Abdulrahman Abumalih is a young Saudi entrepreneur CEO and editor-in-chief of Riyadh-based production company Thmanyah, which he founded in 2016.

Abumalih is also the founder, producer and host of “Fnjan,” a Saudi podcast that managed to expand to a global audience, covering a wide range of topics.

The “Fnjan” podcast, started in 2014, now falls under the umbrella of Thmanyah, and its 135-plus episodes have attracted more than 13 million views.

Between 2012 and 2016, Abumalih was editor-in-chief of Arabic online news service, Onehas, offering daily updates on the digital, social media, technology, entertainment and mobile industries.

He also worked as head of web development at Dammam College of Technology between 2008 and 2009, helping to set up and develop the college’s website. 

Abumalih holds a bachelor’s degree in software engineering from Arizona State University, in the US, and gained an associate degree in computer programing from Dammam College of Technology. 

In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Abumalih spoke about the growth of the podcasting culture in the region.

“Now we can see academic studies about podcasts in Saudi, the Gulf, and the Arab region,” he said. “We see official organizations and companies that are getting into the world of podcasts like the King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture, and Misk. As long as there are people driving, cooking, working, and traveling, there will always be podcast listeners.”