Sami Fathi's love for tech and writing began as an editor to the popular Apple news site MacRumors in 2021, making him one of the few Arabs (even quite a young one) to publish for a global and popular site covering the latest rumors/announcements on Apple while residing in Saudi Arabia.
Since leaving the role in January 2023, he's become a prominent tech commentator and Apple observer via his X account and publishing on Cupertino Lens, while also representing Saudi Arabia internationally on behalf of MISK.
With 2025 being a major year that saw many tech announcements made for and in Saudi Arabia, we dove deep into the country's growing influence and strategic goals as they spread their influence and showcase the opportunities leading upto the country's Nation Vision 2030.
As a citizen of Saudi Arabia, Sami has witnessed the evolving tech landscape in the region, chiming in on Apple's expansion into Saudi Arabia (after many years), and the importance of human capital in driving tech growth. From the challenges tech companies face in the Middle East to the ambitions of Saudi youth, nothing is off the 'virtual majlis'.
With the likes of NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, Adobe and more tech heavyweights announcing new ventures and partnerships, Sami highlights the potential of Saudi Arabia as a new hub for technology in the MENA region. The results also impact Vision 2030 on the country's economy and the wider region.
-- Chapters --
00:00 Episode overview
03:10 Sami Fathi's beginnings at MacRumors
06:25 Navigating the Media Landscape as a Saudi Tech Commentator
12:32 Apple's Expansion into Saudi Arabia
20:33 Apple's Strategic Approach to Market Entry
24:51 The Silicon Valley Tour by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince
27:39 The Tech Savviness of Saudi Citizens
28:34 USA vs Middle East: process simplicity and efficiency
35:01 Big tech names opening up: Is it enough?
36:04 Investing in Human Capital
42:34 Opportunities for Young Saudis
44:04 Sami's multiple hats and Saudi society behavioural trends
46:59 Global Brands' mistakes entering Middle East region
50:25 Geographic parity on feature rollouts
54:05 Middle East at the bottom for global brands
57:23 MENA feature rollouts yet only UE and Saudi Arabia are highlighted
01:00:21 Future Innovations from Apple
01:03:19 Final remarks as Saudi forges ahead to Vision 2030
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