The Middle East is reimagining what a city can be—and at the heart of that transformation is a bold question: what if play, creativity, and human connection became the foundation of urban design?

In this episode of Flavors of Ambition, Ryan Taylor, Managing Director at BCG Brighthouse, sits in the host’s chair for a conversation with Morgan Parker, Vice Chair of the Management Committee at Qiddiya Investment Company, about the philosophy shaping one of the region’s most ambitious initiatives. Just outside Riyadh, Qiddiya is being built from scratch around sport, entertainment, and culture—designed not just as a destination, but as a new way of living.

Morgan shares how decades of global experience in city-making shaped his belief that great places start with purpose. From rethinking how people move through public spaces to redesigning experiences like golf courses and transport systems, he explains how Qiddiya is embedding play into everyday life—lowering barriers, encouraging participation, and creating moments of shared joy.

Together, Ryan and Morgan explore how Vision 2030 is unlocking new possibilities for domestic tourism, community connection, and long-term career pathways in experiential industries. Morgan reflects on why this project isn’t a development with an end date, but a living city that will continue to evolve across generations.

We also dive into what Qiddiya could mean beyond Saudi Arabia—a blueprint for future cities that trade not just in goods or finance, but in experiences that shape memory, culture, and belonging.

If you’re curious about the future of urban life, purpose-driven development, and what it really means to design for human potential, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Links:

Qiddiya

BCG Brighthouse

Ryan Taylor on LinkedIn

Entertainment Parks Industry: Trends & Opportunities for Saudi Arabia

Email Flavors of Ambition: flavorsofambition@bcg.com

The Middle East is laying the foundations for a bold new era of artificial intelligence, one rooted in purpose. At the center of this transformation is Dr. Yaser Al-Onaizan, Deputy CEO of HUMAIN, and one of the driving forces behind Saudi Arabia’s national AI vision.

In this episode Dr. Yaser and co-host Dr. Akram Awad, Managing Director and Partner at BCG explore how the region is turning strategy into reality, developing world-class data infrastructure, building AI systems grounded in human values, and cultivating the talent that will power tomorrow’s digital economies.

Dr. Yaser shares how his journey from pioneering researcher to national AI leader reflects the region’s broader transformation. A mission driven by ambition, collaboration, and a belief that technology must serve people.

And Dr. Akram offers insight into how purpose-driven strategy, governance, and public-private partnerships are creating an ecosystem where innovation can thrive responsibly and sustainably.

Together, they explore the ethical and societal dimensions of AI, from inclusion and gender parity to lifelong learning, and how regionally trained, Arabic-first AI models are helping position the Middle East as a global leader in human-centric innovation.

If you want to understand how the Middle East is shaping the future of AI, balancing innovation with integrity, and vision with values, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Links:

Dr. Yaser Al-Onaizan on LinkedIn

HUMAIN

Akram Awad on LinkedIn

BCG Middle East

Email Flavors of Ambition: flavorsofambition@bcg.com

The Middle East is building the future of cities from the ground up, with bold ambition and long-term vision. From cognitive cities to AI-enabled governance, the region is transforming into a living lab for the technologies, systems, and societies of tomorrow.

In this episode of Flavors of Ambition, we speak with Joseph Bradley, CEO of Tonomus, and David Panhans, Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG, about what it takes to turn a bold national vision into reality. Together, they explore how the Gulf is embracing data, AI, and digital platforms not only to drive efficiency, but to fundamentally reimagine how we live, work, and lead.

Joseph shines a light on how the Middle East is leveraging AI to go beyond smart cities and build the world’s first cognitive city, where technology serves humanity, and where progress is measured not just in profits, but in purpose.

And David offers insight into how policy, public-private partnerships, and digital talent are accelerating transformation at scale.

We also dive into what makes the Gulf uniquely positioned to take this leap, from a young, tech-savvy population and agile leadership to massive investment in infrastructure and innovation ecosystems.

If you want to understand why the Middle East is fast becoming a proving ground for the next wave of digital civilization, this episode is for you.

Links:

Joseph Bradley on LinkedIn

TONOMUS

David Panhans on Linkedin

BCG Middle East

Email Flavors of Ambition: flavorsofambition@bcg.com