Lama Khaiyat, CEO of Awtada, a boutique Saudi consultancy and public policy advisory firm, joins hosts Hanaa and Lucien to discuss the world of consulting in Saudi Arabia and the rapid growth of her firm.

The consultancy market in Saudi Arabia reached $3.2 billion in 2023. The market grew by 17.5% in 2022, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5% through 2029. But recently, multiple outlets have reported of a "recalibration" of Vision 2030 projects that involves a reprioritization of spending, putting a pinch on some of the larger consultancies operating in the Kingdom. But the recalibration is an opportunity for boutique consultancies to step up, Khaiyat tells the TWENTY30.

Lama shares her journey from Oxford to the Big 4 and how she felt that her best path toward growth and success was through founding her own firm and providing a Saudi-first lens for clients.

After the conversation with Lama, the hosts get to some of the latest news on Saudi Arabia, and conclude with SHOUTOUTS to the exceptional people driving the Kingdom's transformation.

In Episode 32, co-hosts Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler share thoughtful feedback from Episode 31 and the TWENTY30's exclusive conversation with entrepreneur Iyad Aldalooj, which elicited tons of comments and excitement from many in and outside of Saudi Arabia. Then the hosts get to a DEEPDIVE on Saudi women in the workforce, and how the labor market transformation in Saudi Arabia has significantly advanced opportunities for women to work and pursue careers in various fields and sectors throughout the Kingdom.

The hosts conclude with the latest news on Saudi Arabia, including:

•The Saudi stock market is struggling after a summer rally, with the Riyadh bourse enduring its worst fourth-quarter start in years as regional tensions soar.

•Will Smith is set to give a talk on the opening day of the sophomore edition of the Saudi Film Confex, taking place in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh between Oct. 9-12.

•Saudi Arabia is preparing to make a multibillion-dollar bet on hydrogen and will launch a new company to produce the much hyped low-carbon fuel

•Saudi Arabia has consolidated its branding push with Atlético Madrid by paying for naming rights to the Spanish club’s stadium for the next nine years. Atlético, which has been sponsored by Saudi state-owned Riyadh Air since last season, said Wednesday that its Metropolitano stadium will be known as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano henceforth until 2033.

The hosts conclude as always with the SHOUTOUTS segment, and in this episode, combine their shoutout together to wish a very important person in Saudi Arabia well after surgery.

Iyad Aldalooj started Penny Software after serving as an executive for Careem, the mobility startup which exited for $3 billion to Uber Technologies.

Penny is now one of the Kingdom's fastest-growing startups with SAR 1 billion in transactions in 2023 and customers worldwide. In an exclusive interview and conversation with hosts Hanaa Almoaibed and Lucien Zeigler, Iyad shares his journey, which begins in the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia. After studying at the University of Nebraska in the United States, he fell in love with entrepreneurship. When he moved back to the Kingdom, he joined Careem, where he was an executive when the company exited. He then became one of the inaugural members of the Saudi Leadership Society and the Misk 2030 Leaders Program. Now, with the venture-backed Penny Software, he tells Lucien and Hanaa that despite his early success with Penny, he's committed building a solution for the long run while contributing to the prosperity of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and its drive to create a technology ecosystem from the ground-up. The transformation happening in the Kingdom has changed the mindset of Saudi Arabia's tech-enabled youth, creating a vibrant landscape for disruptive technologies to thrive. Iyad shares his journey and experiences to-date, his stories of success and challenges with venture capital fundraising in Saudi Arabia, and much more with The TWENTY30 in this exclusive interview and conversation.

After the conversation with Iyad, Hanaa and Lucien catch up on some of the latest news from Saudi Arabia.

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