The Next Big Thing
Founders. Visionaries. Builders of what’s next.
This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a search for the boldest ideas and the people bringing them to life — starting from the Gulf, reaching across the world.
Each episode features raw, in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors who are reshaping industries, rewriting narratives, and building the future from the ground up.
From deep tech to consumer brands, Dhahran to Dubai — The Next Big Thing uncovers the real stories behind breakthrough startups, untold struggles, and moments that changed everything.
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The Next Big Thing
Conquering Deep Tech from Saudi's Eastern Province | The Next Big Thing - Dhahran
What happens when you choose to conquer deep tech in Saudi Arabia?
In this first episode of The Next Big Thing - Dhahran, we sit down with Srrah Algheithy, co-founder and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, a hardware and product development company based in Dhahran.
She shares how she went to study electrical engineering abroad, to building solar-powered cars and racing them across the Australian desert, managing data centers at Saudi Aramco, and co-founding a deep tech company.
This episode is hosted by Rawan Nasser, a multimedia reporter from the Eastern Province itself.
This is the untold story of building real technology in Dhahran — not the buzzword kind, but the kind that solves physical problems and redefines what’s possible in a region built on oil.
You’ll learn:
► Why Srrah chose electrical engineering in a family of academics
► Lessons from building solar-powered race cars
► How studying abroad built resilience
► Managing data centers at Aramco
► Leaving safety to join a hard tech development company as a co-founder
► Redefining what "sustainable" means
► The mindset needed to build deep tech in the Gulf
This conversation is a reminder that big things start quietly — and sometimes in places no one’s watching.
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► Srrah Algheithy – CEO of Sustainable Innovations
https://www.linkedin.com/in/salgheithy/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinnovsa/
► Rawan Nasser – Multimedia Reporter
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawan-nasser/?
In collaboration with Dhahran Techno Valley
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dhahran-techno-valley-dtvc-/
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Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:50 – Passion for Taking on Challenges
03:07 – Being a Woman in Engineering
04:15 – How Studying Abroad Shaped Her
05:27 – Srrah’s Career at Saudi Aramco
07:24 – Joining Sustainable Innovations as Co-founder
09:30 – Competing at the Australian Solar Car Race
12:27 – The Importance of Owning Your Technology
14:36 – Becoming the CEO of Sustainable Innovations
15:39 – The Challenges of Time Management
16:50 – Redefining What “Sustainable” Means
17:50 – Innovating with the Market in Mind
19:40 – Unique Challenges of Deep Tech
21:05 – Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur
22:35 – The Importance of Building Deep Tech
23:59 – The Status Quo of Deep Tech in Saudi Arabia
25:25 – Why Dhahran Is the Right Place for Deep Tech
27:45 – How Dhahran Techno Valley Is Enabling Innovation
29:55 – Challenges for Founders in Saudi Arabia
31:54 – Comparing the Saudi Ecosystem Globally
33:06 – What the Saudi Ecosystem Still Needs
34:55 – How the Saudi Ecosystem Is Evolving
37:02 – Advice for New Founders
38:55 – What’s Next for Sustainable Innovations
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