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UAE Tech Podcast is an exploration on how technology is merging with and reshaping government in the United Arab Emirates. A little understood but fundamental transition is taking place across a series of Emirates first established less than fifty years ago, in 1971. It’s here that the center of technological gravity is shifting from the private sector to a hybrid relationship involving industrialists, entrepreneurs, diplomats, policymakers, creatives and citizens. It’s also here that signs of a Fourth Industrial Revolution are emerging.In this series John Lillywhite talks with leaders from across the UAE in an effort to map these macro trends, and probe how innovations in big data, network…
John Lillywhite takes Dubai's tech ambitions past the conference badge; you get the follow-up questions.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A $10 million fund origin story opens into a regional case for Web3 venture capital in the UAE.
A chance conversation about mine space turns into a $10 million offer and the origin story of Cypher Capital, the UAE-based Web3 venture firm led by Vineet Budki.
A clear look at how Abu Dhabi's event ecosystem could stretch into digital worlds.
Digital twins sit at the center of this PlayNext episode, with Ethara's Chief of Digital and Technology Officer, Barah Hamiz, laying out how venues can use them to sharpen operations, support commercial work, and create virtual activations.
A measured look at whether gaming skill can become tradeable value in a fast-growing regional market.
Senet: Skill2Earn Gaming looks at a timely question: whether video games can turn player skill and time into tokenized value. It frames the UAE and wider Middle East as a promising growth market, then follows the idea through ownership, earning, trading, and the harder question…
A grounded account of the 2015 shift that made StepConference feel like a true annual event.
StepConference lands as a useful look at a Dubai tech event growing into a more professional form. The story turns on 2015, when it stopped feeling like a project and became a proper annual conference people expected to return to.
A grounded look at Dubai's tech ambitions, practical security habits, and one memorable portable electronic guitar detour.
Dubai's push to become one of the world's technology hubs gives the episode a clear organizing thread. Yuri argues for building foundational companies, picking a narrow strength such as AI or crypto, and creating venture infrastructure that helps imported talent turn into…
Crypto, consciousness, and trust under pressure.
Builder conversations from the Internet Computer edge.
Healthcare trust, rebuilt block by block.
NFT culture after the mint button.
UAE Tech Podcast's "CypherCapital: Web3 VC" centers on Vineet Budki, CEO and managing partner of Cypher Capital, a Dubai-based crypto-native VC that says it has made 140-plus investments.
Barah Hamiz says Yas Marina Circuit could become a "3D world" digital twin for events and virtual experiences.
Mohsin Wakar says Senet is building "skill to earn" gaming, where players earn for performance rather than simple participation, and he contrasts it with play-to-earn token farming.
UAE Tech Podcast's "The Story of StepConference" follows Ray Dargham's account of how Step grew from an American University of Beirut project into a Dubai conference brand with thousands of attendees and hundreds of speakers.
UAE Tech Podcast talks with Yuri Dvoinos about why Dubai may need several foundational companies, not a Silicon Valley copy.
An interview discussing how UAE regulators are approaching blockchain and cryptocurrency regulation, including AML controls and DeFi.
An exploration of how blockchain and Web3 technologies are reshaping cyberspace, finance, and culture in Dubai and globally.
An interview discussing the widespread adoption of blockchain technology by major corporations and venture capital firms, and the shift towards digital assets.
An interview explaining Threefold's decentralized, open-source internet infrastructure and its vision for a planetary network.