Business Extra
Episodes
LinkedIn executive on 2023 jobs outlook
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Concerns over a weakening global economic outlook are affecting the career prospects of graduates and young professionals. While employment levels...
Business Extra in Davos: What risks will shape 2023?
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 r...
Business Extra in Davos: Mubadala’s Badr Al Olama on the UAE’s competitiveness
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The UAE's investment in digital capabilities and its growing network of partnerships around the world are set to benefit local industries this year, a...
Business Extra in Davos: Energy in crisis and transition
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 foru...
Business Extra in Davos: Tech Mahindra CEO on the ‘good’ recession
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, CP Gurnani, chief executive of Indian information technology company Tech Mahi...
Promo: Business Extra podcast from the World Economic Forum
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Business Extra podcast team will be at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week. Host Mustafa Alrawi will be on the ground to deliver insights ...
Outlook for aviation in 2023
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global aviation industry will return to profit for the first time since 2019 as passenger demand continues to improve and Covid-19 related restr...
Amos Hochstein, Mudaissir Sheikha, Deepak Chopra, Zada Haj
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From what it takes to succeed to managing the energy crisis and what next for Bitcoin, the past 12 months have been dynamic for companies, bus...
Majid Jafar on global energy crisis
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Majid Jafar, the vice-chairman of Crescent Group and chief executive of Crescent Petroleum, said a crisis is playing out “across the entire world an...
Zoom’s Sam Tayan on the new era for work
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Technology is enabling a new cycle of fundamental change according to Sam Tayan, Head of Mena at Zoom Video Communications. From hybrid work, to work ...
IFC on boosting women-led startups
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A potential economic windfall awaits the Middle East and North Africa region if countries can close the gender gap and help more women into business. ...
Tech Mahindra’s Manish Vyas on 5G
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From making the metaverse happen to improving the sustainability of networks, 5G mobile communications technology underpins the critical infrastructur...
Deepak Chopra’s factors for success
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Deepak Chopra, founder of health company Chopra Global and the Chopra Foundation, is a doctor, entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 30 years...
Human behaviour and economic policy with NYUAD
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the aftermath of the financial crisis, technological shifts, the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change, governments have been working to deliver m...
US energy envoy Amos Hochstein at Adipec
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Amos Hochstein, the US special envoy and presidential co-ordinator for international energy affairs on Tuesday signed in Abu Dhabi — on behalf of th...
IMF’s 2023 outlook for Gulf and Middle East
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The global picture is one of high energy prices, rising interest rates and an impending economic slowdown. Despite all of this, the Middle East North ...
Can Rishi Sunak tame the UK economy?
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
New British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must tackle what he has called a “profound economic crisis”. He vowed the priority of the government woul...
What is driving energy markets
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brent crude prices are above $90 a barrel as recession worries and the impact on oil demand weigh against other factors, including US policy moves. ...
What the IMF’s forecasts mean for the Middle East
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, this week starkly warned of the possibility of a global recession during the organisation’s annual me...
Disruption is the new normal
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alix Partners, the global consulting firm, has launched a Middle East Disruption Index to examine the impact of trends such as climate change, technol...
Influence of Middle East art and culture
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A growing arts scene in the Middle East and North Africa over the past decade has both supported economic diversification and also been a sign of its ...
Society’s role in energy transition
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the world facing an energy 'trilemma' as it makes the push towards net zero carbon emission to help mitigate global warming, a bottom-up approa...
Why the UK is facing an energy price crisis
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The National's London Bureau Chief Damien McElroy explains why the crisis has come about and discusses which direction the country might head next und...
Four day work week?
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
More than 3,000 workers at 70 companies in the UK began a six-month trial of a four-day working week in June. Researchers will work with each organisa...
Takeo Kanade on rise of robots
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Automation and robotics are becoming mainstream and have emerged from beyond heavy industry in recent years. They can be found across sectors such as ...
Closing the gender gap in Middle East and North Africa
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Global Gender Gap Report 2022 — released by the World Economic Forum last month — said countries will take another 132 years, compared to 136 ...
Zada Haj on future of Middle East food security
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A number of countries across the Gulf and Middle East and North Africa, including the UAE, are stepping up investments in companies and initiatives th...
Dubai’s metaverse strategy
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The promise of the Metaverse and Web 3.0 technologies has been quantified in the UAE through the Dubai government's strategy to create 40,000 jobs and...
Careem CEO on a decade of growth and ’decacorn’ ambitions
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Careem became the Middle East's first unicorn, a start-up with a valuation of at least $1 billion, in 2016 and three years later was bought by Uber fo...
How Emirates and Etihad averted the worst of ’airmageddon’
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Delays, cancellations, lost luggage and labour shortages. These are but some of the issues facing airlines in Europe and the US as the summer travel...
Islamic insurance company Dar Al Takaful’s CEO on merger
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sharia-compliant insurers Dar Al Takaful and Watania, on Tuesday, completed their merger to create the UAE's largest insurance provider after securi...
Oil prices amid recession fears
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Oil prices inched higher this week as big producers hinted at capacity limits and an effort to cap Russian oil prices by western governments began. ...
How electric car industry can keep up with demand
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Electric car sales have surged this year after breaking a record last year, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. The transport se...
Why GCC economies are growing so fast
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recent data shows strong business activity growth in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This is expected amid pandemic recovery and higher oil prices, acc...
Saxo Bank CEO on 30 years in FinTech
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Investment banks have faced unprecedented times before, but market dynamics and the volume of data in play in 2022 makes this a time like no other. Th...
NMC CEO Michael Davis on growth post-scandal
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It has been more than two years since NMC Health almost collapsed, after a more than $4 billion debt pile was uncovered and the company's founder and ...
Davos 2022: energy security and future of work at World Economic Forum
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos is back as an in-person event but in May instead of its usual January slot. Key discussions have be...
What’s on the agenda at Davos 2022
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos is back as an in-person event following a move online during the Covid-19 pandemic. While Volodymy...
Will UK economic sentiment rebound?
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Economic sentiment in the UK is weighed down by the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices as well as overall rising inflation, together with p...
Carbon Trading. Explained
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Carbon can be emitted, offset, removed, stored and increasingly, traded. But how does carbon trading work and what role does it play in the energy t...
IMF Middle East outlook
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund released its Middle East and Central Asia Regional Economic Outlook which shows a divergent picture i...
What are the UAE’s new visa rules?
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday the UAE Cabinet announced one of the biggest overhauls to the UAE's visa system in years. To explain the details, co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi an...
Zoom video beyond hybrid work to hybrid life
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The sudden shift to remote working amid the Covid-19 pandemic made video conferencing tools hugely important for companies looking to keep their ope...
Building trust with sophisticated audiences
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This year's Edelman Trust Barometer report, titled The Cycle of Distrust, showed that governments and the media around the world are creating an atmos...
What mattered this week at the World Government Summit
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"More question marks than answers." This is how Mohammed Al Gergawi, the UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs, described the state of the world in remarks ...
A reality check for energy markets
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sanctions on Russian crude over the Ukraine conflict have increased concerns about supply, sending already high energy prices rocketing. Saudi Arabia ...
How UAE-US ties spur stability and growth
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The relationship between the UAE and the US is perhaps one of the most important for stability in the wider region. The two nations have been allies f...
Why commodity prices are surging
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Oil prices touched their highest level since 2008 — surging past $130 a barrel — after US President Joe Biden banned crude, gas and coal imports f...
How climate action will dominate energy in 2022
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic recede, the most critical issue faced by those leading the energy industry becomes the transition to a le...
NFTs and how Sotheby’s is courting a new generation
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The future of ownership or a passing fad? NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, a digital object underpinned by the blockchain, have taken the digital art wo...
Alexis Crow on the economic realities of a cleaner, greener future
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rising geopolitical tensions, an energy crunch and the thrum of pandemic economic recovery are setting an uncertain path to net zero. But how did we ...
How to manage in an era of geopolitical uncertainty
08 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Amid inflation, an energy crisis, volatile stock markets and increasing scrutiny of big technology firms, there is concern over how tensions between g...
New corporate tax in the UAE explained
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday the UAE announced it will introduce a new federal corporate tax on business profits in a landmark move that will reshape the economic landsc...
Web3 - the internet’s next frontier - explained
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Web3 is the next generation of the internet. Though it is difficult to understand and seemingly easy to dismiss, the advent of a decentralised interne...
The future of hydrogen and nuclear on the path to net zero
18 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the World Future Energy Summit under way in the UAE, the path to net zero is becoming clearer with an energy mi...
Young talent to set 2022 agenda says World Economic Forum president
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is the decade of ‘talentism’ rather than capitalism, the World Economic Forum’s president said as it begins a week of high-level online mee...
The impact of the 4.5-day work week
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the UAE's move to a Monday-Friday working week and a reduction of hours for public sector employees to four-and-a-half days, the country is leadi...
Will staff shortages bring about the rise of the robots?
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Staff shortages are one of the most consequential by-products of the latest coronavirus variant, Omicron. Health care, aviation, education and dining ...
AI and cybersecurity predictions for 2022
29 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sharp uptick in robot orders in the US amid a worker shortage. Historically large cyber and ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure. A chip shor...
The mainstreaming of cryptocurrency and what it means
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will 2021 be remembered as the year cryptocurrency went mainstream? The blockchain-powered financial services industry drew about $30 billion in ventu...
Elon Musk‘s 2021: Bitcoin, space and feeding the world
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A year in review for the controversial figure with an outsized influence on our future. In this episode Elon Musk's 2021 overview (1m) Elon M...
What the new weekend and shorter working week mean for the UAE
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A four and a half day working week, with Saturday and Sunday as full days off, marks a massive shift to work culture in the UAE. The federal governmen...
How the role of the CEO is changing
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Status quo is no longer good enough in the C-suite. From employees looking for greater leadership and meaning in their work amid the Great Reass...
Kevin O‘Leary on the future of finance and Abu Dhabi
23 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Abu Dhabi could be "the Switzerland" of financial technology thanks to its regulatory environment and agile government, according to Kevin O'Leary, bu...
Live from Adipec with an oil industry in transition
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Business Extra is live from Adipec 2021, where oil majors, energy ministers and executives are meeting. Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner disc...
What to expect at the Dubai Airshow
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There was no pandemic the last time the Dubai Airshow was held in November 2019. Two years later, beginning November 14, the exhibition is set to ...
Cop26: What to expect from the high-stakes climate conference
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Addressing the opening session of Cop26, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was “one minute to midnight” on the climate doomsday clock. But...
Succeeding in a digital world
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding algorithms, rolling out 5G, developing quantum computing, building cyber defences and establishing sovereignty online are among the chal...
IBM AI chief on the singularity, data privacy and the new space race
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A decade ago, IBM introduced the power of artificial intelligence to the masses with Watson. The computer system made its debut on the popular Ameri...
Why there is an energy crisis and when it will end
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do a coal shortage in China, a cold winter in Europe and oil's rally to a three-year high have in common? Herman Wang, managing editor at S...
The world‘s first Commissioner for Future Generations
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Does this decision compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs? This is the overarching question guiding Sophie H...
Airline execs to meet in person for first time in two years
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in more than two years, airline executives will meet in-person at an industry-wide event. The 77th IATA Annual General Mee...
How the UN‘s SDGs get grassroots solutions on a corporate budget with this platform
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
UpLink was launched at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos in January 2020, with an ambition to accelerate the Decade of Delivery –...
Facebook AI, public policy and responsibility in the Middle East
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A little more than a third of humans on the planet use Facebook each month, that’s 2.8 billion people in more than 160 countries and growing. ...
UAE investors and innovators face a pivotal week
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Three months ahead of marking its 50th year, a flurry of announcements has given way to a greater understanding of the UAE's roadmap for growth over...
Can the Middle East find a point of economic convergence?
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia region is at a turning point. There are opportunities for sustainable economic development through refo...
Start-ups, AI and social change: Zayed University X Minerva
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Students at Zayed University began a new bachelor's degree programme on Tuesday. It is the first stage in a plan to transform the way the Abu Dhabi un...
Solutions to youth unemployment in the Middle East
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The numbers are striking: over the next 20 years, 127 million young people will enter the labour force in the Middle East and North Africa, but face a...
Clean hydrogen explained
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Clean hydrogen is one of the most hyped solutions to achieving net zero in time to avert climate catastrophe. While it's true the molecule ha...
Can robots care? A conversation with the World Economic Forum's head of AI
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do robots care? What should companies keep in mind before using facial recognition or machine learning? Can new laws being mulled in the EU protect ci...
Bucking Covid-19 trend, Saudi women take job market by storm
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More Saudi Arabian women are joining the workforce than ever before as wide-sweeping reforms bear fruit. But the country's recent progress is an out...
5 emerging investment themes for sovereign wealth funds
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Regional sovereign funds backed local economies amid pandemic while investors have also shifted their strategies to focus more on equity markets and...
Majid Al Futtaim CEO on the future of retail and cinema
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Automation, e-commerce and the push for sustainability all have major roles to play in the future of retail. That's according to Majid Al Futtaim chie...
Opec impasse and oil’s road to net zero
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Opec and oil-producing allies are at a new impasse. But what does it mean and why is it happening? To unpack a historic convergence of market dynami...
Basrah Gas Company and the future of Iraq's energy
29 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Basrah Gas Company is a 25-year joint venture between Iraq’s South Gas Company, Shell and Mitsubishi. It was established in 2013 to process asso...
How Yas Creative Hub will bring the global entertainment industry to Abu Dhabi
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Abu Dhabi plans to invest $6 billion over the next five years in its cultural and creative industries to create new jobs and attract talent. One of t...
How Poland is helping to shape the economy of tomorrow
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Poland hopes its role as a central and eastern European technology hub will help create cross-investment opportunities in the financial, healthcare an...
How Iran's oil industry is at the mercy of its politics
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With a new Iran nuclear deal on the horizon and the possible lifting of US sanctions, up to 1.5 million barrels per day of oil exports could return to...
Stripe's Middle East plans and the untapped 'GDP of the internet'
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More than 13,000 businesses in the Middle East have expressed interest in using Stripe since the payments platform announced its regional debut and of...
Future of travel - 'vacc-ications', higher airfares and cheaper hotel rooms
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The future of travel in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic will be characterised by higher air fares, cheaper hotel rooms and fewer but longer trips, a...
Bloomberg's Justin Smith on the post-Covid agenda
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The chief executives of the world’s largest companies are showing a “strong appetite” for in-person conferences taking place in the final three ...
Can a busy summer travel season revive the aviation industry?
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Heading into summer, airline bookings in April and May were "pretty positive" for domestic travel while bookings for international journeys remained "...
Apple in court amid a new era for data
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The long-promised new era of technology is taking shape, from the quantum computing race between nations, to the battle over fair competition being fo...
Bitcoin's energy problem a lesson amid tide of digitalisation
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bitcoin mining now uses enough electricity annually to power a country equivalent in size to the UAE. Can warnings over cryptocurrencies' carbon footp...
Did Archegos teach Wall St any lessons?
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Archegos Capital Management's spectacular failure over a couple of days in March has cost Wall Street's biggest banks billions of dollars. So far, the...
Can the reality of the electric vehicle market justify the hype?
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The year 2020 has been declared a “breakthrough” one for electric vehicles, with sales of EVs up around the world, even in the petrol-happy US. ...
Understanding the life sciences and genomics revolution
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More than a century in the making, a genomics revolution is now unfolding. The extent of the Covid-19 outbreak has prompted nations and biotech compan...
How to build and keep trust post-Covid-19
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Attitudes of trust towards governments, employers, chief executives, the traditional media and social media companies have been in flux over the past ...
How TikTok is capitalising on its own 15 seconds of fame
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
"We want to inspire creativity and create joy." That's what it's all about at TikTok, according to Shant Oknayan, general manager for the Middle East,...
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi CEO on Covid-19 vaccines and return to 'normal'
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been on the front line of the capital’s pandemic response and is at a critical juncture as it appoints a new chief ex...