The lives of 384 million people have been improved by more than 100 winners of the UAE’s Zayed Sustainability Awards over 15 years. This year’s award winners were announced at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. Business Extra podcast host Cody Combs sat down with two remarkable winners who are making a big impact as they promote sustainable and humanitarian development. Ahmed Sourani, winner of the food category, shares the story behind the Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agricultural Platform and i...
Dec 05, 2023•22 min•Ep. 346
In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs interviews three young climate advocates from the UAE, Morocco and Mauritania. Recording from the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, the climate advocates spoke about the different challenges in their communities, in addition to the work they do in reimagining the future of energy, examining the interplay between climate change and conflict, and enlisting corporate participation in reforestation efforts. They also shared how the Cop28 In...
Dec 04, 2023•25 min•Ep. 345
In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs interviews two young environmental game-changers from Lebanon and Jordan, exploring the pivotal moments that ignited their commitment to advocating for the environment in their countries. The conversation took place at the heart of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, where tens of thousands of people are gathering from November 30 until December 12 for one common cause: committing to sustainability. The climate advocates, who are memb...
Dec 01, 2023•17 min•Ep. 344
About 80,000 participants from all around the world are expected to make the journey to the UAE for the much-anticipated Cop28 summit. But how did we get to Cop28? There have been 27 previous climate conferences just like this. So what milestones did they achieve and what should we expect this year? Host Cody Combs, future editor for The National, talks to climate historian Professor Bart Elmore and global environmental history professor at the Ohio State University, Nick Breyfogle, about the hi...
Nov 29, 2023•21 min•Ep. 343
Expectations are high for climate solutions as the UAE hosts the Cop conference for the first time. What is Cop? What should we expect at Cop28, and what does it all mean for humanity? On the first episode of the special climate edition series, Cody Combs, future editor for The National and the new host of the Business Extra podcast, brings you all the updates and key information that you need to know ahead of the climate summit that will kick off on November 30.
Nov 27, 2023•12 min•Ep. 342
In 2019, Hub71 invited start-ups to move to Abu Dhabi, promising founders free housing, office space and health insurance for the first year, access to investors and one of the most dynamic and connected regions in the world. Four years later, Abu Dhabi’s start-up ecosystem is among the fastest-growing in the world, according to a new ranking from Startup Genome. Amer Aidi, head of marketing and operations at Hub71, joins host Kelsey Warner this week to talk about what founders can expect if the...
Jun 21, 2023•18 min•Ep. 341
In this episode: LinkedIn's reach in the region and its evolution over the last 20 years (0m 23s) The impact of the Microsoft takeover (3m 32s) The jobs and opportunities during the AI age (7m 51s) The current job market and the future of work (11m 16s) LinkedIn's move into government and politics (15m 44s)
Jun 14, 2023•22 min•Ep. 340
The global economy has weathered the most tumultuous century in modern history and most of the previous financial crises have shared similarities from which we can learn. So writes Dr Linda Yueh, CBE, in her new book, The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them. She joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week to share her analysis of major market crashes, from currency crunches and Japan's housing crisis to the dot-com bust and the Covid-19 pandemic, she shares...
Jun 07, 2023•21 min•Ep. 339
Snapchat long stood out among other social media platforms for introducing interactive user experiences such as filters and augmented reality features. But today, with TikTok on the scene and Meta, Instagram and YouTube introducing products for creating content, the social media scene has evolved, technology has changed and audiences are different. In this episode: Snapchat in 2023 (0m 27s) Engaging the MENA region and building loyalty (6m 29s) The digital ads model and Snapchat revenue (9m 57s)...
May 31, 2023•25 min•Ep. 338
New research from cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks has found that a little more than half of chief executives in the UAE estimate potential losses from cybersecurity attacks have increased in the past year. Haider Pasha, senior director and chief security officer at Palo Alto Networks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Latin America, joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week to explain the scope of cybersecurity risks in 2023. Mr Pasha explained that they help organisations c...
May 24, 2023•25 min•Ep. 337
Questions loom about the future of work and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Companies in the UAE have been turning to Cosmic Centaurs to navigate these fast-changing times. The Dubai-based consultancy helps employers design and put in place new ways of working to increase returns while boosting employee happiness. Founder and chief executive Marilyn Zakhour joins host Kelsey Warner this week to talk about how high-performing companies navigate change. In this episode: Why companies hire ...
May 17, 2023•26 min•Ep. 336
Last week, the World Health Organization announced that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking an end - albeit a symbolic one - to the pandemic. Pfizer, maker of one of the most-used Covid-19 jabs and an antiviral pill, hit a record-breaking $100 billion in revenues in 2022, spurred by earnings from those treatments. As the pandemic wanes and demand for treatments drops off, the New York-headquartered pharmaceuticals company is in a "transition year", chief executive Albert ...
May 10, 2023•22 min•Ep. 335
Apr 26, 2023•19 min•Ep. 334
Brendan Wallace, co-founder and managing partner of Fifth Wall, the world’s largest venture capital firm at the intersection of real estate and tech, joins host Kelsey Warner this week. Fifth Wall had a massive 2022, closing its $866 million Fund III in December, the biggest property start-up investment fund ever, on the heels of a $500 million climate fund it closed last July. The LA-based VC fund brings together some of the largest owners and operators of real estate globally, including here i...
Apr 19, 2023•14 min•Ep. 333
A new nationwide programme in the UAE, the Parent-friendly Label, is aimed at identifying employers supporting parents who are juggling work and home life. Laila Al Hassan, chief culture officer and lead of the Parent-friendly Label at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, talks to host Kelsey Warner about what inspired the programme and the criteria organisations need to be considered parent-friendly. Ms Al Hassan says the programme aims to support working families in the UAE, where a majori...
Apr 12, 2023•12 min•Ep. 332
Ramadan is the time of year when consumers in the Middle East tend to up their TV, streaming and media consumption. Joe Kawkabani, chief executive of OSN Group, one of the largest entertainment content companies in the region, joins Business Extra this week to talk about trends in streaming this Ramadan. OSN is investing in data science to know more about their customers’ preferences and consumption behaviour to better recommend content to them, Mr Kawkabani said. The privately held media conglo...
Apr 05, 2023•19 min•Ep. 331
The senior vice president and executive editor of Associated Press, Julie Pace, joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week to talk about the transformation of the news industry in the age of artificial intelligence. Ms Pace was appointed to this position in September 2021. She leads AP’s global news operations and oversees news content and all formats from journalists across the world, with 250 locations in more than 100 countries. Moving from text only to a multi-format platform, AP is e...
Mar 29, 2023•25 min•Ep. 330
Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as Gary Vee, documents his life on social media, dispensing advice on entrepreneurship, technology and media to his more than 44 million followers. As an early investor in Facebook, Uber and Twitter and chairman of VaynerX and chief executive of VaynerMedia, the serial entrepreneur and investor has strong views on ChatGPT, social media use and NFTs. He joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week from Abu Dhabi. In this episode: The state of consumer culture, con...
Mar 22, 2023•17 min•Ep. 329
Founder and managing director of 4 Day Week Global, Charlotte Lockhart, joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week to share the results of the world’s largest trial to reduce working week. Ms Lockhart led the trial with dozens of employers and thousands of employees in the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The results showed that reducing work time doesn’t affect productivity of employees, highlighting that some companies were able to reduce official work h...
Mar 15, 2023•19 min•Ep. 328
Sacha Haider, a partner at Global Ventures, joins Business Extra host Kelsey Warner this week to discuss supply chain technology. Haider is the youngest partner in venture capital in the region and she is leading the investment team, focusing on technology and emerging markets. In this podcast episode, they speak on investing in emerging markets, access to digital services and goods, and recent consumption trends. Looking at building a sustainable future, Haider said that supply chain sustainabi...
Mar 08, 2023•23 min•Ep. 327
Professor Eric Xing, the president of Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, joins host Kelsey Warner this week after the university graduated its inaugural class. They speak on jobs prospects for the fresh grads, the less-discussed risks of ChatGPT and other newsmakers in the field of AI. In this episode: Prof Eric Xing on the moment AI is having right now (0m 22s) The use of AI and its effects on academia (7m 08s) MBZUAI and putting UAE on the map (12m 30s) Findin...
Mar 01, 2023•26 min•Ep. 326
Host Kelsey Warner talks to the chief executive of US based agtech firm Aerofarms David Rosenberg about who they are and why they are opening an R&D centre in Abu Dhabi. In this episode: What is Aerofarms all about? (0m 44s) How Aerofarms is revolutionising agriculture in the region (6m 45s) Are we late to solve the food and water crisis? (13m 45s) Is there a greater discipline in the market now? (18m 34s) Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week Apple Podcasts...
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Ep. 325
The World Government Summit in Dubai is examining a rebalance of power, of demographics and of society's relationship to technology and energy. On this week's episode, host Kelsey Warner digs into that rebalance by looking East — to the centre of major emerging economies like India and Indonesia, and to a reopened China. What paths in tech, energy, and innovation are opening up between Asia and the Middle East? Partners at advisory firm Oliver Wyman, Adel Alfalasi and Ben Simpfendorfer, join to ...
Feb 15, 2023•19 min•Ep. 324
Host Kelsey Warner talks to KPMG's Wassim Chahine about the new regime set to take effect this year. In this episode: What is the corporate tax going to be implemented in the UAE? (0m 32s) Who does it apply to? (2m 26s) How the revenue is calculated and the effect on free zones (3m 39s) The UAE's move to incentivise foreign investment (9m 07s) What the corporate tax means for the UAE economy? (10m 35s) Read more on our website: Lower than Ireland: why UAE corporate tax may prove a boon for forei...
Feb 08, 2023•13 min•Ep. 323
The startup scene in the region (0m 19sec) The moment when focus on growth turned to profitability (6m 27s) What is the meaning of harvesting? (9m 17s) Founding of Tuhoon (12m 39s) The startup culture in the region (16m 43s) Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Podbean...
Jan 31, 2023•22 min•Ep. 322
Concerns over a weakening global economic outlook are affecting the career prospects of graduates and young professionals. While employment levels have been at historic highs following the Covid-19 pandemic, job losses in once-buoyant sectors such as technology and finance indicate that the trend may reverse. However, there is “a lot of data to show that increasingly, digital skills in particular continue to be in incredibly high demand among employers”, according to Dan Shapero, chief operating...
Jan 24, 2023•15 min•Ep. 321
As the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting draws to a close in Davos, Switzerland, Kelsey Warner is joined by co-host Mustafa Alrawi, who has been reporting all week from the Swiss mountain town. They discuss the biggest issues that will drive the global agenda in 2023 and beyond. Mustafa argues that recession, inflation, war in Europe and the energy crisis are largely already “baked in” to how businesses will navigate the year. But the rise of consumer-facing artificial intelligence is one to...
Jan 19, 2023•15 min•Ep. 320
The UAE's investment in digital capabilities and its growing network of partnerships around the world are set to benefit local industries this year, across sectors. From clean energy to metals, health care, life sciences and start-ups, the stable landscape of the Emirates positions these industries for growth, even with global headwinds swirling such as the weaker economic picture in the US and Europe. Badr Al Olama, executive director of UAE Clusters at Mubadala Investment Company, speaks to ho...
Jan 18, 2023•11 min•Ep. 319
At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, energy will be an important topic on the agenda this week. Roberto Bocca, the forum's head of Shaping the Future of Energy and Materials, tells host Mustafa Alrawi that the focus of discussions will be the energy crisis, the energy transition and the nexus between energy and other ecosystems such as water and food, which are critical. Mr Bocca hopes that many will come to the table in Davos to solve these issues and also to harn...
Jan 17, 2023•11 min•Ep. 318
At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, CP Gurnani, chief executive of Indian information technology company Tech Mahindra, talks to host Mustafa Alrawi about the outlook for 2023. Mr Gurnani says the impact of a global economic slowdown will not be generic. Depending on the region, there will be circumstances to mitigate some of the effect of a recession, with no uniform pattern, he says. South-East Asia and the Middle East are expected to see growth, Mr Gurnani says...
Jan 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 317
