The Geeky Nomads

We are two ‘Khans’ - Yasser Masood and Gazanfarulla Khan - who also count as third-culture millennials (born in the GCC, citizens of India hailing from the city of Hyderabad). Picking up cultural traits of both our home and resident countries who want to keep you informed on all the quirky things that revolve around technology, consumer gadgets, social media, and digital-related topics across the Middle East and North Africa region (sometimes even in South Asia as well).

The Geeky Nomads is a news podcast hosted by Yasser Masood and Gazanfarulla Khan, with 11 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Yasser Masood and Gazanfarulla Khan hosts The Geeky Nomads, a news show with 11 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #2

  Summer 2026 tech and digital news in MENA region: UAE's social media regulation, Meta's product releases, FIFA World Cup 2026 on social media, Google's new search boost for creators, and more

  Jul 10, 20261h 1mS3

  As the FIFA World Cup 2026 was underway, Khan jetted off to Vancouver to support Team Qatar's journey. With the summer being quiet, we've seen it's still business as usual with announcements. We decided to pull off another episode in the air (counting this as our 6th one), especially as we crunched what's relevant to the MENA region from all the announcements. Another milestone for the podcast just one year later UAE being first in the Middle East to regulate social media for teenagers Meta's hunger for more subscriptions, now with their "Plus" options alongside Meta Verified More of Meta: Threads' 500M+ milestone, AI-based dubbing in Arabic for Reels, and Instagram's newer way for Your Algo tweaks CapCut's cross-platform presence to get a worthy challenger when Edits makes its desktop debut Google's new creator search profiles to better surface influencers/creators in search How different social media platforms are tapping into the FIFA World Cup 2026 and much more. P.S: Khan was travelling light, so he used his AirPods for this. Apologies for his voice quality (even with lot of post-production editing), but we're very adept at being 'on the move' when recording our episodes. -- Chapters -- (00:00) Opening and Intro (02:51) Podcast milestone (07:33) UAE's Newly-Announced Social Media Regulations (15:57) Meta's New Subscription Options as 'Plus' (20:53) Too many Subscriptions (25:35) FIFA World Cup across Social Media (29:50) Instagram Algorithm Changes (35:00) Edits on desktop to challenge CapCut (41:13) Meta's Arabic Dubbing and Content Accessibility (46:08) Google's new Creator Search Profiles (48:20) Catching AI-generated music with Deezer's new tool (50:32) NVIDIA's RTX Spark vs Qualcomm's Snapdragon X for Windows on ARM (52:54) Apple's Pricing Strategy and Consumer Behavior (55:15) Wrapping up with final thoughts --- If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. Yasser Masood ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) Gazanfarulla Khan ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) The Geeky Nomads ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

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  Episode #1

  Starting off 2026: current regional conflict and latest tech news for the MENA region (WHOOP, Google IO, Apple Sports app, and more)

  Jun 1, 202655 minS3

  After a few months of a quiet period due to the current geopolitical tensions and challenges in the Middle East region, we're back with our new season right up in the air. What do we have lined up? SpaceX's Starlink saw a rollout to additional markets during the regional conflict Impact of the data centers from AWS to Google Cloud WHOOP is going big in the Middle East region Takeaways from the Google IO 2026, unveiling what's coming to the MENA region Sports fans following their favourite sports/leagues should check out the Apple Sports app , especially with the upcoming FIFA World Cup Plus, we have some updates to our upcoming episodes as well. Sit back, put on your headphones and enjoy it either as video our audio. Don't forget to subscribe and share this with your network . -- Chapters -- (00:00) Opening (01:00) Welcome Back and Personal Updates (03:20) Navigating Challenges in the Middle East (06:12) Tech Resilience Amidst Geopolitical Tensions (09:00) Investments in the Middle East Tech Landscape (11:51) The Future of Events and Tourism in the Region (14:48) Gaming and eSports Developments (16:35) Starlink expansion to Kuwait and UAE (18:42) Apple Sports App going global (20:13) AI and Its Impact on Sports and Beyond (25:20) Using AI Mode with searching our names (28:01) The Evolution of AI in Search (29:57) AI Models and Competition (32:36) Google's AI Innovations and Subscriptions (33:42) AI Transparency and Content Verification (35:23) The Future of App Development with AI (38:12) Imagine: AI agents to plan our episode? (39:15) WHOOP: Going big in the Middle East region (40:11) Health Tech Innovations in the Middle East (46:43) The Rise of Fitness Tracking Devices (50:38) Looking Ahead: Future Episodes and Topics --- If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. Yasser Masood ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) Gazanfarulla Khan ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) The Geeky Nomads ( ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

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  Episode #11

  Year in Review: Middle East's headlines while Flying High

  Dec 22, 202555 minS2

  As 2025 crawls to its conclusion, we look back on the whole season with the Middle East grabbing plenty of headlines spanning three major countries. What better way to reflect than with another episode at 36,000ft up in the air featuring our c-host. With the whole focus on AI and even branching out to mergers/acquisitions, there hasn't been a quiet period at all. Yet, there are some surprises that have crept in as well including Qatar joining their neighbor's ranks with their own efforts related to AI and many more. With the podcast, it's been a significant step-up as we brought on guests focused on many themes relevant to the Middle East region itself. -- Chapters -- (00:00) Introduction and Context of the episode (02:02) Reflecting on Season Highlights and Guest Appearances (06:03) Emerging Trends in the MENA Region's Tech Landscape (09:59) AI Developments and Investments in Qatar (14:04) Data Centers and Digital Transformation in the Region (17:53) OpenAI and Regional Partnerships (21:31) Future of Data and AI in the MENA Region (27:39) Data Center Embassies and Geopolitical Challenges (30:26) AI Demand and Regional Developments (33:42) AI Subscriptions and Market Dynamics (38:43) GCC Cooperation and Regulatory Challenges (40:59) Saudi Investments in Entertainment and Technology (44:58) Airline Innovations and Passenger Experience (47:28) VPN Adoption and Regional Regulations --- If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. Yasser Masood ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) Gazanfarulla Khan ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) The Geeky Nomads ( ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

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  Episode #10

  Tech Giants Rushing Into Saudi Arabia with Sami Fathi

  Dec 12, 20251h 10mS2

  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 UAE and Saudi Arabia are highlighted 01:00:21 Future Innovations from Apple 01:03:19 Final remarks as Saudi forges ahead to Vision 2030 --- If you're keen to suggest topics that you'd want to hear more about with a Middle East focus, follow us on our accounts below and drop us a message. Yasser Masood ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) Gazanfarulla Khan ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ) The Geeky Nomads ( ⁠Website⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

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  Episode #9

  The latest from Web Summit Lisbon 2025

  Nov 14, 202552 minS2

  Gazanfarulla Khan travels from Doha, Qatar to Lisbon, Portugal to attend the 10th edition of Web Summit Lisbon - the main anchor event among all the Web Summit chapters held throughout the year. Along with highlighting the Lisbon event's significance, the focus for the event has still been on AI and alongside the growing demands for it across industries. With more than 71,000 attendees also including representation of women in startups, Khan even chimes in on the intersection of technology and Formula 1. As the calendar year draws to a close, Qatar is also set to host WSJ Tech Live Qatar and MWC Doha in the coming weeks. Plus, we expand a bit more on our next episode related to job hunting in the Middle East region. Related readings referenced in the episode: Microsoft's AI Diffusion report Progress of Stargate UAE Microsoft's $15.2Bn investment in UAE for AI -- Chapters -- 00:00 Onsite in Lisbon, Portugal 04:38 Web Summit Lisbon's Opening Night 10:19 AI Trends and Innovations at Web Summit Lisbon 17:46 Investment Trends and Market Dynamics 19:44 Energy consumption trends for AI Data Centers 23:42 Women in Startups and Social Impact 26:41 Upcoming episode on job hunting in the MENA region 28:08 Career Ladder at Web Summit Lisbon 30:03 Web Summit Lisbon Highlights 35:29 F1 at Web Summit 42:10 Media Landscape and Opportunities 45:35 WSJ Tech Live in Qatar 48:00 Ending Remarks

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