You have definitely seen him before and maybe even worked with him. Mohamad Ali Akkaoui has been everywhere: from working with global brands like Red Bull and Nike to building media platforms like Dukkan Media, hosting one of the region’s early Arabic podcasts, launching spots like Akhu Manoushe, DJing, and now helping brands grow through his studio DVLP.

He is a marketer, a brand builder, a former corporate lead, a founder, a podcast host and yes, a self-proclaimed “serial multitasker.”

But this conversation isn’t about listing achievements. I decided to talk with Akkaoui about everything that came with them.

The pressure of saying yes to everything, the uncomfortable process of learning how to say no, and dealing with what comes after. We talked about people, about building and closing businesses, about running 50 kilometres while feeling sick and about the most important lesson he learned from his parents.

— Akkaoui, you have done a lot, and you are still doing a lot. You even described yourself as a “serial multitasker.” But there was a post you shared that really stood out to me. You said: “Throughout time, I learned the hard way that being a jack-of-all-trades without the right time management, task allocation, prioritisation, and — most importantly — delegation, will turn you from a jack-of-all-trades into an overburned person who took on too much.” And to be honest, when I read that, I thought: that is the side I really want to understand more! Are you okay with sharing it?

— First of all, thank you for looking up that post. I wrote it as a consistent reminder for myself.

Throughout my life, I was always doing a lot: playing on multiple sports teams, then going to university while working. Before Red Bull, I had all kinds of jobs. I was the guy in the mall offering cheese samples, and I even sold printers for about six months.

Then I moved into my corporate career, and even there, I kept trying to build things on the side. I was saying “yes” to everything because I believed I had the bandwidth to try it all. But that is how I learned what burnout really means.

We come from a generation that didn’t even understand burnout until it showed up physically. You would go to the doctor with heart palpitations, and they would tell you it is stress. And you would say, “No, I’m fine,” until you realise you are not.

Even after understanding burnout, I kept juggling everything: corporate work, personal projects, social life, fitness goals, competition, family responsibilities, trying to please people close to me. It became this constant loop.

When you talk to people about it, most will tell you the same thing: you need to focus on one thing, and that it is impossible to do multiple things at once. But I really wanted to understand why, because I genuinely enjoy doing multiple things.

I knew I wouldn’t completely change, but what I could learn is how to say no. I have learned it — and I am still learning. I am definitely better at it now than I was before.

What I also realised is that maybe you can’t do everything at once, but you can do multiple things: if you are intentional about which ones actually serve you. It comes down to time-blocking, prioritising, and protecting your bandwidth.

That was a big learning curve for me, and I am still learning. I constantly put myself in situations where I can grow, because I have always been someone who learns through experience. I really need to live something to fully understand it.

— What is the backlash of saying ‘no’?

— Sometimes it is the reaction of the person in front of you. And a lot of people struggle to say no because they are afraid of how the other person will react. But there is actually an art to saying no. It is not just about saying, “No, I don’t have time.” It is really an art.

— You have worked with big companies and done a lot of different things. Is there an experience you are especially grateful for?

— I think one of the things I am most grateful for is that I was in a role where I had to manage very different markets and a lot of different things at the same time.

It really taught me that no two people are the same. When you are dealing with people — whether it is your superiors, your team, or your peers — it is all the same kind of management. I always tell people: you need to know how to manage upwards. Even if you have a team of 10 people under you, you still need to understand how to manage up, because not everyone is the same.

Not everyone communicates the same way. Not everyone should be approached the same way. And you never really know what someone else is going through.

I feel very lucky to have worked with and been surrounded by so many different people across different parts of the world. At times, it was overwhelming, but it constantly reminded me that you need to understand the person you are working with before you start directing or even speaking.

At the end of the day, I think one of the most important things in any business is people. People can make or break any organisation.

— You mentioned how important time management, task allocation, prioritisation, and delegation are. How do you manage things now? When you have a lot on your plate, and each task requires your full attention, how do you handle it?

— One of the most impactful things I have done was learning how to delegate properly.

There was a guy on my team who had a real passion for operations and finance. He originally wanted to finish a finance degree, but because of the situation in Syria, he couldn’t complete it.

When I found out, I asked him if he was still interested in working on operations, vendor communication, and sales. He said yes. So I took the time to sit with him and gradually handed over a big part of that responsibility: vendor management, order placements, being the main point of contact if anything goes wrong.

I basically helped him move from just handling the food side of things to a more operational role.

That was really important for him, because it showed that someone believed in him and wanted him to grow. But it was also huge for me because I found someone I could trust, which, honestly, isn't easy.

And once you have the right person, it can take a massive load off your plate. It gave me more time to think about growth, to focus on other areas of my life, even small things.

And those small things matter. They put you in the right mental space to perform better throughout the day.

So it is really about stacking those small wins. And again, it always comes back to people. Delegation and allocation only work when you have the right person.

— I am also curious what happened with Dukkan Show podcast?

— So, the podcast was launched by OT, and it was one of the first Arabic podcasts in the Middle East. I joined the show with OT and Reem around 2017. After that, we built Dukkan Media into a full company, a network that also had a consultancy arm.

At one point, we had around six or seven shows under the network, all covering different aspects of life. But unfortunately, we eventually stopped recording and podcasting, and the shows under the network came to an end as well. But during that time, it was a pretty diverse and active platform.

— But why did you decide to stop it?

— I think when it came to recording, the business side of things started taking over our time.

Then COVID hit, and we had to restructure the entire business. That meant doubling down on the consultancy side of the company, which became the priority.

Because of that, we just didn’t have the time or the resources to keep recording consistently.

At the same time, podcasting was shifting toward a more visual format, and that requires a different level of commitment and consistency — something we couldn’t fully commit to at the time.

So, unfortunately, with limited time and resources, continuing the podcast just wasn’t sustainable for us.

— And now, you are working on DVLP, right? Tell me more about this project.

— DVLP (Develop) is a small growth marketing studio that I launched a couple of months ago. The idea behind it was to build something that allows me to help up-and-coming brands grow the right way — both commercially and from a marketing perspective.

I have been fortunate to work with global brands over the past 16–17 years across marketing, branding, partnerships, and business development. It is something I am really passionate about. And I have always loved building brands.

So I wanted to create a platform where I can apply that experience, as we did with Akhu Manoushe and Bedaya, but also work with what I call “fighter brands.” These are small to mid-sized brands with strong potential. The goal is to work closely with founders and bring a more global brand playbook into their journey, to help them grow properly.

That is where the name comes from: Develop. I kept it simple. I thought, “What do I help brands do? Develop.” The name was taken, so I went with DVLP instead.

At the core, I really believe that strong brands are built on clarity, consistency, and alignment. And you need that across both marketing and branding.

The challenge is that early-stage brands often have founders wearing multiple hats. Some aren’t marketers, and others only start focusing on marketing once they see traction or sales.

That is where we come in — to support, guide, and educate. Because when marketing is done right, it is not just creative anymore — it is also commercial. You can tie it to KPIs, measure impact, and clearly see results.

And that is also why I prefer working with smaller, growing brands. I like sitting directly with founders, because that is where you can really shape the culture, the processes, and the foundation from day one.

— I would also really love to dive a bit into your family. Once, you described your mom and dad as people who, when they walk into a room, bring light with them. Maybe you can share something they taught you or even a specific memory that really captures who they are.

— I think that is a beautiful question.

There is an Arabic saying I grew up with, which roughly translates to: “Do a good deed and throw it into the ocean.” Do good without expecting anything in return.

That is something I saw my parents live by, whether it was with family, friends, or anyone around them. And it really stayed with me. Help people when you can, but don’t expect anything back. Because the moment you set expectations, you open the door to disappointment.

So for me, that is one of the most important lessons I try to live by: do good, and let it go. Don’t wait for it to come back.

It is something I still see in my parents to this day, and something I try to remind people of more and more. But at the same time, let’s be real: it is not easy. We all have expectations. I am not going to sit here and say we don’t. We all try to be as selfless as we can, but it takes effort.

At the end of the day, you just try your best. Do good, and trust that it will come back in some way; you have to believe in that.

Because when you place expectations on people, you are putting them in a position where they might fail you. And if they do, it changes how you see them. That creates unnecessary pressure for you and for them.

— Let’s talk about your running experience. You completed 7 ultramarathons in 7 days across the 7 emirates, and you described the second day in Fujairah as one of the most difficult days of your life. You reached your lowest point, both mentally and physically, and felt like stopping more than a dozen times. Can you tell me more about what made that day so hard?

— Everything that could have gone wrong… went wrong. My IT band flared up, so I was basically limping for a huge part of the 50 kilometres. That alone added hours. Instead of finishing in about eight hours, it took me 12 and a half.

Then I made the mistake of eating mangoes from a fruit stop, which completely messed up my stomach. So I was dealing with cramps, trying to find bathrooms while running. It was just a mess.

And for the last 12 kilometres, I basically gave up on the route and just ran loops in a parking lot. Mentally, that was brutal, just going in circles for hours.

That day really pushed me to a very dark place. And the truth is, if I had stopped, no one would have blamed me. Everyone would have said, “Of course you should stop! You’re injured, you’re sick.” I was also alone at that point; everyone else had already finished.

But I kept reminding myself why I started. It wasn’t about breaking a mental barrier. And all the experienced runners around me had told me: "You’ll hit a point where both your body and your mind are telling you to stop. And if you push past that… everything changes.”

So I forced myself to finish. A friend of mine, Esma, stayed with me on her bike, just watching me run those same loops for hours. That support meant a lot.

In the end, we got through it. And it taught me something really important: how resilient the mind can be and how the body eventually follows.