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As one of the world’s most influential business hubs, the Middle East requires expert attention. Business Extra provides those experts, as well as news and insights from The National’s esteemed team of business editors and reporters, who are on top of the markets, technology, the energy sector and more.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 10, 2021
Wednesday Mar 10, 2021
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 company in the second quarter of 2021.
Anghami co-founder and chief technology officer Elie Habib tells The National's Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner how the streaming service is changing the music scene in the Middle East. He also talks about Anghami's plans to use its SPAC listing to propel its next phase of growth and that moving to Abu Dhabi is a natural part of its technology-led evolution.
In this episode:
What are SPACs? (1m)
Start of interview (4m 23s)
Where did Anghami come from? (5m 26s)
Why Anghami went the SPAC route (10m 56s)
How was Anghami valued? (14m 44s)
Where is the future of growth for Anghami? (17m 24s)
How to you compete with piracy? (23m 26s)
Rising competition (28m 57s)
In this episode:
What are SPACs? (1m)
Start of interview (4m 23s)
Where did Anghami come from? (5m 26s)
Why Anghami went the SPAC route (10m 56s)
How was Anghami valued? (14m 44s)
Where is the future of growth for Anghami? (17m 24s)
How to you compete with piracy? (23m 26s)
Rising competition (28m 57s)
Innovation and tech in Anghami's future (31m 35s)
Read more
Sunday Mar 07, 2021
Sunday Mar 07, 2021
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 career progression – remains a hurdle in workplaces, according to a new survey from LinkedIn.
To discuss the impact of this phenomenon, the new ‘penalty’ of flexible working during Covid-19 and the path forward, LinkedIn editor Lynn Chouman joins host Kelsey Warner this week.
Read more
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Adnoc recently hosted more than 30 chief technical officers from the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry to discuss decarbonisation and future fuelsat a virtual roundtable.
Adnoc's chief technology officer Alan Nelson joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner to discuss his view of the online conference takeaways and the path forward for an industry in transition.
The state-owned oil company plans to speed up accelerate the deployment its use of digital technology to increase its production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030, as it looks to generate cost efficiencies and cut emissions.
The state-owned oil company plans to speed up accelerate the deployment its use of digital technology to increase its production capacity to 5 million barrels per day by 2030, as it looks to generate cost efficiencies and cut emissions.
Read more
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
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’affaires Sean Murphy joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner this week to discusses the 'special relationship' between the two nations in matters of military exports and diplomacy on the sidelines of Idex.
While big-ticket deals grab the headlines, other priorities are in play for one of the UAE's most important trade partners, according to Mr Murphy. He responds to questions about the status of UAE-US arms deals under the Biden administration, including Lockheed Martin's F-35s, and a paradigm shift following the Abraham Accord.
Read more
American Embassy in Abu Dhabi's charge d’affaires Sean Murphy joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner this week to discusses the 'special relationship' between the two nations in matters of military exports and diplomacy on the sidelines of Idex.
While big-ticket deals grab the headlines, other priorities are in play for one of the UAE's most important trade partners, according to Mr Murphy. He responds to questions about the status of UAE-US arms deals under the Biden administration, including Lockheed Martin's F-35s, and a paradigm shift following the Abraham Accord.
Read more
- Idex 2021: UAE Armed Forces sign $1.37bn of military deals on day one
- Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba: UAE confident on F-35 jet sale
- Biden administration approves $197m arms sale to Egypt
- Gulf defence spending to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, Janes says
- Idex 2021: The drone destroyer that can be slung over the shoulder
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
Wednesday Feb 17, 2021
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 will convene at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, the biggest defence show in the Middle East, as the UAE capital returns to in-person events amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deena Kamel, The National’s aviation correspondent, joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner to lay out what to expect from IDEX - from the major players to billion-dollar contracts and emerging technologies.
In this episode:
What is IDEX? (0m 40s)
How is IDEX different this year? (2m 30s)
Abu Dhabi's Edge (5m 17s)
Environmentally friendly defence (8m 23s)
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In this episode:
What is IDEX? (0m 40s)
How is IDEX different this year? (2m 30s)
Abu Dhabi's Edge (5m 17s)
Environmentally friendly defence (8m 23s)
Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
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 pitch. Although the advertising spend remains eye-watering, this year's crop will look a bit different amid the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brands in the US have 'leaked' their Super Bowl commercials ahead of time even as some of the biggest legacy brands such as Budweiser and Coca-cola sit this year out. Newcomers such as the Robinhood stock trading app and website maker Squarespace are getting in on the game. So what does the most-watched sporting event reveal about the state of American consumerism and advertising? Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner discuss.
In this episode:
What is the Super Bowl? (0m 38s)
What changed this year? (2m 56s)
Featured commercials (4m 05s)
The Weeknd's contribution (10m 54s)
Brands in the US have 'leaked' their Super Bowl commercials ahead of time even as some of the biggest legacy brands such as Budweiser and Coca-cola sit this year out. Newcomers such as the Robinhood stock trading app and website maker Squarespace are getting in on the game. So what does the most-watched sporting event reveal about the state of American consumerism and advertising? Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner discuss.
In this episode:
What is the Super Bowl? (0m 38s)
What changed this year? (2m 56s)
Featured commercials (4m 05s)
The Weeknd's contribution (10m 54s)
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
Wednesday Feb 03, 2021
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 am very important to everyone.”
David Hanson, her creator and the founder and chief executive of Hanson Robotics, is banking on that answer. “Sophia is proliferating,” he told Kelsey Warner on the podcast this week. The Hong Kong company, for the first time, is mass-producing Sophia. The goal is to manufacture as many as 200 by the end of this year and at least 1,000 in 2022. The move marks a step change for Hanson Robotics, which was previously focused on research and development of socially intelligent machines. Now, it is shifting focus to become a consumer brand at a time when there is increasing demand for automated machines.
In this episode:
Why robots now? (0m 37s)
David Hanson on Sophia and AI (3m 07s)
Where does Hanson Robotics fit in? (6m 17s)
Predictions (14m 04s)
Sophia talks to Kelsey (20m 29s)
Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS
David Hanson, her creator and the founder and chief executive of Hanson Robotics, is banking on that answer. “Sophia is proliferating,” he told Kelsey Warner on the podcast this week. The Hong Kong company, for the first time, is mass-producing Sophia. The goal is to manufacture as many as 200 by the end of this year and at least 1,000 in 2022. The move marks a step change for Hanson Robotics, which was previously focused on research and development of socially intelligent machines. Now, it is shifting focus to become a consumer brand at a time when there is increasing demand for automated machines.
In this episode:
Why robots now? (0m 37s)
David Hanson on Sophia and AI (3m 07s)
Where does Hanson Robotics fit in? (6m 17s)
Predictions (14m 04s)
Sophia talks to Kelsey (20m 29s)
Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
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. This goes against some of the big boys of Wall Street who have been shorting the same stocks. Losses in the market are estimated at billions of dollars. Hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner explain what is happening, who the major players are and what we can expect for the region.
Tuesday Jan 26, 2021
Tuesday Jan 26, 2021
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 every January, but this year, the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting has gone online.
To discuss the forum’s agenda and the impact of its message, managing director Sarita Nayyar joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner. She says the pandemic has demonstrated that no institution or individual alone can address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges in isolation, echoing the comments of forum founder Klaus Schwab.
To discuss the forum’s agenda and the impact of its message, managing director Sarita Nayyar joins co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Kelsey Warner. She says the pandemic has demonstrated that no institution or individual alone can address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges in isolation, echoing the comments of forum founder Klaus Schwab.
In this episode:
Davos goes digital (0m 48s)
Sarita Nayyar on this year's virtual agenda (5m 00s)
Will more be done this year? (8m 35s)
Growing demand from stakeholders (11m 26s)
The momentum since change of leadership in the US (14m 43s)
Read more on our website:
- WEF: Global Risk barometer spotlights infectious disease as the top threat
- WEF's online Davos Agenda to focus on rebuilding trust in post-Covid world
- WEF: Robust digital economies key to global competitiveness after Covid-19 pandemic
Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week
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Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
Wednesday Jan 20, 2021
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 way more valuable than what you’ve done,” he tells co-host Kelsey Warner, describing how artificial intelligence will underpin some of the biggest plans for the $500 billion megaproject. “The power of prediction creates new and exciting possibilities.”
It is the first interview with Mr Bradley since Neom’s chairman, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced plans for The Line – Neom’s first major development to be brought forward within the city. The 170-kilometre network of communities will be connected by subterranean passenger and freight transport networks, removing the need for cars and roads at ground level. Listen to Mr Bradley describe daily life for what he calls “Neomians”.
In this episode:
What is The Line? (0m 36s)
Joseph Bradley on cognitive environment (1m 52s)
The person‐centric experience in Neom (5m 07s)
How will Neom connect to the outside world? (12m 00s)
Who will Neom attract? (18m 52s)
The benchmark for urban planning (22m 59s)
Read more on our website:
It is the first interview with Mr Bradley since Neom’s chairman, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, announced plans for The Line – Neom’s first major development to be brought forward within the city. The 170-kilometre network of communities will be connected by subterranean passenger and freight transport networks, removing the need for cars and roads at ground level. Listen to Mr Bradley describe daily life for what he calls “Neomians”.
In this episode:
What is The Line? (0m 36s)
Joseph Bradley on cognitive environment (1m 52s)
The person‐centric experience in Neom (5m 07s)
How will Neom connect to the outside world? (12m 00s)
Who will Neom attract? (18m 52s)
The benchmark for urban planning (22m 59s)
Read more on our website:
- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launches new city at Saudi Arabia's Neom
- Neom: Everything you need to know about Saudi Arabia's $500 billion ‘megacity of the future’
- Neom's The Line will be a futuristic lab for the '15-minute city'
- Saudi Arabia offers $6tn of investment opportunities over next decade, Crown Prince says
Subscribe to Business Extra for free to receive new episodes every week
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Audioboom | Spotify | RSS