Business Extra

A sustainable future but also trillions of dollars of opportunity

Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Edie Lush of Global GoalsCast discuss the Sustainable Development Goals which are large-scale, ambitious and inspiring. They are also changing the way we seek out investment opportunities as we move to meet this defined future with over $12 trillion up for grabs for the private sector according to the UNDP.

The podcast was produced as part of The National’s Future Forum initiative which over the next year examines how advancements in technology and societal developments will impact our future, and also coincides with The National’s tenth anniversary.

InvestHK shines light on investment options in Hong Kong

Stephen Phillips is the Director General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, which helps international businesses set up and invest in Hong Kong. We discuss investment in Hong Kong in this week's Business Extra podcast.

While visiting Abu Dhabi, Phillips described to The National's Chris Nelson what an attractive option Hong Kong and wider southeast Asia is to international investors. Has there been an increased interest from the Middle East and GCC to invest in Hong Kong? What differentiates the business centre there from mainland China? 

What challenges would investors face due to the ongoing, uneasy trade relations between the United States and China, and how could affect Hong Kong? What differentiates the fintech opportunities in Hong Kong from Dubai or rival centres? And how does Belt and Road affect Hong Kong? We discuss these topics and more.

What next for the oil price rally?

A pact forged by Opec and non-Opec producers such as Russia, the largest producer outside the group, has lowered global inventories of crude, reversing a three-year price slump that saw prices fall as low as $29 a barrel in 2016. Recent US-led air strikes on Syria have also contributed to the price rally but analysts are suggesting that oil could climb higher but President Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal on May 12 could be a deciding factor.

To decipher which factors will matter most in the coming weeks, The National's energy correspondent Jennifer Gnana spoke to Iman Nasseri, managing director, Middle East at London-based Facts Global Energy about how much further oil prices could go, whether the rally is sustainable, how much longer Opec and non-Opec can hold together their pact and also on what happens to the oil markets if the Iran deal falls apart.

Business Extra is The National's weekly look at the business, financial and technology sectors of the Middle East and beyond.

SellAnyHome.com is disrupting the real estate sector

SellAnyHome.com, launched in August, has already enjoyed phenomenal growth, disrupting a sector which has long been somewhat old-fashioned.

In this week's Business Extra podcast, CEO of SellAnyHome.com Omar Chihane talks with The National's Chris Nelson about how his company has grown so quickly. Chihane discusses what made him decide to leave his corporate background to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours, where he got his idea for the property-selling website, and shares his own personal philosophy to business.

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Business Extra is The National's weekly look at the business, financial and technology sectors of the Middle East and beyond.

Providing support for the UAE’s multi-faceted communities

Al Bayt Mitwahid is a UAE-based organisation dedicated to the benefit of all the country’s many diverse communities.

Originally founded by staff members at the Crown Prince Court in Abu Dhabi, ABM aims to provide practical help to enable communities to develop and grow alongside both economically and socially through a wide range of tailored initiatives and programmes many of which are supported by multinational corporations such as Airbus and Total.

In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Chris Nelson talks to Alanoud Al Mahdi, VP of ABM’s executive committee, about the group’s work.

Virtual offices beg the question - what's in an address?

Our workplaces are where we spend much of our time but these days, thanks to the inter-connectedness of the digital age, that could be anywhere.

As virtual offices and co-working spaces grow in popularity, the concept of an office has broadened out, disrupting the commercial property market.

In this week's edition of the Business Extra podcast, host Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Taine Moufarrige, CEO of Europe, Middle East, India and Africa at Servcorp, about the opportunities and challenges the serviced office and IT services provider is facing.

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Business Extra, produced by Kevin Jeffers, is The National's weekly look at the business, financial and technology sectors of the Middle East and beyond. Subscribe to and rate the show at Apple Podcasts, or listen on Audioboom, Pocket Cast or your favourite podcasting app.

Let's talk about global trade relations

With tariffs and other measures on the table according to US president Donald Trump, it seems the world should be bracing for another trade war similar to the crisis of the 1930s.

However, the situation is more complex and fluid that it might appear.

In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Mustafa Alrawi hears from trade experts. For insight from the Chinese side, he speaks to Dr Wallace Cheng of International Centre for Trade and Development China. The European point of view is provided by Taina Sateri, Trade Counsellor, European Delegation in Abu Dhabi.

Health care in the UAE, part 2

The Business Extra podcast concludes its deep dive into the growing healthcare sector in the UAE.

What does it mean to be well? This question is at the heart of the debate around the development of the health sector in the UAE following a golden era of growth.

Host Mustafa Alrawi gets an idea of what the future of the industry might look like as he continues the conversation with Bupa Global's Karim Idilby, Intercare’s Rashid Tabari and Foundation Holdings' Abhishek Sharma.

Listen to Part 1 here.

Health care in the UAE, part 1

The Business Extra podcast for the next two weeks takes a deep dive into the growing healthcare sector in the UAE.

With the perspective of professionals on the ground, we discuss insurance, the provision of health care and how it compares to other developed nations, the investment opportunities in the sector and how primary healthcare is coming into its own in the country.

This week, host Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Foundation Holdings' Abhishek Sharma about the opportunity in the value healthcare segment. He also provides a broad look at the UAE healthcare sector as it stands today.

We also get insights on the region from Bupa Global's Karim Idilby. He explained how the sector is marked by competition, health care’s rising costs and the push for quality.

And Intercare Health Centre founder Rashid Tabari explains how primary healthcare is a growing business in the UAE.

Abu Dhabi Rolls-Royce dealer takes luxury to another level

The UAE is well known for its enduring love of premium luxury cars and the capital is home to Rolls-Royce’s most successful dealership. With an unmatched total of 20 Global Awards in 14 years, Abu Dhabi Motors remains the top dealer globally, selling upwards of 1,500 vehicles since 2003.

In this week’s Business Extra Podcast, host Chris Nelson visits the dealership -- in a Rolls-Royce Ghost no less -- to talk to its general manager, Arno Husselmann. Mr Husselmann expands on what was another very good year for the company and for Abu Dhabi Motors, which also sells BMWs, and how Rolls-Royce is moving into new territory with the soon-to-be launched Cullinan 4x4.

He also reveals the brand's growing focus on younger customers -- the newly minted app billionaires, for instance -- plus its development of electric cars and the dealership's ongoing rivalry with Beverly Hills Rolls-Royce in Los Angeles.