion of his life overseas, his mom continuously reminded him to not stray too distant from his heritage and to by no means compromise on his values.
• That is the primary official Center Japanese collaboration between Harrods, established in 1849, and an rising podcast launched in 2021.
• For Alakeel, authenticity is the key phrase. He’s now attempting to facilitate alternatives for native creatives to showcase themselves — with out excluding Saudis dwelling overseas.
That’s one thing Harrods was interested in.
“For me, Harrods has been an establishment that I’ve at all times seemed as much as ever since I used to be a child. It actually has this sort of nostalgia feeling for me. I consider that the way in which we now have been in a position to join was by my podcast throughout my second season, which I did on the Saudi Cup — it was about heritage,” he stated.
As Alakeel turn out to be acknowledged on-line and offline, he felt a way of accountability to assist foster a thriving ecosystem for creatives in or from the area. He needed to create the kind of neighborhood that he wished he had when he was beginning his profession.
An un-ironic instagram influencer, he makes certain that his posts are each in English and Arabic. He additionally genuinely tries to carry out the silver lining in each state of affairs.
The one who has been his anchor is his late mom, Seham Arab, who lately handed away.
Though Alakeel lived a good portion of his life overseas, his mom continuously reminded him to not stray too distant from his heritage and to by no means compromise on his values.
His beloved mom’s scent lingers in Alakeel’s life — actually. Each night time, he spritzes a few of her favourite fragrance onto his pillow so he can go to sleep to her reminiscence. Nonetheless, the bond between mom and son goes effectively past odor, which is thought to be the strongest sense tied to reminiscence.
She was the inspiration for his life’s work and the rationale he started on his journey attempting to uncover hidden gems and treasures throughout the Arab area. Alakeel calls her his first gem. She additionally launched him to Harrods.
“My recollection of my first expertise with Harrods was after I was in boarding faculty and my mother despatched me a field of using gear — it was sneakers, a hat, and it was probably the most immaculate using gear that I received, as a result of I used to be horseback using. So from there, it snowballed into me at all times going there and appreciating them. I used to be over the moon to have the chance to truly do one thing with them,” he stated.
She would have beloved his collaboration with Harrods and the way he determined to method the partnership.
“The method that I proposed to Harrods is generational and cultural — there’s additionally a generational bridge that’s being constructed. And we have to acknowledge that quite a lot of the youthful technology, Technology Z, for instance, may be very a lot impressed greater than ever with classic. Millennials had been at all times so brand-obsessed,” he stated.
“So, that is type of the motion that I’m creating with the podcast — what we’re going to be doing with Harrods — is to spotlight the generational bridges present between each cultures. You already know, an thought of how progressive Saudi designers have gotten, how rather more uncovered they’re and the way rather more we have to type of see the place it’s heading. And that is the type of dialog we wish to have,” he stated.
For Alakeel, authenticity is the key phrase. He’s now attempting to facilitate alternatives for native creatives to showcase themselves — with out excluding Saudis dwelling overseas.
He needs to attempt to bridge the completely different generations that appear considerably disconnected. A podcast felt like a pure development to merge all of those parts collectively. It’s a conversational car that may enable completely different members of communities to precise themselves.
It’s all about making a neighborhood and constructing it up.
“I’ve been doing this all my life, like being in a boarding faculty (in Europe) and being the ambassador to Saudi Arabia representing my nation. I hope to proceed with what I’ve been doing over the previous years and alter the perception-based stereotypes and elevate the Saudi tradition and Arab tradition,” Alakeel stated.
Saudis, and certainly Arabs, have shopped at Harrods in London for generations. It’s a trusted place to search out curated and well-crafted items. This season’s podcast guarantees the identical.
“Harrods is partnering with game-changers within the native market; trailblazers, designers and entrepreneurs based mostly within the Center East. The aim is to construct a neighborhood of likeminded people, to offer them with a world platform and wider community of contacts, whereas permitting Harrods to construct relationships with and assist the following technology of expertise. Harrods’ partnership with Gems of Arabia is an ideal alignment and a superb instance of this work, making certain their place in these overseas markets is significant and constructed on cooperation,” Alakeel stated.
Faucet into season 3 of the Gems of Arabia podcast empowered by @harrods by connecting to @authenticite_by_hatem_alakeel.
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