The Culture Counter
Episodes
The Resilient Executive: The New Intelligence Behind Endurance
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An exclusive session in collaboration with WHOOP featuring the authors Unstressable, Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google [X], and Alice...
AI and the Future of Pharmaceuticals
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An illuminating discussion on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape — from drug discovery to patient care. Moderated...
The Future of Galleries In A Changing Art World
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A timely conversation as the region prepares to welcome one of its most significant cultural moments of the year, Abu Dhabi Art. This discussion will ...
The Weight of Change: The Rise of Weight Loss Medication
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An insightful conversation on one of today’s most talked-about medical and cultural phenomena, the rise of weight loss medication. As these drugs tr...
Reframing the Mind: A workshop by Dr. Naif Al Mutawa
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the lead-up to World Mental Health Day, we welcome Dr. Naif Al Mutawa for a workshop on recognising and reframing negative thought patterns, buildi...
Authored: Sara Hamdan, What Will People Think?
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and former New York Times journalist Sara Hamdan joins us at The Arts Club Dubai to discuss her debut novel, What Will People Think? — an int...
An Evening With: Angelo Zegna
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are pleased to have welcomed Angelo Zegna, EMEA CEO and fourth-generation member of the Zegna family, for an evening exploring the remarkable legac...
An Evening with Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Paul Griffiths arrived in the UAE in 2007, he took a bold leap from his role as MD of Gatwick Airport. Since then, he has led the remarkable tran...
Beyond the Runway: Fashion’s Global Shifts
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh from the Fashion Weeks, this conversation brings together leading voices in the industry to unpack the season’s defining ideas and aesthetics....
Preserving The Invisible: The Art of Conservation
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens behind the scenes to preserve the artworks we love? Tune in for an engaging conversation on the craft, care, and complexity of art conser...
Hormonal Health: How to Balance Body, Skin, & Mind
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hormones affect everything — from our skin and sleep to mood and weight. In this insightful conversation, Francesca Ogiermann-White, founder of The ...
A Founder's Story: Brunello Cucinelli
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Step into the world of luxury and vision with Brunello Cucinelli in this exclusive fireside chat that marks his first appearance in Dubai. Discover th...
Stress, Burnout, & Mental Health
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recognition of World Mental Health Day, Dr. Saliha Afridi, founder of The LightHouse Arabia, leads the conversation focusing on the importance of m...
Gut Health & Longevity By Lanserhof
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Jan Stritzke, a leading specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology and Medical Director at the award-winning Austrian health resort, Lanserhof ...
A Founder's Story: Christian Louboutin
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special edition of A Founder’s Story, we are joined by the iconic designer Christian Louboutin for an insightful fireside chat, moderated by...
The Yellow Metal
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gold stands as a cornerstone in the annals of currency, trade, and investment. Tracing its rich history unveils tales of civilizations, conquests, and...
The Culture Dispatch: The Root Resurgence
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, there has been a notable resurgence of interest in plant-based remedies and traditional herbal medicine practices, driven in part by ...
The Art Cereal: New Trends in Collecting
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of Art Dubai, Amelie von Wedel and Pernilla Holmes, Founder and Director of Wedel Art, art advisory firm and curators for The Arts Club London a...
Cross Border Audiophiles: A Conversation with Dustee Jenkins
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation with Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer at Spotify, exploring the latest trends and innovations coming out of the audio space...
The Culture Dispatch: Navigating Financial Frontiers 2024
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the intricate world of financial movements, where we unravel the past, scrutinise the present, and peek into the future of venture capital t...
The Cultural Dispatch: The Future of Fuel
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the conclusion of COP28 and the emergence of practical resolutions, we've evolved from an unequivocal rejection of fossil fuels to a commitm...
A Founder’s Story: How Mohamad Ballout built Kitopi
25 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, Dubai’s Kitopi became a unicorn with a $415 million round led by SoftBank.Founded in January 2018 by Mohamad Ballout (CEO & co-founder)...
The Art Cereal: Ai & Art | A New Age
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A fireside chat with Award winning director, writer & poet Nujoom Al GhanemWhile AI presents innovative tools for artists and the potential to cha...
The Art Cereal: Creativity to Mobilise Change
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Art for The Ocean: Creativity to Mobilize Change took place in the prolific art market of Dubai during COP 28 (the world’s largest annual climate ga...
The Culture Dispatch: Building a Greener Future
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dubai's remarkable rise from the desert sands has been nothing short of extraordinary. The city has rapidly transformed into a global economic hu...
The Culture Dispatch: Think Tanks,Thinking Internationally
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think tanks are essential in international affairs, acting as hubs of strategic thought and policy innovation. They gather experts to analyze global c...
The Culture Dispatch: Navigating The Economic Storm
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An illuminating evening as Gary Dugan, CEO of The Dalma Global CIO Office, sits down with the visionary founder of Dalma Capital, Zachary Cefaratti. ...
The Culture Dispatch: Is the 21st Century city beautiful?
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With extraordinary technological and scientific advances our cities across the globe are growing at an exponential rate, but are they beautiful? Neo-C...
Authored: Mai Eldib on writing Cairo Eternal (Assouline)
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For this Authored episode we hear from Mai Eldib, author of Cairo Eternal; the latest addition to Assouline’s Travel Series and its first ever Egypt...
Authored Live: Jamali Maddix
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We were delighted to welcome critically acclaimed comedian Jamali Maddix for our Authored Live series at The Arts Club. From his wittily honest stage ...
An Evening With: Ai...and Dr. Noah Raford
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You have probably put an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot to the test recently. Perhaps you asked it to write prose from the perspective of a 300-...
An Evening With: Hamed Ali
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hamed Ali sits at the helm of two of Dubai’s most powerful financial organizations - Dubai Financial Market and NASDAQ Dubai. Under his leadership, ...
A Founder's Story: How Butheina Kazim built Cinema Akil
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Butheina Kazim decided to work in cinema 15 years ago and planted the seeds that led to the founding of Cinema Akil in 2014 when she started showcasin...
A Founder's Story: How Ralph Debbas built W Motors
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From graphic design to automotive design, Ralph Debbas’ journey led him to launch W Motors, the first ever developer and manufacturer of high-perfor...
The Culture Dispatch: Woke Capitalism in 2023?
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wokeness is a buzzword which found prominence in the mid-2010s in the form of a mass campaign to raise awareness for significant social issues. Soon t...
Meet The Artist: Daniel Crews-Chubb
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome artist Daniel Crews-Chubb for an intimate fireside chat on the occasion of his exhibition of five of his totemic paintings at The Arts Club...
A Founder's Story: How Essam Al Tamimi built Al Tamimi & Co
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Essam Al Tamimi founded Al Tamimi & Co in January 1989 with just one secretary at his side. By July of that year, the firm had five lawyers. Today...
Authored Live: ABRI
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An extension to the Authored series, Authored Live brings into focus the practice of songwriting, lyrical performance, and music production. Special g...
A Founder's Story: How Magnus Olsson co-built Careem
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Magnus and his co-founder Mudassir Sheikha wanted to build something “big and meaningful”. So, they began looking for ideas and gave their researc...
The Art Cereal: Contemporary African Art in Today's Market
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We discuss Contemporary African Art in relation to the global market. Our guest panelists outline why they collect art and what factors inform their c...
Authored: 50U | 50 years United Arab Emirates
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of the UAE’s National Day, this month we highlight the book 50U. A publication which paints an intimate picture of life in the Emirat...
Authored: The Making of Mohamed Ahmed Ibrahim: Between Sunrise and Sunset / Works 1986-2022
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2022, the National Pavilion UAE presented a major new work by Emirati artist Moha...
The Culture Dispatch: Human Space Flight - Myths, Reality, and Opportunities
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From high-altitude balloon trips to astronaut boot camps, reusable suborbital rocket systems designed to take astronauts and research payloads past th...
Authored Live: Layla May
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An extension to the Authored series, Authored Live brings into focus the practice of songwriting, lyrical performance and music production, as it welc...
The Culture Dispatch: The Role of Soft Power Today
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Organised in collaboration with The Diplomacy Lab, this panel discussion looks at the increasing role of soft power diplomacy in building bridges, coe...
An Evening With: Nick Midwood
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fine wine and spirit bottles have long been the subject of investment for connoisseurs and businesses from around the world, but it is now sparking th...
The Art Cereal: What Is Good Art?
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Collectors, curators, editors and gallerists are the tastemakers of the art world. They influence the art market’s global trends with their seal of ...
Authored Live: Poetry Night
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month we invite Members onto the stage of our late-night lounge for an intimate evening celebrating the spoken word. Aspiring poets and brave ent...
An Evening With: Mark Mobius
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nicknamed The Godfather of Emerging Markets, Mark Mobius has travelled to most corners of the globe in his quest to discover undervalued companies. He...
The Art Cereal: Meet the artist 'M' aka Michael Chow
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world knows him a restauranteur, a pioneer whose eponymous restaurant Mr.Chow changed the canon of fine dining everywhere it went, but to understa...
The Culture Dispatch: Dubai: Fashion Capital?
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dubai: Fashion Capital?You might think so, and yet.. Paris, Milan, New York and London are the “Big Four” fashion capitals of the world, and many ...
Authored: Dr. Omar Kholeif on writing 'Goodbye World! Looking at Art in the Digital Age'
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Omar Kholeif is the author, co-author, and editor of over 30 books, of which seven have focused on the concept of internet art. Their anthology, You A...
Authored: Sarah Khan on writing about travel
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” – Ibn Battuta Is travel journalism the most coveted job on the face...
A Founder's Story: How Mikey Muhanna Built afikra | عفكرة
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Who is the real Aladdin? What was happening in the Arab world during the West’s Roaring Twenties? Why is the evil eye, evil? Mikey Muhanna, who had ...
Authored Live: Dania Bdeir on writing WARSHA
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Warsha is Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 winner of The Short Film Jury Award for best International Fiction. Written and directed by Syrian/Lebanes...
The Art Cereal: Meet the artist Akram Zaatari
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We welcome artist Akram Zaatari on the occasion of his exhibition at The Arts Club Dubai titled ‘The End of Love’.Looking back on his career as a ...
The Culture Dispatch: Metaverse: 21st Century Breakthrough or Downfall?
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Directly from those who are imagining, designing and executing the world of tomorrow, this month we explore the notoriously divisive Metaverse through...
A Founder's Story: How Dr Micheal Fakih Built FAKIH IVF
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since 1987 Dr. Michael Fakih has been responsible for over 12,000 In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) deliveries. A pioneer in his field, Dr. Fakih co-found...
Authored: Mohammed Saeed Harib on writing FREEJ
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mohammed Saeed Harib In conversation with Butheina Kazim, Founder of Cinema Akil.Since their TV introduction in 2007, and now on Netflix, it is very l...
The Culture Dispatch: DEBATE: Social Media is Good for Journalism
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Social media’s exponential growth in the past decade has made it an integral part of our daily lives, and in turn has tremendously expanded the scop...
The Culture Dispatch: History Of House Music
05 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wondered about the difference between dubstep, disco house, 2 step, moombahton, gabber and psytrance? What is EDM, anyway?Join us for this audio-...
The Culture Dispatch: CRYPTO DE-CRYPTED
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's 2021, Cryptocurrency and NFTs have taken the world by storm and become heroes of dinner table talk. Elon Musk is tweeting endlessly about “...
The Art Cereal: WHITE CUBES IN THE DESERT
03 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three Gallerists' Tales on Setting Up their Dubai Spaces.Three young and ambitious art dealers steer some of Dubai’s leading art galleries, and...
The Culture Dispatch: Robots, Automation and You
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sensational headlines, dramatic stories and nightly news bring us astounding reports on breakthroughs in robotics, AI and automation almost every day....
A Founder's Story: How Ronaldo Mouchawar Built Souq.com
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Son of a merchant from Aleppo, Syria, Ronaldo Mouchawar built a company in 2005 which was to make history. He founded the largest online marketplace o...
The Culture Dispatch: Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi introduces us to Watches of the 70s
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An avid watch connoisseur and collector, we look forward to welcoming Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, Chief Commercial Officer of Seddiqi Holding, as he...
Authored: Myrna Ayad on writing Assouline’s Sheikh Zayed volume
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1968, the coastal Arab emirates entered into an unprecedented phase of vulnerability. The British, who had protected the emirates for 150 years, su...
The Art Cereal: Meet The Artist Ralph Heimans
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We are delighted to welcome London-based artist, Ralph Heimans, one of today’s leading portraitists, to the Club this May to talk about his outstand...
A Founder’s Story: How Mona Ataya Built Mumzworld
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mona Ataya is one of the Middle East’s most prominent entrepreneurs. In 2011 she co-founded an e-commerce platform dedicated to all things mother, b...