Why We Built the Majlis Series
There is a particular kind of energy that fills a room when the conversation stops being polished and starts being honest.
That is the energy we set out to create when we launched the Majlis Series this April. Across four sessions and four different conversations, that energy showed up every single time.
The word itself says it all. A majlis is a place of sitting together: a gathering rooted in the culture of this region, where councils were held not on stages but in circles, and wisdom is shared, not delivered.
Not a Webinar. Not a Panel. A Majlis.
The Majlis Series is a recurring community series that brings together entrepreneurs, professionals, subject matter experts, and community members around themes that matter not because they are trending, but because they are real.
We launched in April with four sessions. Each one was different in topic and tone, but every conversation landed in the same place: real value, real reflection, and real impact.
What stood out across the April series was not only the conversations themselves, but how they were received. Around 80% of participants rated the experience at the highest level, with nearly all describing it as valuable and impactful.
It points to something deeper than a strong event format. It points to a space that resonates, engages, and delivers in a way that feels both relevant and meaningful.
Four Conversations. Four Rooms. One Common Thread.
Session 01: Investing in Yourself: The One Thing You Can Always Grow
Monday, April 20
Dr. Maya Rmeity and Ola Zeiter, Leaders in Growth and Impact
Watch on YouTube
The series opened with a simple question: what does it mean to invest in yourself, especially when the world around you feels uncertain?
Dr. Maya Rmeity and Ola Zeiter guided a conversation on the inner work that precedes any external achievement: the mindset shifts, the habits of consistent learning, and the challenges that hold people back when conditions feel unstable.
Participants left with practical frameworks and something harder to name: a renewed sense of permission to prioritise their own growth. They learned that investing in yourself begins with a mindset: keep learning, adapt with intention, reflect often, celebrate small wins, and trust that uncertainty can still lead to opportunity.
Session 02: Truth Under Pressure: Rebuilding Trust in an Age of Misinformation
Tuesday, April 21
Prof. Hoda Alkhzaimi, Director, Center for Cybersecurity, NYU Abu Dhabi
The second session took the conversation somewhere few community programmes are willing to go.
Professor Hoda Alkhzaimi, one of the region’s leading voices on cybersecurity and digital trust, unpacked how misinformation shapes not just public opinion, but individual decision-making, institutional credibility, and societal resilience.
It was a session that asked its audience to think more carefully about what they believe, why they believe it, and what the implications are for the organisations and communities they are part of.
Participants left with a sharper awareness that trust is not something to take for granted. It is something we have to protect by questioning information more critically, recognising how easily narratives can be shaped, and making more thoughtful decisions in a noisy digital world.
Session 03: Money in Uncertain Times: What to Focus on Now
Thursday, April 23
Carol Glynn, FCA, Financial Wellness Coach and Mentor
The third session brought the series back to something deeply personal: money, and the anxiety that surrounds it when the economic environment feels unstable.
Carol Glynn, a Chartered Accountant and financial wellness coach, cut through the noise with clarity and passion. Rather than abstract financial theory, the conversation was grounded in practical strategies for managing personal finances, building a realistic budget in uncertain times, and developing financial resilience that does not depend on the economy cooperating.
Participants left with tools they could use the next day. They learned that in uncertain times, peace of mind comes from being intentional with your money: prioritising needs, tracking spending, investing in your future, and building additional income from what you do best.
Session 04: How to Manage Your Mental Currency
Wednesday, April 29
Dr. Liesl Keen, Leadership Coach and Trainer, Applied Neuroscience in the Workplace
Watch on YouTube
The fourth session invited participants to look at wellbeing and performance through a different lens: mental energy as a form of currency.
Dr. Liesl Keen unpacked the neuroscience behind how we think, focus, create, and make decisions under pressure, showing how easily we can overspend our cognitive resources without realising it. Through the concept of three key brain networks, she explored the connection between productivity, creativity, stress, and burnout.
Participants learned how to recognise where their mental energy is being spent, protect their focus under pressure, and manage their cognitive resources more intentionally to avoid overwhelm and burnout. Three winners received a complimentary Resilience Assessment.
Where the Majlis Series Goes From Here
We are continuing, and we are going deeper. The next chapters of the Majlis Series will be built around three interconnected pillars that reflect what this community has told us it needs most:
- Career Pathways: honest, practical conversations about navigating career decisions, transitions, and growth in a rapidly shifting landscape, led by those who have done it.
- Industry Insights: deep dives into the sectors, trends, and forces reshaping how we work and build in the region, with experts who are inside the transformation, not just observing it.
- Micro Learning: focused, high-value sessions designed to deliver one transferable skill or framework per conversation: learning that fits into real lives and is immediately actionable.
Follow the Majlis Series
The Majlis Series will continue to create space for conversations that are honest, practical, and deeply connected to the needs of the community.
Each gathering is a reminder that when the right people meet in the right room, impact can begin with a single conversation.