Bitesize Business Breakfast Podcast

04 Jun 2026. Abu Dhabi has surprised the market with a temporary rent freeze. Is there any realistic prospect of Dubai introducing a similar measure? We asked Thomas Anderson, Sales Manager of Espace Real Estate. Plus, it’s been a busy week for the global economy with new UAE PMI data, new US trade tariffs and an on-again off-again ceasefire. Emirates NBD’s Chief Economist helps make s...

03 Jun 2026. Abu Dhabi is freezing all rent hikes until further notice. Tenants signing new leases will pay the same rent as the preceding contract, with residential, commercial and industrial rents all frozen. We get analysis on what that means for the market. The Wegovy weight loss pill is here, with the UAE only the second country in the world to greenlight it. The country is also set to become...

02 Jun 2026. With the conflict showing no signs of resolution, we ask whether the Strait of Hormuz blockade could fast-track major new pipeline investment across the region with Omar Albusaidy of Future Pipe Industries. Plus, stocks or bonds? Where should investors actually put their money in June? Steve Brice, Global Chief Investment Officer at Standard Chartered, joins us with the monthly outloo...

01 Jun 2026. Huge changes in Dubai from today, including petrol prices rising around 8% while diesel drops by over 7%. Global oil prices are falling, so why are UAE fuel prices going up again in June? We find out with Kpler. Plus, air passenger demand in the Middle East almost halved in April due to the conflict. We discuss the global impact and the search for green shoots of recovery with Kashif...

28 May 2026. We find out what Eid has meant so far for those selling popular gifts like flowers and chocolates, that’s with the team from Udora. Plus, forget flight prices, what does the private jet market look like over Eid? We speak to VistaJet. And in a region obsessed with tech, one UAE startup is selling something very different. Human presence. We find out how loneliness has become a b...

26 May 2026. The Business Brunch: We speak to the head of a short term accommodation network that opened just one month before the conflict but is growing regardless. Raw Coffee has taken on a new partner as it heads into a new stage of growth. What stage is that? We find out. And foreign nationals in the US now have to go home to apply for a green card. We find out what that could mean for UAE. S...

25 May 2026. President Trump says he’s close to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Economist Nick Stadtmiller of Emirates NBD joins us to break down what that could actually mean for the UAE economy. Plus, the closure of the Strait means moving companies haven’t been moving as much. We find out what they’ve been doing instead with the CEO of Easytruck. And the UK just...

22 May 2026. The Executive Council of Dubai has put together a second package of economic incentives, this one worth 1.5 billion dirhams. The support measures include the delay or exemption of various fees and fines, as well as different types of rent relief, across sectors including tourism and education. Economist Dan Richards of Emirates NBD joins us to dig into the detail. Plus, strategy consu...

21 May 2026. The UAE’s new crude oil pipeline bypassing the Strait of Hormuz is now 50% complete, as the country accelerates delivery towards 2027. That’s according to Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. Plus, Primark opens its third set of doors in the UAE today and we speak to Alshaya boss John Hadden. We find out what the Dubai real estate hiring situat...

20 May 2026. The focus now turns to how the trains will fast-track tourism and transform the surrounding area. Georgia Tolley has been talking to Etihad Rail’s Executive Director of Commercial about how it’ll be a catalyst for growth. Plus, AED 62 billion. 22 million square feet. Right next to what will become the world’s largest airport. We find out what’s being built with...

19 May 2026. Etihad Credit Bureau has launched a new service to help landlords make sure their tenants are creditworthy. Brandy speaks to Director General H.E. Marwan Lutfi. Plus, Dubai-founded GymMation has secured a 100 million dollar private credit facility from HPS Investment Partners - which is part of asset management giant Blackrock, the founder and CEO tells us more. Bond markets are flash...

18 May 2026. ADNOC has announced it is accelerating construction of its West-East pipeline. The project, now expected online in 2027, will run from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah and double export capacity, allowing the UAE to bypass the Strait of Hormuz entirely. But with the UAE now out of OPEC, what does it also mean for expanding production capacity? Economist Daniel Richards with his view. Plus, three...

15 May 2026. Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and Sphere Entertainment Co. have announced Yas Island as the location for Sphere Abu Dhabi. Plus, we look at what happened to Dubai real estate values in April after March’s decline, with the head of research at ValuStrat. UAE insurers are filling the gap for war risk insurance to keep cargo moving and Orient Insurance joins u...

14 May 2026. Dubai Taxi Company (DTC) has agreed to acquire National Taxi, adding 2,500 licence plates, a 12% jump in Dubai market share and a first foothold in Abu Dhabi. The deal is expected to complete in Q3 pending regulatory approvals. Group CEO Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi joins us on why they’re doing this and what comes next. Plus, Trump is in Beijing meeting Xi for the first time since 20...

13 May 2026. Earning season: ADNOC Distribution on how the petrol station business is holding up, strong results across the board. Presight on being an AI company that’s actually making money. EmSteel on a profitable start to 2026. Plus we meet the new CEO of Emirates Investment Bank, Michel Longhini, in his first studio interview since taking the role. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

12 May 2026. Spinneys, ADNOC Drilling, ADNOC Gas and e7 Group all release their Q1 2026 numbers on The Business Breakfast. We speak to the C-suite of each company on what's driving performance, how the regional situation has affected operations and what the outlook looks like for the rest of the year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 May 2026. Saudi Aramco saw net profit rise 26% in Q1 despite the conflict. Robin Mills of Qamar Energy joins us to explain how the East-West pipeline is keeping oil flowing despite the Strait closure. Plus, two landmark court decisions have just made dispute resolution in Dubai faster and cheaper. Jonathon Davidson, Managing Partner at Davidson and Co Law Firm, breaks down what changed and what...

08 May 2026. Emirates Group and Emirates Airline have both reported record profits and revenues for the financial year ending March 2026, despite the disruption of the conflict. Aviation expert Nick Humphrey joins us to break down the numbers. Plus, DP World is offering war risk insurance, filling a gap for companies unable to get coverage. Insurance expert Sanjay Babur from Cosmos Insurance Broke...

07 May 2026. Reports of a potential US-Iran agreement sent oil prices tumbling and stock markets surging. Matt Stanley from Kpler joins us on what the latest means for energy markets and how businesses are dealing with the volatility. Plus, the Dubai property market is moving fast with viewings up 160%, buyer registrations up 119% and deals up 31% in April versus March. Espace Real Estate's broker...

06 May 2026. The Emirates Growth Fund (EGF) has launched the National Champions Programme to identify, prepare and lend to UAE manufacturers with the potential to become local and international leaders. CEO Khalifa Al Hajeri joins us on what he’s looking for. Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) on a new car assembly facility and Emirati talent programmes at Make it in the Emirates. G42 compan...

05 May 2026. Dubai has announced a two year action plan to bring agentic AI into the private sector through the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Jessica Constantinidis, Innovation Officer EMEA at ServiceNow, joins us on what that means for businesses on the ground. Plus, Alpha Dhabi reports an 81% surge in net profit with revenue hitting AED 18.8 billion, Derek Nicholson breaks down the numbers. And the...

04 May 2026. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, releases the Q1 earnings exclusively on The Business Breakfast. 18.6 million guests, 32,000 aircraft movements and 213,000 tonnes of cargo kept moving through the most constrained period DXB has ever faced. IATA’s Kashif Khalid on what the full resumption of UAE airspace actually means on the ground. Plus JA Resorts on hotels gearing up for...

01 May 2026. Two restaurant stories: EatX founder Tom Arnel joins Georgia Tolley at The Guild in ICD Brookfield Place on adjusting their model for more resident repeat visits and what expansion looks like from here. Nando’s is aggressively opening new locations across the UAE in 2026 and the MD tells us why. Plus, luxury retail took a hit during the conflict. We find out what recovery actual...

30 Apr 2026. The Fed kept rates on hold and Jay Powell confirmed he's staying on as Governor. Economist Jeanne Walter and Keith Fitz-Gerald break down what it means for the region. Plus Euromonitor on a very different Gulf travel market ahead. Dubai Tourism's Hoor Al Khaja on whether the hospitality sector is seeing the first green shoots of recovery. RAKBank CEO Raheel Ahmed on record profits and...

29 Apr 2026. The UAE Energy Minister called it a policy driven evolution aligned with long term market fundamentals. But what does leaving OPEC after more than five decades actually mean for the UAE's oil production and revenues? Matt Stanley and economist Daniel Richards join us with the analysis. Plus, three Primark stores in under two months - we speak to the Vice President of Primark at Alshay...