By : Ahmed Helmy

The Dukkan Show, one of the first independent society and culture podcasts in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, marked its sixth anniversary, with a milestone celebration of 200 episodes. To celebrate the momentous achievement, the podcast hosted Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth who shared insightful reflections on how social, cultural and creative spheres and communities in the UAE are driving a sustainable economy for the country.

“The Creative Economy has become an important part of our global economy. Not just as a narrative, but also as an implementation model. Many countries have realized the importance of knowledge-based industries, and the UAE in particular believes that these cultural and creative industries are key assets to create sustainability for the economy. The UAE is a major player in the growth of CCI in the Middle East and North Africa region. The UAE’s preeminent position as an innovation hub is central to the growth of CCI in the wider region.” said H.E. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi.

As a voice of cultural understanding, The Dukkan Show shares stories and empowers those who share a like-minded approach in creatives and culture. In the past six years, the podcast has enjoyed over 2.6 million downloads. The Dukkan Show is the first podcast, globally to ever host a #TodayAtApple talk with its authentic content experiences that speak truth about the culture.

“Dukkan Show was created to tackle cultural conversations, own our own narratives and most importantly export our culture and stories from the Middle East to the world.

Cultural export through media is soft policy and we work hard to shape and shift conversations about the Middle East and how the world sees it. Six years has been an incredible journey. When we first started out, there were barely any podcasts coming out of the Middle East, if at all.

Fast forward to today, podcasting in MENA has not only gained traction but has been growing exponentially year on year. MENA podcasting is akin to YouTube in 2006 before it became a home screen app. All of our podcasts in Dukkan Media were built by identifying each show’s purpose first and clearly defining what we want to share with the world, then make it entertaining for the listeners to keep coming back.

With the Dukkan Show, we have perfected this formula making our podcast one of the most sought after shows in the region. This is a point of personal pride for us, which we attribute to our amazing team and remarkable listeners. To our listeners, supporters, and everyone interested in this space, please feel free to always slide in our DMs.

We make it a point to read and respond to every single message.” said Omar Tom (OT), Cofounder & CEO at Dukkan Media.

The Dukkan Show is available on any of the podcatchers including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Deezer, Stitcher, and Anghami to name a few. Since January 2016, it has featured more than 120 guests from around the world, notably Gary Vaynerchuch, Liza Kishk, Prince EA and Shepard Fairey (OBEY), among others.

Dukkan refers to community groceries in Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Farsi, and Turkish. It is the cornerstone of the communities where the dukkan plays a critical role in being a provider of products & services to the area, but also a safe space where people come together and hangout by the dukkan stoop to discuss topics that matter to them. Keeping the tradition alive with this spirit, The Dukkan Show delivers a sonic experience. Hosted by OT, Reem, and Akkaoui, the show is the voice of Neo-Bedouins and the home of the others with a sole purpose – ‘To be a voice from the Middle East to the world’.