Business Extra
Episodes
Anghami co-founder on building Spotify’s rival in the Arab world
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anghami, Spotify’s rival in the Arab world, will be the first regional technology start-up to list in New York by merging with a blank-cheque compan...
LinkedIn data on women's careers
07 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An ‘entitlement gap’ between men and women in the UAE – a feeling of not being as deserving as men when it comes to pay rises, promotions and ca...
Adnoc's CTO on how tech will define the industry's future
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Adnoc recently hosted more than 30 chief technical officers from the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry to discuss de...
UAE-US ties in focus at Abu Dhabi's Idex 2021
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The UAE and US relationship is in focus against the backdrop of the Middle East's biggest defence show. American Embassy in Abu Dhabi's charge d’a...
Abu Dhabi’s IDEX demonstrates the future of defence is here
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The latest in military technology on land, air and sea will go on display in Abu Dhabi from February 21. More than 500 exhibitors from 50 countries wi...
Super Bowl LV ads play to a resilient American consumer
07 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
To air a 30-second commercial spot during Sunday night's Super Bowl LV costs a minimum $5.5 million in what is the world’s most expensive sales pitc...
Sophia the robot on 'why I matter'
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ask robot Sophia, who is more important, her or others? And she has an answer ready: “I would say that I am the most important person in my life. I ...
Reddit, Wall Street and the GameStop stock surge
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a revolution taking place in the US stock market? The GameStop stock price has surged because of support from an online community on Reddit. ...
What role does Davos play in a world gone digital?
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Swiss winter resort town of Davos is eerily quiet this week. It is typically the convening place and playground of the global elite for a week eve...
Neom’s head of technology describes his vision for the future city
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Neom’s president of technology and digital, Joseph Bradley, describes his vision for the futuristic city. “What you’re going to do is...
Left holding the mic: Will shareholders still love Twitter and Facebook?
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shares in Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Amazon and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, all slid at the start of the week. But analysts said they won’...
What the US-China economic rivalry means for the Middle East
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
China is expected to overtake the US to become the world’s biggest economy in 2028, five years earlier than previously anticipated, as it recovers f...
Counting down 10 big business moments from 2020
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Business Extra takes a look back at the 10 biggest business moments from the UAE and beyond in 2020. Co-host Kelsey Warner is joined by The...
How global trade will be remapped in the 2020s
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rising protectionism and technology are changing the shape of trade. To capitalise on emerging dynamics, unprecedented global cooperation is needed - ...
‘Adapt or die’: the UN’s corporate sustainability pioneer shares lessons of 2020
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Arabesque Partners chairman Georg Kell speaks to Kelsey Warner this week on the future of responsible investing, including the role of artificial inte...
Noor Sweid on how to pitch start-up investors in a challenging time
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What do Toyota, Disney, IBM and Airbnb have in common? They were started during – or right after – a crisis. Whether the Great Depression, the Sec...
What changes to UAE company foreign ownership rules mean for you
25 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The changes to the UAE Commercial Companies' law, which were announced allowing almost all companies to be fully foreign owned, have been widely welco...
What mobility looks like post Covid-19
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The nexus of technology has had a real impact in the way we work and live. What happens when the disruptors have to move even more quickly than they e...
Huawei's Paul Scanlan on 5G and why it is better
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner talk to Huawei's chief technology officer, Paul Scanlan, on the advantages of 5G and why it is better for the future ...
The US election and the markets
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Uncertainty in Pennsylvania is a potential “perfect storm” for a contested election that would send shockwaves through the markets, but investors ...
Should Google and Facebook users be paid for their data?
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
"Last year, between Apple, Tencent and Google, their combined revenue in one year was hundreds of billions of dollars. But who got paid?" Jennifer Zhu...
Mubadala’s Ibrahim Ajami on venture investment strategy in 2020
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ibrahim Ajami joins Kelsey Warner this week to talk about Mubadala's technology investment strategy in a year unlike any other. The head of ventures a...
The Russian vaccine trial comes to the UAE
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, there has been unprecedented international cooperation, with the UAE a most recent example - jumping in to ...
Cigna takes the pulse on a global mental health crisis
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The pandemic is increasing demand for mental health services with uncertainty, isolation and loss of income triggering mental health conditions or exa...
Edge CEO Faisal Al Bannai on building a 21st century defence company
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and managing director of UAE defence conglomerate Edge, and the Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, j...
World Economic Forum opens summit on post-Covid 19 future
22 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has disrupted progress towards many goals, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement. According t...
How in-person events can stage a comeback
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Business Extra, Kelsey Warner talks to Sudhir Syal, chief executive of BookMyShow Middle East, and Naji Al Haddad, managing director of t...
Farming UAE vegetables and shellfish during the pandemic
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kelsey Warner and Mustafa Alwari talk to Pure Harvest’s Sky Kurtz and Dibba Bay Oysters’ Ramie Murray about opportunities for homegrown start-ups,...
Leon Black on $5.5 billion Adnoc deal
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Interview courtesy of Sky News Arabia
How to future in a world of hyperchange
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After 15 years of working with Fortune 500 companies, governments and start-ups, Scott Smith says anyone can make sense of this age of uncertainty and...
What it will take to rebuild a shattered Beirut
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner talk to Fadi Adra, a partner with Strategy&, on the impact assessment his team did to help route aid to th...
Aldar’s Greg Fewer is optimistic for signs of recovery by year-end
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The chief financial and sustainability officer is optimistic for signs of recovery by year-end. Greg Fewer, Aldar’s chief financial and sustainabili...
How Lebanon's economy went 'beyond the brink'
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Nassib Ghobril, head of economic research at Lebanon’s Byblos Bank, and Massoud Derhally, The National's business editor, join host Kelse...
Business Extra Special: ENEC’s Mohamed Al Hammadi on UAE’s nuclear energy ambitions
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this special edition of Business Extra, Kelsey Warner talks to Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, abou...
Microsoft finds the 9-to-5 workday is fading away
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
New research from Microsoft found that the expectation of the 9 to 5 is starting to slip away amid the global shift to remote work. The US tech comp...
IEA’s Fatih Birol on the opportunities for Iraq's economy
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The National's Editor-in-Chief, Mina Al-Oraibi, talks to Mustafa Alrawi about her interview with the International Energy Agency's executiv...
Sovereign wealth funds hunt for opportunity amid Covid-19 crisis
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It seems that despite the market volatility caused by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic that many sovereign wealth funds had learned the lesso...
Economic stimulus in Dubai to get business back to normal
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner discuss a third wave of economic stimulus for Dubai as signs of a rebound in commercial activity eme...
Google’s Lino Cattaruzzi on how ‘online became a lifeline’
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For Google, it’s what you search for, what you watch on YouTube, the directions you prompt in Google Maps, that make it one of the biggest advertisi...
Iata’s Muhammad Albakri on Middle East airlines and how we will risk losing them
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How will we fly again? That is the question as the UAE and other countries in the Middle East grapple with loosening Covid-19 related travel restricti...
Amazon’s Ronaldo Mouchawar on charting growth in a crisis
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Can there be winners in a global pandemic? For people, certainly not. But businesses can tell a different story - and Amazon is certainly one. With mo...
Business Extra special: Adnoc CFO on record $20bn foreign investment
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Six of the world’s leading investors, a total deal value of $20.7 billion, upfront proceeds of $10 billion. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has s...
UAE’s energy minister on the transformation after coronavirus
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The new reality for the world’s biggest oil producing countries and companies is being formed as the coronavirus pandemic alters projections for dem...
LinkedIn on in-demand jobs and first signs of optimism for labour market
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic has been jobs. Lockdowns and travel bans have put unprecedented pressure on the global labour m...
Mubadala and Nabta Health on healthtech innovation after coronavirus
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Covid-19 has forced rapid transformation for healthcare providers and their patients. Host Kelsey Warner, future editor at The National is joined by O...
Adnoc and Microsoft on the shift to remote working
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With the public health crisis has come huge shifts in how we live, work and interact. Some form of remote working is likely to become a fixture for ma...
Dining during coronavirus: Can UAE’s restaurant industry survive the pandemic?
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The restaurant sector has for the most part been simmering on an upward curve this past decade in the UAE. The realities of the pandemic may have put ...
Dubai Future Foundation's top researcher on life after Covid-19
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As the world awaits a vaccine, technology is stepping in to help us cope in the meantime. To take steps to return to a new normal, health care tech, a...
The World Economic Forum on blockchain
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As manufacturing and trade is disrupted by physical distancing rules and quarantine orders across the world, the resilience of supply chains for pharm...
What do negative oil prices mean and how is Abu Dhabi coping with Covid-19?
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in history this week, the US oil price turned negative on Monday, plunging below zero as output exceeded storage capacity and subdu...
IMF's Jihad Azour on what to do when we exit the coronavirus crisis
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
From Tehran to Tangiers, there is a devastating toll on human health. Some 140,000 people across the region have been infected with the coronavirus, t...
What does the future hold for NMC Health?
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
NMC Health, one of the largest private healthcare companies in the UAE, is under pressure as dozens of creditors locally and internationally move to m...
The Covid-19 response from India and China
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When should we expect the world to get back to normal? The People’s Curfew is underway in India – stalling commercial activity in one of the wo...
How aviation is coping with coronavirus
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Globally, airlines and the people working in the aviation industry are in urgent need of support as the coronavirus pandemic grounds flights and close...
Coronavirus and the energy markets
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi assistant editor-in-chief and Kelsey Warner the future editor speak with Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar energy, about the coronavirus’ imp...
Ankur Shah, ex-CFO of Careem, on being part of a $3.1 billion unicorn
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
For any tech start-up the aim is reaching a $1 billion valuation - but how do you get there and how hard is the path to unicorn status? We find out fr...
Being digitally capable during a time of crisis
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The future of work, trade and commerce is in sharp focus as the implications of the global effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus shows how w...
CEO Dr Rakesh Suri on the future of medicine, robotics and the Coronavirus
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Host Kelsey Warner, future editor at The National talks to Dr Rakesh Suri, chief executive of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi about the future of medicine...
DP World turns private and the Jeff Bezos Earth Fund
18 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Parent company Port and Free Zone World has offered to acquire the 19.55 per cent of DP World's shares traded on Nasdaq Dubai, returning the company t...
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the future of aging
11 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bill and Melinda Gates have spent tens of billions of dollars over two decades to support efforts to improve global health, education, gender equalit...
UAE taps into gas and how oil markets impact work productivity
04 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A new source of energy discovered in the UAE on 5,000 square kilometres of land on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will support the country's a...
Magnitt's Philip Bahoshy talks Coronavirus and start-ups in MENA
28 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are at peak hysteria over the coronavirus outbreak in China with equity and commodity markets reacting to fears it could impact economic growth in ...
Davos: Donald Trump, sustainability and diversity.
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The World Economic Forum's 50th Annual Meeting is underway in the Swiss ski resort of Davos-Klosters in the Alps. This year's theme: 'Stakeholders for...
Corporate sustainability and our future with AI
14 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week kicks off and it has been a pretty big week for the champions of sustainability as investors and companies show they are...
Volatile stock market and the potential disruption of Middle East oil supply
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Uncertainty over US-Iran tensions have led investors to take - at least for the moment - a risk-off stance. Stock markets are volatile and gold is at ...
2019: A look back at Boeing, Abraaj and Nouriel Roubini's predictions
31 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Expectations of a pickup in the global economy, a recovery for aviation following the 737 Max crisis and the continued consequences for private equity...
Rocking in Riyadh and the TikTok takeover
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Streaming wars. Tiktok. Billie Eilish. EDM concerts in Saudi Arabia. What do these things all have in common? Business Extra is recapping the year ...
US-China trade war, COP25 and productivity tracking with PWC's John Garvey
17 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's podcast, host Kelsey Warner is joined by John Garvey, the global financial services industry leader at PwC. They discuss a new phase of...
Oxford Analytica's David Young talks Google assistant and Saudi 2020 Budget
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner are joined by David Young, CEO of Oxford Analytica, a strategic consulting and advisory firm. They discuss Goog...
Egypt's tourism minister Dr Rania Al Mashat on the country's revival
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Egypt wants at least one person in each household to work in tourism as part of wider plans to develop a resilient and sustainable sector through stru...
Is Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck a smash hit?
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tesla’s launch of its cybertruck has sent the hype around electric vehicles into a frenzy – where are we in reality in terms of the mass take up...
The Dubai Airshow, Mubadala's Badr Al Olama and the future of the UAE
19 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Billions of dollars of aircraft orders, manufacturing and maintenance tie ups, advancements on how to make aviation more sustainable – it must be th...
Adipec and the Saudi Aramco IPO
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s biggest crude oil producer, Saudi Aramco launches the subscription period for its much-anticipated IPO as it rolls on with its ambitions...
Hala’s Clemence Dutertre talks Aramco, EDGE and Fintech
05 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been a busy week for the Business Extra team as the cooler weather kicks off the UAE conference season. The World Economic Forum has been in to...
Tech, finance, energy and the future at Saudi FII
29 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s most powerful investors, heads of state, former leaders, entrepreneurs and government ministers are gathering in the Saudi Arabian capit...
Boeing’s failings and fortunes
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After flight software aboard its 737Max jet was found to be the culprit of two airline crashes within the last 12 months, Boeing was forced to ground ...
Flying cars and the WeWork wolf in tech clothing
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Boeing and Porsche are working together to develop the concept and test the prototype for and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) car. The ...
HSBC gears up for job losses and Nai Arabia’s $10 million deal
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
HSBC may cut as many as 10 thousand jobs worldwide as part of its latest cost cutting drive but where next for the bank that was at one time the poste...
Saudi Arabia opens for tourism for the first time
01 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Saudi Arabia’s opens up and begins to issue tourist visas for the first time. Host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief and future editor Kelse...
Thomas Cook’s overnight collapse
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In 1841, 500 passengers took a 24-mile round-trip by train from Leicester in central England to the neighbouring town of Loughborough. This was the fi...
Saudi oil attack ramifications locally and globally
17 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Early on Saturday morning, attacks on Saudi Aramco’s giant oil plant caused major fires, disrupting about half of the kingdom’s crude production. ...
Yas and Neom light up the construction industry
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Developers Miral in Abu Dhabi and Neom in Saudi Arabia have made big announcements on new construction projects. Miral has secured investment from a S...
Millennial disappointments, Saudi growth strategy and Musk vs. Ma
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Most millennials expect to be more financially stable than their parents but almost half feel they are failing or off to a slow start on that goal. Ho...
The future of work is looking rosy in the UAE
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A survey of thousands of professionals and employers in the region shows that almost all are optimistic about their careers amid shifts in technology ...
UAE firm FlexxPay bridges gap between paydays
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the episode, host Chris Nelson is joined by fellow Assistant Business Editor Michael Fahy and The National's personal finance correspondent Nada El...
Saudi Aramco’s bumper first half
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
$46.9 billion – the headline profit figure from Saudi Aramco’s first half results is staggering. The company also says it is ready for a planned I...
China-US trade tensions and the e-scooter revolution
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fad or the future of city transport? That is the debate around electric scooters (or e –scooters) as they get set to come to a street near you. Care...
What the new UAE labour card means for families
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The UAE government has made it easier for husbands, fathers and sons to secure employment without full company sponsorship. Previously, only women wer...
A convenient way to operate your oil tankers
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Assistant Business Editors Chris Nelson and Kelsey Warner talk to Energy reporter Jennifer Gnana about why tanker operators choose to run ships under ...
Facebook’s record fine divides opinion but is it a sign of things to come?
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief and Assistant Business Editors, Chris Nelson and Kelsey Warner, explore what the consequences could be for t...
Deutsche Bank's giant dose of medicine
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Host Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief and Chris Nelson, Assistant Business Editor, discuss Deutsche Bank's sweeping revamp. This week the G...
Exclusive interview with BR Shetty part 2 – Travelex, the power of tea and the Golden Card visa
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief talks exclusively to BR Shetty the founder of NMC Healthcare, Finablr and Neopharma, as well as the Founder ...
Exclusive interview with BR Shetty part 1 – Sheikh Zayed’s vision and why Modi is great for Indian businesses
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief talks exclusively to BR Shetty the founder of NMC Healthcare, Finablr and Neopharma, as well as the Founder ...
The UAE golden visa rundown
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of foreign investors and residents have been identified for a "golden card" permanent residency scheme, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Mi...
Ghadan 21 stimulus latest and five oil outcomes from Iran-US tensions
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief, hears from Rashed Al Bloushi, Under Secretary of the Department of Economic Development about what Ghadan 2...
ADNOC on fertile ground with OCI deal
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fertilisers play a critical role in ensuring the security of the global food supply. Overnight, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company group has gone from...
Amazon primed to shake up online shopping in UAE
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly Two years on from the acquisition of Souq.com, the US e-commerce company Amazon is front and centre in the UAE again with the launch of its pai...
Apple's second bite at content and a robust economic picture for Abu Dhabi
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Apple will break up iTunes into Apple Music, Apple Podcasts and Apple TV as it revamps how it delivers content. Host Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Edi...
Careem gets on its bike with Cyacle acquisition
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ride-hailing platform Careem has acquired UAE-based bike-sharing company Cyacle for an undisclosed sum, its first foray into "micro-mobility" — an i...
Permanent UAE residency is a reality with the Golden Card
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of foreign investors and residents have been identified for a "golden card" permanent residency scheme, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Mi...