Host Mustafa Alrawi talks to the CEO and co-founder of Sigma Ratings , Stuart Jones, about his new firm's findings on the region and its top financial institutions. He says there are reasons to be optimistic. Also, The National's Paul Peachey is in Scotland talking to the head of clean energy business at Masdar about the testing of a new technology that could have far reaching consequences for renewables.
From a branding perspective, there are few more visible outlets than the stage created by the Fifa World Cup. Success on the pitch can relate to significant gains in brand value for players, the nations and clubs they represent, and for the sponsors shilling out huge sums of money to have their names advertised across the globe. For instance, It's safe to say few in the West had heard of Etihad or Emirates before they became ensconced in football branding. In this episode of the Business Extra p...
The National's Mustafa Alrawi and personal finance editor Alice Haine mark two years of the weekly column, The Debt Panel, and speak with reader Sumera Hasan about her ultimately successful five-year ordeal with personal debt. We also focus on new rules from the Central Bank capping how much lenders can charge customers for their services and products and explain the importance of developing money-management skills no matter how much you earn. More about Sumera's story here: The Debt Panel: Sing...
This week, Business Extra and Mustafa Alrawi bring you our World Cup quiz from our friends on The National's sports desk and the Extra Time podcast . For the latest business news, visit www.thenational.ae/business . The eyes of the football world will be fixated on Russia this summer as 32 nations compete to be crowned the 2018 World Cup champions. Ahead of kick-off on Thursday, when hosts Russia take on Saudi Arabia in the opening match in Moscow, The National's Extra Time podcast staged a spec...
With top oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia indicating co-ordinated increases in supply we analyse what it might mean for prices . Host Mustafa Alrawi is joined by Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis to discuss all aspects of oil markets from Opec and non-Opec joint action to the impact of sanctions on Iran and the recent focus on the downstream sector. Read more at www.thenational.ae/business .
Host Mustafa Alrawi is joined by personal finance editor Alice Haine to discuss recent trends in the cost of living in the region and globally and how Dubai is one of the most expensive places to live. But your money goes further than you might think thanks to the low-tax environment. We also give you our top tips for managing your finances at home and how to best avoid extra charges when travelling abroad.
The news on Sunday from the Cabinet that there is to be sweeping changes to visa and residency rules as well as that 100 per cent foreign ownership of businesses will no longer be confined just to free zones, is expected to have a far reaching impact on the country and the economy as a whole. Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson dissect the ins and outs of this seismic development. Subscribe to the Business Extra podcast for free on Apple Podcasts here .
Captain Tilmann Gabriel is the executive chairman of the International Pilot Training Association. An industry stalwart, he has held senior executive positions across the global sector. Now the head of City, University of London’s MSc Aviation Management Programmes, Capt Gabriel spoke with The National’s Chris Nelson in Abu Dhabi for this Business Extra podcast about his role at the university and how airport managers of the future are developed.n addition to a fast-changing industry, Capt Gabri...
Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Edie Lush of Global GoalsCast discuss the Sustainable Development Goals which are large-scale, ambitious and inspiring. They are also changing the way we seek out investment opportunities as we move to meet this defined future with over $12 trillion up for grabs for the private sector according to the UNDP. The podcast was produced as part of The National’s Future Forum initiative which over the next year examines how advancements in technology and societal developmen...
Stephen Phillips is the Director General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, which helps international businesses set up and invest in Hong Kong. We discuss investment in Hong Kong in this week's Business Extra podcast. While visiting Abu Dhabi, Phillips described to The National's Chris Nelson what an attractive option Hong Kong and wider southeast Asia is to international investors. Has there been an increased interest from the Middle East and GCC to invest in Hong Kong? What differentiates t...
A pact forged by Opec and non-Opec producers such as Russia, the largest producer outside the group, has lowered global inventories of crude, reversing a three-year price slump that saw prices fall as low as $29 a barrel in 2016. Recent US-led air strikes on Syria have also contributed to the price rally but analysts are suggesting that oil could climb higher but President Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal on May 12 could be a deciding factor. To decipher which factors will matter...
SellAnyHome.com , launched in August, has already enjoyed phenomenal growth, disrupting a sector which has long been somewhat old-fashioned. In this week's Business Extra podcast, CEO of SellAnyHome.com Omar Chihane talks with The National's Chris Nelson about how his company has grown so quickly. Chihane discusses what made him decide to leave his corporate background to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours, where he got his idea for the property-selling website, and shares his own personal philos...
Al Bayt Mitwahid is a UAE-based organisation dedicated to the benefit of all the country’s many diverse communities. Originally founded by staff members at the Crown Prince Court in Abu Dhabi, ABM aims to provide practical help to enable communities to develop and grow alongside both economically and socially through a wide range of tailored initiatives and programmes many of which are supported by multinational corporations such as Airbus and Total. In this episode of the Business Extra podcast...
Our workplaces are where we spend much of our time but these days, thanks to the inter-connectedness of the digital age, that could be anywhere. As virtual offices and co-working spaces grow in popularity, the concept of an office has broadened out, disrupting the commercial property market. In this week's edition of the Business Extra podcast, host Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Taine Moufarrige, CEO of Europe, Middle East, India and Africa at Servcorp, about the opportunities and challenges the serv...
With tariffs and other measures on the table according to US president Donald Trump, it seems the world should be bracing for another trade war similar to the crisis of the 1930s. However, the situation is more complex and fluid that it might appear. In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Mustafa Alrawi hears from trade experts. For insight from the Chinese side, he speaks to Dr Wallace Cheng of International Centre for Trade and Development China. The European point of view is prov...
The Business Extra podcast concludes its deep dive into the growing healthcare sector in the UAE. What does it mean to be well? This question is at the heart of the debate around the development of the health sector in the UAE following a golden era of growth. Host Mustafa Alrawi gets an idea of what the future of the industry might look like as he continues the conversation with Bupa Global's Karim Idilby, Intercare’s Rashid Tabari and Foundation Holdings' Abhishek Sharma. Listen to Part 1 here...
The Business Extra podcast for the next two weeks takes a deep dive into the growing healthcare sector in the UAE. With the perspective of professionals on the ground, we discuss insurance, the provision of health care and how it compares to other developed nations, the investment opportunities in the sector and how primary healthcare is coming into its own in the country. This week, host Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Foundation Holdings' Abhishek Sharma about the opportunity in the value healthcare ...
The UAE is well known for its enduring love of premium luxury cars and the capital is home to Rolls-Royce’s most successful dealership. With an unmatched total of 20 Global Awards in 14 years, Abu Dhabi Motors remains the top dealer globally, selling upwards of 1,500 vehicles since 2003. In this week’s Business Extra Podcast, host Chris Nelson visits the dealership -- in a Rolls-Royce Ghost no less -- to talk to its general manager, Arno Husselmann. Mr Husselmann expands on what was another very...
This week host Mustafa Alrawi discusses the impact of artificial intelligence, automation and robotics with Sultan Mahmood, PwC's Global AI Lead and Ata Malik, Senior Director at PwC Middle East. Follow Beyond the Headlines and the rest of our shows on Apple Podcasts .
The Dubai International Boat Show starts on Tuesday next week, the Mena region’s premier event for the boating sector and among the top such exhibitions globally, attracting the biggest names in the world of superyachts, megayachts and all things marine. Pride of place goes to the UAE-based maker of such floating palaces as the Majesty range of vessels that are the epitome of luxury life on the ocean. Erwin Bamps, the firm’s ceo, talks to host Chris Nelson about what makes Gulf Craft standout....
The turmoil in Africa’s most advanced country is reaching crisis point and South Africa is at a crossroads economically, politically and socially. The man primed to take the reins, Cyril Ramaphosa, faces an enormous challenge to get the country back on track. And yet, amid the chaos, the rand is powering up, reflecting what many believe could be the start of a new golden era for the nation.
From Saudi Arabia's diversification efforts to the mania around bitcoin, investors learn much about opportunities in the media. How should they view what they are being told? Host Chris Nelson gets the lowdown from economics expert and regular columnist Omar Al Ubaydli.
The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union is set for March 2019 and businesses in Britain and Europe are bracing themselves. In this edition of The National Business Extra podcast host Chris Nelson is joined by The National’s London Bureau chief Damien McElroy, a pro-Brexiteer, and Noor Nanji, Business reporter at The National’s London office, who takes a different view, to weigh up the pros and cons of the biggest divorce in modern history.
Host Mustafa Alrawi reports from the Swiss town where global leaders and top executives have gathered for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. On the Promenade he finds Saudi officials working to keep the kingdom on track for its Vision 2030, takes the funicular to the top of the mountain where polar explorers are advocating action on climate change and delves into the fascinating world of cryptocurrencies during an engaging forum panel discussion. Business Extra is The National's wee...
With enormous attacks on major public organisations and multinational companies across the globe costing billions of dollars, the conventional idea of a lone-wolf targeting systems more for fun than malice is rarely the case now. Digital security is today one of the most pressing issues for businesses, organisations and even nations as the threat of organised, ultra-high-tech criminals find new ways to break into software systems, paralysing operations. So what can be done to best mitigate the r...
Host Mustafa Alrawi hears from Lord Adair Turner, one of the key players helping to usher in a new era for the energy sector. S&P Global Platts' Chris Midgley provides a market-wide view on trends from rising oil demand to the rise of electric vehicles.
In this episode, host Chris Nelson talks to The National’s Motoring Editor Adam Workman about the rise of the handbuilt sports and supercar industry in this country, the latest in automotive tech and how the maker of James Bond’s vehicle of choice, Aston Martin, has engineered a remarkable turnaround. The UAE has become a hotbed for bespoke high-end sportscars and supercars such as the Jannerelly Motors’ Design 1 retro-classic two-seater and the Zarooq Sandracer 500GT – dubbed the first supercar...
Host Mustafa Alrawi hears New York hedge fund manager Khaled Beydoun’s story of what he and his family experienced when visiting a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. Omer Elnaiem of the United Nations refugee agency describes what day 1 and year 6 are like for a refugee. Mastercard’s Paul Musser explains how it has been able to support humanitarian initiatives.
It’s been a big year for business across the UAE and the wider region and the past 12 months have sprung some surprises and ushered in some major changes. From technology spectaculars like Apple’s launch of the iPhone X, through the country gearing up for the introduction of VAT on January 1, stabilising oil prices, the resurgence of the local and regional IPO sector, to a surprisingly upbeat Dubai Airshow, 2017 gave us plenty to discuss and much to consider. Host Chris Nelson talks to The Natio...
This week, host Mustafa Alrawi and expert David Daly conclude their discussion about value added tax and what it means for the UAE. We look at how value added tax could impact the economy once it is implemented on January 1. Rebecca Bundhun reports from Mumbai on the Indian experience when a country-wide goods and sales tax was introduced in July.
