Business Extra

StartAD's Ramesh Jagannathan on innovation in the UAE

Entrepreneurialism underpins the UAE’s push to broaden the economy and cement its position as a world leader in innovation.

Ramesh Jagannathan, the Vice Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Managing Director of StartAD, the innovation and entrepreneurship platform at NYU Abu Dhabi, is dedicated to providing the necessary tools for start-up creators here.

In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, Ramesh Jagannathan talks to Chris Nelson about how the entrepreneurial landscape is developing in the UAE.

Brexit uncertainty clouds investors' outlook

With the March 29 deadline for the UK to divorce the European Union close on the horizon, investors both within the country and overseas are trying to prepare for what the outcome might be.

However, whether it be leaving with a no-deal, a good deal or bad one, postponing the exit or even deciding not to leave the EU at all, markets, the pound and investor sentiment will all be affected.

In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, Chris Nelson talks to Jameel Ahmad, Global Head of Currency Strategy and Market Research at the international foreign exchange broker FXTM, about what some of those effects might be, from a British and international perspective.

How Adnoc earned world's top oil and gas credit rating

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is now rated as the most creditworthy oil and gas producer in the world, according to Fitch.

This is a strong validation from one of the world’s leading credit ratings agencies of Adnoc's strategy and transformation into a more commercially driven and innovative organisation.

In this week's Business Extra podcast, we talk to Dmitry Marinchenko, Fitch's oil and gas director and the primary analyst for Adnoc, about the credit ratings process, how Fitch arrived at its assessment and what it means for Adnoc in the future.

Abu Dhabi hosts the world’s military big guns

The global military industry is a vast and hugely lucrative sector where defence spending produces some eye-watering numbers. Next week, Abu Dhabi once again takes centre stage for the world’s major manufacturers and government procurement leaders when the International Defence and Exhibition Conference, Idex, and the Naval Defence Exhibition, Navdex, take place from 17 to 21 of February.

In this week’s Business Extra Podcast, The National’s Chris Nelson and Assistant Editor in Chief Mustafa Alrawi talk about the exhibitions and what role the military industry has from a local and global perspective.

Later, the sometimes mysterious world of human resources comes under the spotlight as Sadek El Assaad, chief executive of Zeder Group, comes into the studio to talk about the evolution of HR.

The curious case of QuadrigaCX

QuadrigaCX, one of Canada’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, last week filed for creditor protection saying it was unable to retrieve almost $200m worth of deposits belonging to clients because its CEO Gerald Cotten, the only one able to do so, had unexpectedly died.

The National’s Assistant Editor in Chief Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson discuss the issue, which has all the makings of a mystery novel.

In addition, this week marks earnings season and so far things are looking good both here and across much of the region.

The latest mega-merger in the UAE’s financial sector, which sees the coming together of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal Bank, is also making headlines.

Adnoc and Saudi Arabia take centre stage

This week’s podcast focuses on Adnoc’s agreement with Italian and Austrian energy companies ENI and OMV and Saudi Arabia’s new industrial programme, while HOFTEL chairman Simon Allison talks about the international hospitality sector .

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company announced it is selling stakes in its refining unit to ENI and OMV, and setting up a trading joint venture with both companies as part of its drive to become an integrated energy major.

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom unveiled its enormous new industrial strategy, signing deals worth many billions of dollars as part of its Vision 2030 programme.

Chris Nelson is joined by The National’s energy reporter Jennifer Gnana and companies correspondent Sarmad Khan to talk about both topics.

Later, ahead of the Gulf and Indian Ocean Hotel Investors Summit at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on February 4 to 6, Simon Allison, the chairman of the international hotel owners alliance HOFTEL, discusses developments in the hospitality industry and how the sector, both globally and regionally, is adapting.

Re-shaping globalisation at this year's World Economics Forum in Davos

The National’s Assistant Editor in Chief Mustafa Alrawi gives his take on this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland .

The picture-perfect Swiss Alpine resort of Davos this week plays host to the planet’s most influential movers and shakers who come together once a year for the World Economic Forum.

While some big hitters have stayed away this time to deal with problems closer to home, the forum is still a significant opportunity for the international community to focus on solving the pressing issues we are all affected by and pointing the way to a brighter future, economically, commercially and this year environmentally.

Speaking directly from Davos, The National’s Assistant Editor in Chief Mustafa Alrawi talks to Chris Nelson about what is shaping the agenda at this year’s WEF.

Is the worst over for investors?

Sentiment among investors appears to have rebounded following a bleak end to last year, despite global issues such as the US government shutdown, Washington’s trade battle with China and disappointing data from the world’s second-largest economy. All that plus the ongoing Brexit saga do have the potential to cause ripples – or worse.

Bucking the global trend, however, it seems the UAE is a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy picture. 

In this week’s Business Extra Podcast, Assistant Business Editor Chris Nelson talks to Tim Fox, chief economist and head of research at Emirates NBD, and a regular columnist for The National, about how the global and regional investment outlook might be affected near-term.

Is the US economy bound for recession?

US stocks have rebounded from an end-of-year lull, but many are forecasting a recession on the horizon. Complicating the US outlook is President Donald Trump's ongoing government shutdown and frayed trade relations with China.

What are all the factors driving a negative US outlook? Economic analyst Omar Al-Ubaydli gives his take to host Chris Nelson in this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast. Listen here:

Also discussed in this episode:

• We speak with The National's Kelsey Warner about the positives coming out of the region. Adnoc is among the top 10 most influential companies and organisations in the energy sector, the only company in the Middle East with this distinction. Adnoc also expects to increase unconventional gas discoveries.

• The UAE economy is expected to the buck the World Bank's pessimistic global GDP outlook. Is this driven by the optimistic country's outlook in the non-oil economy?

• Bahrain introduces VAT. How big an impact will this have on the country's economy?

How Africa will shape and be shaped by aviation

A fast-growing Africa could change the face of the aviation industry and the continent’s rising demand for aviation could also lift Africa’s economic prospects in the future.

Hassan El-Houry, Group CEO of National Aviation Services and co-author of Fly Africa, tells The National’s Mustafa Alrawi about the African aviation sector and discusses the future of tourism in and out of the continent.