Healthcare Trends with Elsy Dumit
What progress and challenges exist in localizing pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chains in the Gulf?
The GCC is advancing from secondary packaging (vials and boxes) toward higher-value fill-and-finish operations where countries control dosage forms —oral, liquid, transdermal, and injectable medications—and intellectual property ownership. While countries show strong ambition, progress is a slow burn because they're building from ground zero, shifting from complete import dependency to self-sufficiency.
From imports to indigenous capacity: the shift underway
Gulf states have historically relied almost entirely on imported pharmaceuticals, with minimal domestic manufacturing. The new strategy reverses this dependency by moving beyond simple repackaging operations into actual drug development and production control. This shift represents a substantial reallocation of resources, expertise, and infrastructure.
As Elsy Dumit explains in the episode , fill-and-finish capabilities are critical—they allow countries to take active pharmaceutical ingredients and transform them into finished dosage forms ready for patients. This is fundamentally different from secondary packaging, which adds value without controlling the core medication itself.
Talent and capacity: the real bottleneck
The primary challenge isn't capital or political will; it's limited talent pools and technical capacity . Building a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing sector requires specialized knowledge across chemistry, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, and supply chain management—expertise that doesn't yet exist at scale in the region.
To address this gap, GCC countries are employing a three-pronged strategy: partnerships with established international players, strategic joint ventures, and acquisitions of existing companies. These mechanisms serve as conduits for technology transfer. Local workforce members are being trained abroad—often in Europe and North America—and returning to lead domestic operations and train the next generation.
Details on how these partnerships are structured and which specific international companies have been acquired are discussed further in the full episode , where Dumit unpacks the real mechanics of these collaborations.
"The GCC is shifting from secondary packaging toward higher-value pharmaceutical development and intellectual property ownership, including fill-and-finish operations where countries control dosage forms like oral, liquid, transdermal, and injectable medications."
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger. Dumit has an extensive career in the healthcare space working across the GCC with leading institutions and governments on building resilient healthcare systems, with significant experience in pharma and biotechnology. She holds a Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health from Johns Hopkins University and degrees in biotech from Georgetown, and previously worked at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), the regional office for the Americas for the WHO, focusing on emergency preparedness, outbreak control, and pandemic response.
The ambition is clear and backed by real capital investment and policy reforms, but the transition is fundamentally constrained by the speed at which human expertise can be built. This is not a two-year project—it's a multi-year transformation that requires sustained commitment and ongoing knowledge transfer from international partners.
How prepared are we for the next pandemic, and what lessons did COVID reveal about healthcare system weaknesses?
Another major pandemic is very likely to occur. COVID exposed deep tears and cracks in public health and healthcare systems that remain unresolved, even as institutional improvements take root across the GCC. However, from a population behavioral perspective, we are fundamentally unprepared—less than five years after COVID, the collective focus on hygiene, masks, and shared responsibility has evaporated, and societies have largely reverted to pre-pandemic habits.
Institutional learning versus behavioral amnesia
Governments across the GCC have moved faster than populations in absorbing COVID's lessons. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have established CDC-equivalent entities and reinforced public health governance structures —the Saudi Public Health Authority, GCC Council coordination mechanisms, and similar agencies—that did not exist or were significantly weaker before 2020. These institutional reforms represent real progress in outbreak detection, response coordination, and medicine supply chains.
Yet institutional preparedness divorced from population readiness creates a critical vulnerability. As Elsy Dumit discusses in the episode , the behavioral collapse is stark: the vigilance, sanitization routines, mask adherence, and sense of collective responsibility that defined 2020 and 2021 have nearly vanished. People have returned to old patterns, and without that population-level discipline, even well-equipped health systems face upstream failure .
"Climate change for us in public health is probably one of the biggest threats to public health."
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger. A public health strategist with a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and previous leadership at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), where she directed emergency preparedness and pandemic response across the Americas. Her work spans GCC governments, leading healthcare institutions, and the pharma and biotechnology sectors, focusing on building systems resilient to both known and emerging threats.
A deeper layer of the pandemic gap lies in what COVID failed to shift: the underlying burden of non-communicable diseases dominates GCC health profiles . While infectious disease preparedness captured headlines, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and obesity remain the region's top five disease burdens—chronic conditions that demand sustained prevention, behavior change, and system investment regardless of pandemic cycles. COVID's disruption was visible and acute; these endemic crises are silent and chronic.
The question of readiness, then, is not binary. The conversation with Dumit explores why institutional reforms alone cannot substitute for cultural and behavioral shifts —and why the window to rebuild public health literacy before the next outbreak closes quickly. Forgetting is fast; rebuilding is slow.
What does resilience in healthcare systems specifically mean beyond general preparedness?
Resilience in healthcare means far more than just being prepared for emergencies—it encompasses protecting populations against disease spread, securing supply chains for essential medicines, and ensuring reliable access to healthcare when needs are critical. It also involves localizing manufacturing and diversifying away from oil-dependent economies by developing pharmaceuticals and healthcare as alternative income sources, while maintaining complete transparency about which medicines are distributed to populations.
Health security forms the foundation of resilience. As Elsy Dumit discusses in the episode , this means actively protecting populations against unforeseen or uncontrolled disease spread. Protection cannot be passive or reactive—it requires robust systems in place before crises emerge.
Beyond the immediate security concerns, resilience also addresses deeper structural challenges. Supply chain stability is critical : healthcare systems must ensure they can access essential medicines consistently, without dependency on fragile international networks vulnerable to disruption. This is particularly acute in arid regions where geographic and economic factors create additional vulnerabilities.
Economic diversification through healthcare manufacturing represents another dimension of resilience often overlooked in traditional preparedness frameworks. Countries that develop local pharmaceutical and healthcare capacity reduce external dependency while creating sustainable revenue streams to replace oil-reliant economies. This shift strengthens both health outcomes and financial stability.
Transparency and accountability complete the picture. Knowing exactly which medicines are given to populations allows governments and health institutions to track outcomes, prevent counterfeit drugs, manage adverse effects, and ensure equitable distribution. This granular visibility transforms healthcare from a fragmented system into one with measurable accountability at every level.
"Climate change for us in public health is probably one of the biggest threats to public health."
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger. With a Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health from Johns Hopkins University and degrees in biotech from Georgetown, Dumit brings expertise across the GCC, working with governments and leading institutions on resilient healthcare systems. Her background includes critical experience at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), the WHO's regional office for the Americas, where she focused on emergency preparedness, outbreak control, and pandemic response.
Interestingly, the episode also explores how disease-carrying organisms are traveling farther from their traditional geographies due to climate shifts , adding an unexpected layer of urgency to building resilient systems in regions previously insulated from certain health threats.
Resilience encompasses health security, supply chain protection, and reliable access to healthcare during crises.
Localizing pharmaceutical manufacturing reduces dependency and creates economic alternatives to oil-based revenues.
Complete transparency about medicine distribution ensures accountability, prevents counterfeit products, and enables better health outcomes.
Climate change makes resilience increasingly urgent, as disease patterns shift toward previously protected regions.
What role does health financing reform play in building resilient healthcare systems in the GCC?
Traditionally, GCC governments have acted as the sole payer, provider, and regulator of healthcare, leaving populations without incentive to steward their own health. As populations grow and life expectancy rises, governments cannot absorb this burden alone —forcing a shift toward private health insurance and value-based compensation models that tie physician payments to patient outcomes rather than volume.
This structural transformation isn't simply administrative. It redefines the entire relationship between citizens and their healthcare system. When individuals and employers begin to pay directly for insurance, they gain a financial stake in health outcomes—creating accountability absent from pure government provision.
The implications run deeper: as Elsy Dumit explains in this episode , value-based care demands that healthcare systems fundamentally rethink how provision is quantified, validated, and costed. Traditional metrics—patient volume, bed occupancy, outpatient visits—no longer measure success. Instead, systems must track health outcomes: disease prevention, quality of life, recovery rates.
From Government Monopoly to Shared Responsibility
For decades, GCC healthcare models followed a centralized pattern: government built facilities, hired staff, financed operations, and regulated the sector. This approach served populations well during periods of lower burden, but mounting chronic disease prevalence and demographic shifts have exhausted its sustainability .
Growing population numbers and increasing life expectancy create compounding cost pressures. Simultaneously, the disease landscape has shifted: the top five disease burdens in GCC countries are all non-communicable—diabetes, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. These require long-term, expensive management rather than acute episodic care.
Private health insurance and payers now emerge as essential partners, distributing financial risk and creating efficiency incentives that government alone cannot generate. This isn't privatization in the Western sense; rather, it's a pragmatic recognition that resilient healthcare systems require diverse financing mechanisms , as discussed at length in the podcast.
Measuring Success by Outcomes, Not Volume
Value-based care fundamentally alters clinical practice. Physicians traditionally compensated per patient encounter—a fee-for-service model—face no penalty for incomplete treatment or poor long-term outcomes. Under value-based payment, compensation ties directly to measurable results: whether a diabetic patient achieves target glucose control, whether a hypertensive remains compliant and avoids stroke, whether preventive screenings catch disease early.
This shift requires healthcare systems to establish robust outcome measurement infrastructure —data collection, analytics, transparent reporting. It demands transparency between payers and providers about what works and what doesn't. And it creates pressure to invest in prevention and early intervention, since managing disease burden upstream costs far less than treating advanced illness.
For GCC systems already managing rapid population growth and lifestyle disease epidemics, this transition is not optional—it's foundational to resilience. The specifics of how each GCC nation implements value-based frameworks, which insurance models they adopt, and how they incentivize behavioral change are explored in greater depth in the full episode discussion .
"Climate change for us in public health is probably one of the biggest threats to public health."
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger, with an extensive career across GCC healthcare systems and governments. Dumit holds a Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health from Johns Hopkins University, biotech degrees from Georgetown, and previously led emergency preparedness and pandemic response initiatives at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) for the WHO's Americas region.
Beyond financing mechanics, the podcast conversation touches on how climate and epidemiological shifts compound the urgency of system reform—a context that underscores why financing innovation cannot be delayed.
How does climate change present emerging health threats in arid regions like the GCC?
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to public health in the region. In arid climates with desert regions and without consistent access to fresh…
What is epidemiological transition and how does it reshape disease patterns in developing economies?
Epidemiological transition occurs when rising socioeconomic status shifts a population from manual labor to sedentary lifestyles, causing disease patterns to shift from preventable infectious diseases toward chronic non-communicable diseases . Better healthcare access extends life expectancy, introducing new disease burdens tied to aging like cancer and dementia, fundamentally straining healthcare systems unprepared for this transition.
The Lifestyle Shift Behind Changing Disease Patterns
As developing economies grow wealthier, populations transition from physically demanding work to sedentary occupations and consumption patterns. This lifestyle transformation creates the conditions for chronic disease proliferation: reduced physical activity, dietary changes, and stress-related conditions become dominant health challenges.
Simultaneously, improved healthcare infrastructure and access to medical services mean that populations live significantly longer , surviving past the ages where infectious diseases typically caused death. This extended lifespan reveals a new disease landscape—one where cancer, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic conditions emerge as the primary health burden.
The Healthcare System Burden
Healthcare systems in developing economies often remain structured around managing acute infectious disease outbreaks and preventable conditions. The epidemiological transition catches many of these systems unprepared: they lack the infrastructure, specialist capacity, and chronic disease management systems required for aging populations with multiple co-morbidities.
In the GCC region specifically, this reality is already evident— all five leading disease burdens are non-communicable diseases , including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. As Elsy Dumit explains in the Beyond the Deck episode , these patterns demand fundamental shifts in how healthcare systems allocate resources, train clinicians, and organize care delivery.
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger, with extensive experience across the GCC working with governments and leading institutions to build resilient healthcare systems. She holds a Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health from Johns Hopkins University, biotech degrees from Georgetown, and previously led emergency preparedness and outbreak response efforts at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), the regional office for the Americas for the WHO.
The transition also reveals a critical gap: public health systems must evolve from emergency-response models to chronic disease prevention and management frameworks , requiring investment in primary care, health education, and long-term patient monitoring—investments that many developing economies have historically underestimated.
Epidemiological transition links rising affluence to a shift from infectious diseases to chronic non-communicable diseases as the primary health burden.
Extended life expectancy through better healthcare introduces age-related diseases like cancer and dementia that developing healthcare systems are rarely equipped to manage.
The GCC region already reflects this transition, with all five leading disease burdens classified as non-communicable diseases.
Healthcare systems must restructure from acute-care and outbreak-response models toward chronic disease prevention and long-term patient management to address this shift.
What are the main healthcare trends driving change in global public health systems today?
Two major shifts are reshaping healthcare worldwide: the surge of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity that are now the leading disease burden across the globe, and the rapid digitalization of healthcare through AI adoption for faster diagnostics and physician support—though this transformation is deepening the divide between high-income and low-income nations.
The Silent Epidemic: Non-Communicable Diseases
The first trend is straightforward yet profound: chronic diseases now dominate the disease burden in both wealthy and lower-income countries . Cardiovascular disease, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes are no longer exceptions—they are the norm. What makes this particularly complex is that these conditions often appear together as comorbidities, multiplying the strain on healthcare systems already struggling with resources.
These diseases are predominantly lifestyle-related, which creates a ripple effect across public health policy. Unlike infectious disease outbreaks that demand immediate emergency response, chronic disease management requires sustained, long-term infrastructure investment. As Elsy Dumit explains in the Beyond the Deck episode , the disease profile in major GCC healthcare systems reflects this exact pattern—all five leading causes of disease burden are non-communicable conditions.
The Digital Divide in Healthcare Innovation
The second trend is the rapid integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools into clinical practice . These technologies enable faster diagnoses, more targeted treatment pathways, and better physician decision support. For healthcare systems with the infrastructure and capital to adopt them, AI represents a genuine leap forward in efficiency and outcomes.
But here lies the paradox: this digital revolution is also creating a larger global health inequality between high-income and lower-income countries that lack the technology, training, and funding to implement these systems. A discussion explored further in the podcast highlights how this technological divide threatens to widen health outcome gaps rather than close them.
"Climate change for us in public health is probably one of the biggest threats to public health."
Elsy Dumit — Principal in Healthcare and Life Science Practice at Rollenberger. With a Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health from Johns Hopkins University and degrees in biotech from Georgetown, Dumit brings decades of experience building resilient healthcare systems across the GCC. Her background spans government, institutions, pharma, and biotechnology, with prior work at PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) where she focused on emergency preparedness and pandemic response.
Beyond chronic disease and digitalization, environmental threats pose an underestimated risk. Dumit addresses how climate-driven disease vectors are spreading into new geographies, forcing public health systems to prepare for emerging infectious diseases they may never have encountered before—a challenge that compounds the existing burden of chronic disease management.
The GCC Energy Outlook with Carmen Hamze
Why is localizing solar and wind component manufacturing important for the GCC energy sector?
Localizing manufacturing of solar and wind components will have massive impacts on job creation, GDP growth, and localization scores . This positions the GCC as a hub for import-export while enabling the region to provide clean energy beyond its borders, and the CBAM carbon border adjustment mechanism makes clean power production an attraction factor for industrial players seeking to reduce their carbon footprint.
The shift toward manufacturing renewable energy components locally represents a strategic evolution for the GCC. Rather than relying on imported solar panels and wind turbines, the region can build an entire supply chain ecosystem that keeps value within the economy. This localized approach transforms the GCC from an energy consumer into an energy producer and exporter , creating competitive advantages in a carbon-conscious global market.
As Carmen Hamze explains in the Beyond the Deck podcast , the energy sector across the GCC is entering an exciting period where a portfolio approach to energy—combining renewables, nuclear, and low-carbon molecules—requires integrated manufacturing capacity. Local production of solar and wind components directly supports this diversification strategy.
From import dependency to regional energy dominance
Manufacturing renewable components locally reduces the GCC's reliance on external supply chains while capturing the full value chain within the region. When solar panels and wind turbines are made locally, jobs span from raw material processing through assembly, installation, and maintenance. This multiplier effect extends employment opportunities across skilled trades, engineering, logistics, and supply chain management.
Beyond employment, localized manufacturing strengthens the GCC's position as an export hub for clean energy technology . Regions worldwide are racing to meet net-zero commitments, and countries increasingly face pressure to source from suppliers with transparent, low-carbon production processes. The CBAM—the carbon border adjustment mechanism that Europe and other markets are implementing—penalizes carbon-intensive imports, making GCC-manufactured clean energy components inherently more attractive to global buyers than alternatives from regions with higher carbon footprints.
The business case for industrial relocation further amplifies this opportunity. Data centers and energy-intensive manufacturing facilities require massive amounts of reliable, affordable, and crucially, clean energy to meet their own sustainability targets . When these industries look for locations, GCC countries offering locally produced renewable power at scale become far more competitive destinations. This creates a virtuous cycle: local renewable manufacturing attracts carbon-conscious industrial investment, which in turn drives demand for more clean power production.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger with over 14 years of experience in the GCC energy sector. Originally trained in biology and biomedical research, Hamze transitioned into energy consulting at a GCC utility where she developed deep expertise in energy strategy, sustainability, and the intersection of renewables with traditional energy systems. Her work focuses on balancing the energy trilemma: sustainability, energy security, and affordability.
For a deeper look at how the GCC is reshaping its entire energy strategy to position itself as a global hub , the full episode offers insight into the multi-decade transition underway and the infrastructure investments required to succeed.
Local manufacturing of solar and wind components generates direct employment and multiplier effects across supply chains, driving measurable GDP growth.
The CBAM and global carbon regulations make GCC-manufactured clean energy components more competitive than imports from high-carbon regions.
Renewable component manufacturing attracts carbon-conscious industrial sectors like data centers, creating additional investment and energy demand within the region.
Localized production enables the GCC to export clean energy solutions globally, transforming the region from energy buyer into technology exporter.
How will electric vehicles adoption develop in the GCC over the next five years?
The GCC will not pursue 100% electric vehicle adoption over the next five years. Instead, the region will embrace a balanced portfolio approach —combining hybrid vehicles, electric options, hydrogen technologies, and traditional internal combustion engines—choosing whatever technology works best for each use case rather than abandoning proven solutions.
A pragmatic energy strategy beyond electrification alone
The GCC's vehicle adoption strategy reflects a broader philosophical shift in regional energy thinking. Rather than pursuing ideological purity around electrification, the region recognizes that multiple technologies must coexist to meet diverse transportation needs efficiently. Trucks, commercial vehicles, and passenger cars may each require different solutions—some transitioning to electric, others to hydrogen, and many remaining powered by refined internal combustion engines.
This approach parallels the wider energy sector transformation across the GCC, as detailed in the episode with Carmen Hamze . The region has moved away from siloed thinking about individual energy sources toward integrated portfolio planning that balances sustainability, energy security, and affordability simultaneously.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, with 14 years of experience in energy strategy and sustainability across the GCC. She transitioned into energy consulting after initial work in biomedical research and healthcare, building deep expertise in how emerging technologies integrate into existing energy infrastructure and policy frameworks.
The same logic applies to vehicles: infrastructure maturity and real-world performance matter more than timeline-driven mandates. Some sectors will naturally electrify faster than others, while hydrogen may prove more practical for heavy-duty applications, and combustion engines will continue serving routes where charging networks remain sparse or where long-haul requirements exceed current battery capabilities.
What makes this strategy different from five years ago—when global discourse centered on eliminating hydrocarbons entirely—is the region's honest assessment that energy transitions require pragmatism , not just ambition. The GCC is now ahead in this thinking, and other markets are beginning to adopt similar balanced approaches.
What is the long-term energy mix outlook for the GCC beyond five years?
The GCC's energy future won't rely on a single solution—it will be a balanced portfolio of multiple technologies working in tandem . Nuclear will remain part of the mix, low-carbon molecules like hydrogen and CCUS will play a massive role, renewable energy will continue growing as costs decline, LNG will stay crucial for the next five years, and artificial intelligence will permeate operations, decision-making, and tariff-setting across the entire sector. Private sector participation is also expected to increase significantly.
This shift marks a fundamental departure from the energy conversations of five years ago, when the focus was almost exclusively on net zero and eliminating hydrocarbons entirely. As Carmen Hamze explores in this episode of Beyond the Deck , the GCC took a balanced, pragmatic approach earlier than most regions—and now the global energy sector is catching up to that thinking.
The portfolio approach: from silos to integration
The energy sector in the GCC is moving away from isolated subsectors and toward an integrated portfolio strategy that accounts for AI, data centers, and broader sustainability . Rather than viewing oil, gas, nuclear, and renewables as competing interests, policymakers and investors now see them as complementary components of a resilient system.
This framework is grounded in what energy strategists call the energy trilemma: balancing sustainability, energy security, and affordability. In the GCC's context, that means ensuring reliable power for rapid economic growth and data center expansion while reducing carbon intensity and maintaining competitive energy costs. The details of how this balance plays out in practice reveal the sophistication required to navigate the region's transformation.
Low-carbon molecules and the backbone of stability
Within this diversified mix, low-carbon molecules—including hydrogen, LNG, and carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS)—are expected to become central to the GCC's energy strategy beyond the five-year horizon. These technologies bridge the gap between traditional fossil fuel infrastructure and pure renewable systems.
LNG will remain essential in the short to medium term, ensuring global energy security and regional competitiveness. Meanwhile, green hydrogen and CCUS represent longer-term bets that align with both profitability and climate ambitions. Gas itself is being reframed not as a legacy fuel, but as the backbone infrastructure supporting the integration of renewable energy sources . As gas plants can ramp up and down, they provide the flexibility that intermittent renewables require.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy strategist with over 14 years in the GCC sector. Hamze holds a background in biology and healthcare consulting, and has built deep expertise in energy strategy and sustainability through years of consulting at a major GCC utility and advising on the region's energy transition.
The data-driven approach to energy infrastructure is already reshaping investment decisions. Understanding exactly what each technology contributes—and when—allows the private sector to invest more confidently, a conversation that unfolds in depth during this episode .
Digital transformation and AI as operational enablers
Beyond hardware and molecules, digital tools and artificial intelligence will permeate decision-making, operations, and tariff-setting across the energy value chain. Smart grids, AI-driven demand forecasting, and real-time optimization of generation and distribution are no longer theoretical—they're becoming essential competitive advantages.
This digital layer also addresses one of the sector's biggest challenges: the mismatch between software scalability and physical infrastructure constraints. Data centers can spin up new computational capacity almost instantly, but power plants take years to build. How the GCC is solving this timing problem will define its position as a global energy hub in the coming decade.
The role of private sector investment is also accelerating. Governments are increasingly partnering with private companies to share risk, accelerate deployment, and introduce efficiency improvements that state-owned utilities alone cannot always achieve quickly enough.
The GCC's energy future is built on multiple simultaneous solutions : nuclear, renewables, low-carbon molecules, LNG, and digital optimization—not a single technology.
Low-carbon molecules (hydrogen, CCUS, LNG) will be central to bridging the gap between traditional infrastructure and pure renewable systems over the next decade.
Gas will evolve from a legacy fuel to the flexible backbone supporting renewable integration and grid stability .
AI and digital systems will reshape operations, forecasting, and tariff-setting , enabling the energy sector to respond in real time to data center demand and market changes.
Private sector participation will increase significantly, bringing capital, efficiency, and innovation to a region that has historically relied on state investment.
What skills and educational background are needed for careers in the modernized energy sector?
The modern energy sector demands AI, data science, and ecosystem understanding alongside traditional engineering expertise. Yet transferable skills—systemic thinking, adaptability, and the ability to evolve with shifting technology—matter equally. A non-traditional background works if grounded in foundational knowledge and an agile mindset.
From siloed expertise to portfolio thinking
The energy sector has shifted from isolated technical roles to integrated career paths that span multiple domains. As Carmen Hamze explains in the episode , this mirrors a broader industry transformation: the GCC moved away from pure oil-and-gas focus toward a diversified portfolio approach. This structural change directly reshapes what employers now seek.
Technical breadth is no longer optional. Workers must understand how renewable energy, data centers, gas infrastructure, and low-carbon molecules (hydrogen, CCUS, blue LNG) intersect. A pure petroleum engineer or power systems specialist without exposure to AI's impact on demand forecasting or carbon capture workflows will find fewer openings.
Why non-traditional backgrounds can thrive
Interestingly, Hamze herself studied biology before entering the energy sector—a path that initially seems orthogonal to energy infrastructure. Yet her transition, detailed in this podcast , illustrates a crucial insight: foundational scientific rigor matters more than the exact discipline.
What made her transition successful was combining that rigorous background with energy domain learning and adaptability. Biomedical research and healthcare consulting both demand systems thinking and stakeholder management—skills that translate directly to energy strategy and sustainability challenges. The lesson: employers increasingly hire for core cognitive competencies rather than narrow credential matching.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger with 14 years of energy sector experience across the GCC. She transitioned from biomedical research and healthcare consulting into energy strategy and sustainability, becoming a recognized voice on the GCC's balanced approach to energy transformation.
This quote underscores why portfolio thinking is now a core career competency. Young professionals who pigeonhole themselves into single technologies or subsectors risk obsolescence as the sector evolves. Those who can see connections across energy sources, understand trade-offs between sustainability and affordability, and adapt their toolkit as priorities shift will remain valuable.
For deeper insight into how data centers and AI demand are already reshaping infrastructure planning—and what career pivots this creates— listen to the full conversation with Hamze on Beyond the Deck.
AI and data science expertise are now table stakes; traditional engineering alone is insufficient.
Systems thinking and adaptability—not just degree credentials—predict long-term career resilience.
Non-traditional educational paths work if paired with foundational rigor and willingness to learn energy domain knowledge.
Understanding the full energy portfolio (renewables, gas, hydrogen, CCUS) is increasingly expected across roles.
What role can smart meters and digitalization play in improving energy efficiency?
Smart meters provide real-time data on customer consumption , enabling more accurate billing and allowing consumers to see their usage patterns. This drives behavior-driven efficiency solutions and enables retail operators to offer energy-saving recommendations, while the data can also support predictive maintenance and grid modernization through IoT and sensors.
The power of smart metering lies in transparency. When consumers can track their energy use in real time, behavior naturally shifts—understanding where electricity is consumed creates accountability and motivation for reduction. As discussed in this podcast , this insight transforms the relationship between operators and customers from one-way billing to an interactive partnership around efficiency.
Beyond individual behavior, smart meter data unlocks a broader operational capability: predictive maintenance through networked IoT sensors. Grid operators can identify system stress points before equipment fails, schedule maintenance proactively, and optimize load distribution across the network. This shifts energy infrastructure from reactive repairs to intelligent prevention.
Data-driven monetization and consumer insights
The data generated by smart meters extends far beyond efficiency reporting. When aggregated and analyzed, this information reveals patterns of consumer behavior that utilities and energy retailers can monetize to improve service offerings and market strategy. Carmen Hamze explains in the episode how these insights enable operators to design targeted energy-saving recommendations that match real usage profiles, not generic assumptions.
Smart metering infrastructure also underpins grid modernization. Digital tools and sensors enable utilities to balance demand and supply more efficiently, integrate renewable energy sources smoothly, and reduce peak-load stress. In the GCC context, where energy demand is growing alongside ambitions for renewable integration and data center expansion, this digital layer becomes essential infrastructure.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger. Over 14 years of energy sector experience across the GCC, with deep expertise in energy strategy, sustainability, and infrastructure planning. She studied biology and biomedical research before transitioning to energy consulting at a GCC utility, where she built her strategic foundation in energy markets.
For a concrete example of how this extends beyond meters themselves, listen to the full episode to hear how digital infrastructure intersects with broader energy policy and investment decisions in the region.
Smart meters enable real-time consumption visibility, shifting consumer behavior toward efficiency through awareness and accountability.
Aggregated meter data powers predictive maintenance and early detection of grid stress, reducing outages and repair costs.
Digital tools connected to metering infrastructure optimize load balancing and renewable energy integration across the network.
Consumer behavior insights from meter data can be monetized to design targeted energy-saving recommendations and improve service design.
How are data centers and AI demand shaping energy infrastructure planning in the GCC?
Data center energy demand is a major consideration for policymakers and investors because infrastructure takes years to plan and build, while technology can shift within 5–10 years . The solution is scenario planning: building a resilient national strategy that accounts for different demand futures rather than betting on a single outcome.
The Infrastructure Timing Problem
The core challenge is a fundamental mismatch in timescales. Software scales up and down almost instantly—you can deploy new compute capacity in days or weeks. But large energy infrastructure projects require 5–10 years from approval to operation , and during that window, AI adoption rates, data center efficiency, and technology architecture can all change dramatically.
This creates real risk for both governments and private investors. A country can commit to building a new power plant or expanding grid capacity, only to discover that demand evolved differently than expected, or that competing technologies made the original design less optimal. As discussed in the Beyond the Deck episode , this timing gap is one of the defining strategic questions facing GCC energy planners today.
Why Scenario Planning Works
Rather than predicting one future, scenario planning builds flexibility into the strategy itself . The approach maps out multiple plausible futures—conservative demand growth, moderate growth, and aggressive AI-driven growth—and designs infrastructure and policy that performs reasonably across all of them.
This method mitigates both risk and cost. By stress-testing plans against different scenarios, policymakers can identify which investments are robust regardless of how demand unfolds, and which contingencies matter most. As Carmen Hamze explains in the podcast , this balanced approach has become the standard thinking in GCC energy strategy—a shift from the siloed, single-solution mentality of the past.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger. With over 14 years of experience in energy strategy and sustainability across the GCC, Hamze transitioned from biomedical research and healthcare consulting into energy consulting at a major GCC utility. Her expertise spans energy portfolio strategy, carbon capture, and balancing sustainability with energy security and affordability.
The data center boom is not separate from this broader energy mix—it's a new variable that demands the same scenario-based thinking. Listen to the full episode to hear how Carmen Hamze discusses the role of low-carbon molecules, renewable energy, and traditional oil and gas within a unified portfolio framework that accounts for data center demand.
What are the key policy enablers driving energy sector success in the GCC?
The three pillars of energy policy success in the GCC are attracting foreign direct investment, enabling private sector participation, and building localization capabilities that include import-export potential. In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Energy sets the policy direction while the Public Investment Fund structures strategic partnerships aligned with sustainable energy goals, and utilities like the Saudi Electricity Company expand networks using digital solutions for predictive analytics and operational optimization.
How policy, investment, and infrastructure align in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia demonstrates how coordinated policy frameworks drive real energy transformation. The Ministry of Energy acts as the strategic architect , establishing the regulatory environment and long-term vision that guides the entire sector. This top-down clarity allows other actors—investors, utilities, and private companies—to operate with confidence in the direction of the market.
Running parallel to policy direction, the Public Investment Fund deploys capital into strategic partnerships that connect energy production with sustainability objectives . Rather than treating energy and climate separately, the PIF aligns its investments so that new energy infrastructure meets both commercial returns and environmental criteria. This dual mandate has become the hallmark of how Saudi Arabia structures large energy projects.
On the operational side, utilities such as the Saudi Electricity Company expand distribution networks while simultaneously deploying digital technologies for real-time monitoring and optimization . Predictive analytics identify grid inefficiencies before they become problems, and operational optimization software reduces waste at scale. As Carmen Hamze explains in the episode , this blend of infrastructure growth and digital intelligence creates both capacity and efficiency—the two requirements for sustainable energy delivery.
What often goes unnoticed is how localization policy strengthens the entire ecosystem. When governments require energy companies to source, manufacture, and develop capabilities locally, they build a resilient supply chain and export potential . This isn't protectionism; it's competitive advantage. Local expertise becomes an asset that can eventually be exported to other markets across the region and beyond.
A portfolio approach, not siloed bets
The GCC's energy policy has shifted fundamentally over the past five years. Five years ago, the global conversation centered on net zero and eliminating hydrocarbons entirely. The GCC took a different path: a balanced portfolio approach that treats energy as a trilemma of sustainability, security, and affordability .
This means gas serves as the backbone, renewables expand capacity, and low-carbon molecules—hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, and carbon capture utilization and sequestration—sit alongside traditional oil and gas production. The policy enablers that make this work are those that allow multiple technologies and capital sources to coexist and compete rather than imposing a single winning technology. As the full conversation in Beyond the Deck reveals, this pragmatism has become the model other regions are now adopting.
One concrete detail that underscores this approach: the way GCC policymakers now think about data centers and AI infrastructure. These demand enormous energy inputs, and rather than viewing them as a burden, the GCC sees data center electricity demand as a catalyst for renewable and diversified energy investment . The policy enablers—fast-track permitting, investment incentives, regulatory clarity—were adjusted to welcome this new load. The result: massive new capital flowing into energy infrastructure that wouldn't have been justified by oil and gas exports alone.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy strategy expert with over 14 years of experience across the GCC. Originally trained in biology and biomedical research, Hamze transitioned into energy consulting at a major GCC utility where she built deep expertise in energy strategy, sustainable development, and regional policy frameworks. She is also Head of the Wellness Committee at Rollenberger.
How did Russia's invasion of Ukraine impact energy policy thinking in the GCC?
Russia's invasion of Ukraine delivered a stark geopolitical reality check: energy security and conventional energy sources remain non-negotiable , even for nations committed to net zero. The crisis forced GCC policymakers to abandon the narrative of eliminating hydrocarbons and embrace instead a pragmatic, multi-solution energy portfolio where gas, nuclear, and carbon capture coexist with renewables.
Five years before the invasion, the global conversation was dominated by ideological commitments to net zero and eliminating fossil fuels entirely. As Carmen Hamze explains in the episode , that framing oversimplified what energy transition actually requires. The Ukraine conflict stripped away that oversimplification, revealing that countries face genuine trade-offs between climate ambitions, energy affordability, and supply security.
From ideology to pragmatism: the energy trilemma takes hold
The GCC had already adopted a more balanced three-pillar approach —sustainability, energy security, and affordability—before the invasion. But the wider world was still caught in binary thinking. Ukraine changed that calculus globally. Suddenly, policymakers everywhere recognized what the GCC had already internalized: there is no single solution.
What emerged is a recognition that gas acts as the backbone of a transition strategy, not a relic to be discarded. This portfolio logic is detailed in the full episode , where Hamze walks through how renewables, data centers, low-carbon molecules like hydrogen and CCUS, and traditional energy all need to operate in concert, not in isolation.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy strategy expert with over 14 years of experience across the GCC. Hamze transitioned from biomedical research and healthcare consulting into energy consulting at a GCC utility, where she built deep expertise in energy strategy, sustainability, and the real-world constraints of energy transitions.
The invasion also exposed a deeper structural reality: rising energy demand from artificial intelligence and data centers will require continuous baseload power. The episode explores how data centers and AI infrastructure are reshaping GCC energy planning , forcing recognition that electrification alone cannot meet future needs without strategic deployment of gas and other conventional sources.
What advantage do GCC countries have in developing CCUS technology compared to other regions?
Countries with a long history in hydrocarbon sectors—particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE—have decisive structural advantages in CCUS technology: they possess existing upstream expertise with similar technologies, deep knowledge of subsurface geology from decades of oil and gas operations, established investment capacity, and a proven track record in executing large-scale energy projects safely and reliably.
Built-in expertise from the hydrocarbon sector
The transition to CCUS is not starting from zero in the GCC. The technical skills developed in oil and gas extraction transfer directly to carbon capture and sequestration work. Teams already familiar with drilling, subsurface pressure management, and long-term reservoir operations find CCUS technology operationally natural.
This accumulated knowledge matters across the entire value chain. As Carmen Hamze explains in the podcast , GCC operators understand both the geological formations where carbon can be safely stored and the technical systems needed to monitor storage integrity over decades.
Investment capacity and demonstrated execution
Established sovereign wealth funds and energy companies in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have the capital and governance structures to finance large-scale CCUS infrastructure without the funding delays that slow development elsewhere.
Beyond money, these countries bring institutional trust. Investors and technology partners already know how GCC national energy companies operate, their project timelines, their safety records, and their ability to deliver on commitments. That track record accelerates both financing and technology deployment in ways new entrants cannot match.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner, Rollenberger. Over 14 years of energy sector experience across the GCC, Carmen studied biology and initially worked in biomedical research and healthcare consulting before transitioning to energy strategy and sustainability consulting at a GCC utility, where she built deep expertise in strategic energy planning.
The broader context for CCUS adoption is explored further in the episode, where Hamze details how the GCC's balanced energy portfolio—combining renewable energy, gas as backbone, low-carbon molecules, and traditional oil and gas—positions the region as a potential global energy hub .
GCC countries leverage 14+ years of energy sector expertise and subsurface knowledge from hydrocarbon operations directly into CCUS development.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE possess established investment capacity and sovereign wealth funding mechanisms to finance large-scale CCUS infrastructure without financing delays.
Proven track records in executing complex energy projects give GCC operators institutional trust with technology partners and investors, accelerating deployment.
CCUS is part of a diversified energy strategy—not the only solution, but one critical piece alongside hydrogen, LNG, and renewable energy.
Why is green hydrogen momentum slowing and what technologies will actually drive the next five years of energy development in the GCC?
Green hydrogen will still play a role in the energy mix, but its momentum is slowing because technology evolution remains uncertain . The real near-term breakthroughs driving GCC energy development are LNG and CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilization Sequestration) —practical transition solutions that reduce carbon impact while remaining economically viable.
Why the green hydrogen slowdown is realistic
Everyone in energy was talking about net zero and abandoning hydrocarbons five years ago. The GCC took a different, more balanced approach—and now the rest of the world is catching up. There is no single solution that will solve the energy challenge; the answer is a portfolio of technologies working together.
Green hydrogen requires significant technological maturity before it can scale affordably. As Carmen Hamze explains in the episode , the timing depends directly on how quickly electrolysis, storage, and distribution infrastructure can be developed and deployed. Until those breakthroughs arrive, hydrogen remains a longer-term play rather than an immediate solution to meeting rising energy demand.
LNG and CCUS: the transition engines
LNG serves as the backbone for the GCC's energy portfolio over the next five years. It provides reliable, scalable power generation while lower-carbon molecules like hydrogen are still maturing. Natural gas is flexible enough to work alongside renewable energy and is already proven at scale.
CCUS is equally critical because it addresses the carbon question without abandoning fossil fuels entirely . The technology captures emissions from energy production and either stores them permanently or uses them in industrial applications—a pragmatic middle ground between net zero ideology and energy security. This dual approach is already being discussed in the Beyond the Deck podcast , where Hamze stresses that sustainability, energy security, and affordability must be balanced simultaneously.
CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilization Sequestration): A process that captures carbon dioxide directly from energy production or industrial sources, then either stores it permanently underground or repurposes it in chemicals, building materials, and other industrial applications. It bridges the gap between maintaining hydrocarbon use and meeting environmental commitments. The GCC is ahead of the global curve on this thinking. They recognized years ago that a balanced energy strategy—combining traditional oil and gas with renewables, gas infrastructure, and low-carbon molecules—was more realistic than a hard net-zero cutoff. Everyone else is now arriving at the same conclusion, making the GCC's pragmatic portfolio approach the template for energy development in the region over the coming five years.
For deeper context on how the entire GCC energy sector is being reframed around this portfolio logic, the full episode explores data centers, renewable integration, and the role of electricity demand in shaping infrastructure investment.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy sector strategist with over 14 years of experience across the GCC. Hamze began her career in biomedical research and healthcare consulting before transitioning into energy consulting at a GCC utility, where she built deep expertise in energy strategy and sustainability planning.
What is the current landscape of the energy sector across the GCC and how has it shifted in recent years?
The GCC energy sector has moved from focusing on siloed subsectors like oil and gas to embracing a portfolio approach that integrates renewable energy, data centers, low-carbon molecules, and traditional hydrocarbons. This shift is guided by the energy trilemma—balancing sustainability, energy security, and affordability—rather than pursuing net zero as an isolated goal.
From Silos to Integration
Five years ago, the energy conversation across the GCC centered almost entirely on net zero commitments and phasing out hydrocarbons. Carmen Hamze, who has spent over 14 years working in energy strategy across the GCC , sees the landscape now as fundamentally different. The region has abandoned the single-solution mindset in favor of a diversified energy mix.
This portfolio approach recognizes that multiple energy sources will coexist to meet the region's growing demand. Gas now serves as the backbone for stable power generation while renewables ramp up. Low-carbon molecules—including green hydrogen, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS)—sit alongside traditional oil and gas, each playing a specific role. As Carmen Hamze explains in the episode , this balanced thinking positions the GCC as a potential leader in sustainable energy strategy rather than simply a follower of global net-zero mandates.
The Energy Trilemma as Strategy
What distinguishes the GCC's current approach is its grounding in the energy trilemma: sustainability, energy security, and affordability must all be optimized simultaneously . This three-pillar framework prevents the region from pursuing environmental goals at the expense of reliable power or economic viability.
The rise of data centers and AI infrastructure exemplifies this balance. These sectors demand enormous amounts of electricity, yet they also create opportunities for innovation in renewable integration and efficient grid management. Discussed at length in the podcast , this convergence of digital demand and energy transformation could position the GCC as one of the world's largest integrated energy hubs—attracting investment in infrastructure, talent, and technology while maintaining both affordability and reliability.
"There's not one solution that's going to solve everything. It's multiple—green hydrogen will still be in place, LNG and CCUS will be key."
Carmen Hamze — Partner at Rollenberger, energy strategy specialist with over 14 years of experience across the GCC. Hamze studied biology and began her career in biomedical research and healthcare consulting before transitioning to energy consulting at a GCC utility, where she built deep expertise in energy strategy and sustainability.
What makes the GCC's position particularly strong is that it recognized this complexity earlier than many other regions. As Carmen Hamze highlights in the Beyond the Deck episode , the global energy conversation has largely caught up to the balanced thinking the GCC adopted years ago, putting the region ahead in terms of both strategy and implementation readiness.
Culture, Strategy and the Super App Shift with Nourhan Farhat
What is the 'culture eats strategy for breakfast' lesson Nourhan Farhat learned moving from consulting to Kareem?
Strategies may look brilliant on paper, but they fail without fixing the operating model, incentives, and company values. Nourhan Farhat extends the classic consulting phrase to "culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner" — because only as an operator at Kareem did the lesson truly click: structure and culture are what make strategy executable.
From observer to operator — when the phrase finally made sense
The saying "culture eats strategy for breakfast" was common inside consulting circles where Farhat spent 10 years at firms including Roland Berger. But it remained abstract — a piece of wisdom heard in boardrooms and deck reviews. The real insight came only after she moved into the corporate world.
When Farhat joined Kareem as Head of Corporate Strategy and Chief of Staff, she transitioned from designing strategies behind the scenes to owning their real-world execution. That operational responsibility revealed the gap between theory and practice: a beautiful strategic plan can collapse entirely if the people, incentives, and decision-making structures inside a company don't align with it. As she explains in the episode , what looked inevitable in consulting documents suddenly looked fragile in a high-stakes business environment.
The three meals: operating model, incentives, and values
Farhat now unpacks the phrase into its component parts. Culture eating strategy for breakfast means the organization's fundamental operating model — how decisions flow, how teams are structured, who owns what — can derail even excellent strategic thinking. Lunch is incentives: if people's bonuses, promotions, and success metrics don't reward the behaviors the strategy requires, they won't execute it. Dinner is values: the unwritten norms, the stories people tell about what the company stands for, the hiring and firing decisions that signal what actually matters.
This insight shaped how Farhat approaches her expanded role at Kareem, which now spans People, Strategy, and Ventures. A point detailed in this podcast is that merging these three functions isn't bureaucratic convenience — it's structural recognition that they must move together. Without it, Strategy proposes while People and Ventures operate in different directions, and the company fragments.
"Culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Strategies could be great on paper, but unless you really fix the operating model, the incentives, the entire culture of the company, the values of the company, I think that's the make it or break it."
Nourhan Farhat — VP of People, Strategy and Ventures at Kareem. Farhat studied engineering before entering management consulting, where she spent 10 years including time at Roland Berger. She joined Kareem initially as Head of Corporate Strategy and Chief of Staff, before expanding her remit to cover People and Ventures. She describes her transition from consulting to the corporate world as driven by a desire to own deliverables and run a business with real P&L responsibility.
How does Nourhan Farhat manage work-life balance across her demanding professional and personal roles?
Farhat operates with what she calls a personal operating model with explicit boundaries communicated to both her team and her family: she is fully present…
What did Nourhan Farhat learn from her time at Roland Berger that still shapes her leadership today?
Farhat says Roland Berger built resilience and a well-rounded problem-solving character in her, with consultants owning the full arc from defining a problem…
How did Nourhan Farhat come to hold the combined roles of strategy, people, and ventures at Kareem?
Farhat joined Kareem as Head of Corporate Strategy and Chief of Staff. Ventures was added because Kareem's smaller business units — including Kareem Box,…
What does Nourhan Farhat believe is the most important trait to look for when hiring?
Drive and resilience are Nourhan Farhat's make-or-break criteria when evaluating candidates — no exceptions. Her reasoning is unambiguous: skills can always be trained and learned on the job, but the mindset shift toward resilience is extremely difficult to develop later in a career. It is the foundational quality she screens for in every team member she hires.
Skills are teachable. Resilience, according to Farhat, is not.
The distinction Farhat draws is sharp and deliberate. Technical competencies — whatever the role demands — can be built through experience, mentorship, and practice. She has seen it happen repeatedly over her career. What cannot be reliably instilled in someone who does not already carry it is the inner drive to push through difficulty and adapt when things go wrong.
This is not abstract philosophy. It is a filtering principle she applies consistently, as explored in Beyond the Deck . Candidates who demonstrate genuine resilience — through their career history, how they describe setbacks, or how they respond under pressure — clear the foundational bar. Those who do not, regardless of how polished their skillset appears on paper, do not.
Ten years in consulting, then operator life — why this conviction carries weight
Farhat's perspective on hiring is shaped by an unusually broad vantage point. She spent a decade in management consulting — including time at Roland Berger, which she credits as the moment she first understood what consulting was — before joining Kareem as Head of Corporate Strategy and Chief of Staff. She transitioned into the corporate world precisely because she wanted to own outcomes, not just advise on them.
That move exposed her to a different kind of pressure: real P&L responsibility, teams that need to perform under operational stress, and a business environment that demands sustained adaptability. The conviction that resilience outranks skill in hiring comes directly from that experience — not from a framework, but from watching what actually determines who succeeds. This is the context Dorival Bettencourt drew out in this episode of Beyond the Deck .
She has now held the Head of People role at Kareem for four years — originally intended as a temporary arrangement — making her hiring philosophy something she has applied and refined across hundreds of decisions in that time.
"Culture eats strategy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Strategies could be great on paper, but unless you really fix the operating model, the incentives, the entire culture of the company, the values of the company, I think that's the make it or break it."
Nourhan Farhat — VP of People, Strategy and Ventures, Kareem.
Farhat began her career as an engineer before pivoting into management consulting, spending ten years in the field — her first exposure to the profession coming through a Roland Berger campus presentation. She joined Kareem initially to lead corporate strategy, later taking on People and Ventures. She is a rare profile: someone who has been both the advisor and the operator, giving her hiring convictions an unusually grounded foundation. Listen to the full conversation in Beyond the Deck .
The quote above — on culture versus strategy — connects directly to how Farhat thinks about hiring. If culture is the real driver of company performance, then who you bring in, and what they are fundamentally made of, matters more than any strategic plan. Resilient, driven people build resilient cultures. The reverse is much harder to engineer. It is a thread Farhat develops at length in this episode .
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