Business Extra

Following the news that US oil services provider Baker Hughes will pay $550 million (Dh2.02 billion) for a 5 per cent stake in Adnoc’s drilling subsidiary , Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Abdulmunim Al Kindy, head of upstream at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to find out how the partnership can drive higher profitability and new opportunities for the sector.  Mustafa and Assistant Business Editor Ch...

Investors and developers flocked to this year's Cityscape Dubai compared to last year. Does that portend an uptick in the UAE's property market ahead? The National's Sarah Townsend reports on the scene from the exhibition with host Mustafa Alrawi in this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast. Also, we could not let this week's Elon Musk news come and go without comment. The Tesla mogul will...

While the UAE's aviation giants, Etihad and Emirates, have both denied a Bloomberg report that the latter was considering a takeover of the former, it is worth speculating what the future holds. Can a deal happen, and how would that shape the future of aviation in the region? Host Mustafa Alrawi looks at the changing aviation landscape in this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast. Also in...

Ride-sharing app Careem has been one of the Middle East's most successful tech start-ups, and competitor Uber is now reportedly interested in an acquisition to widen its own presence in ther region. While it would likely be a multibillion-dollar windfall for Careem, would selling now be a shortsighted move for a company with so much potential? Hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson discuss Careem's...

Despite ever-increasing prices and fierce competition, consumers flock to Apple's new products every year. Surely this year will be no different, and hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson assess the world's first trillion-dollar company as it unveils a new line of products in this week's Business Extra podcast. Also in this episode: Saudi petrochemicals maker Sabic has growing ambitions in China,...

A potential merger between Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Union National Bank and Al Hilal would create one of the region's largest lenders. The news has already had positive effects on UNB's share prices, a sign that a merger would be a welcome change to the banking sector. Host Mustafa Alrawi discuss the potential merger and more with Chris Nelson in this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast...

In this week's episode of the Business Extra podcast:  Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday he wanted to prevent foreigners from buying residential units in the $100 billion Forest City project, a setback for the Chinese developer Country Garden as it tries to revive faltering demand for the site. What is the rationale for the change in direction? Tesla Chief Executive Musk sai...

Greece is free of of its final bailout from the European Union, allowing Athens to borrow from financial markets for the first time since 2010. But the end of financial woe in Greece is far from over, as we discuss this week on the Business Extra podcast.  Also in this episode: We analyse the move by Venezuela to devalue its currency the bolivar and launch a new one. Elon Musk continues to fall un...

In this week's Business Extra Chris Nelson and Andy Scott discuss Elon Musk's increasingly erratic behaviour. The maverick billlionaire and CEO of Tesla tweeted this week that he was considering taking his company private - a move that has caught the attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The mercurial genius may have been the inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man but right no...

DP World is asserting the validity of a London arbitration court ruling in its favour against the government of Djibouti over the seizure of the Doraleh container terminal. This is a row that will have far-reaching consequences for investment in Africa and confidence in DP World's vision. Hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson discuss this and more in this week's Business Extra podcast. Also discus...

The fall from grace of private-equity firm Abraaj Group took a new turn this week as founder Arif Naqvi faces another criminal case surrounding a bounced cheque, this one for the sum of Dh798 million.   For years, Abraaj projected a lavish and strong brand to the group's many high-profile investors. Now Naqvi and the group are under fire for being unable to pay for loans he had taken out to prop u...

First Abu Dhabi Bank's second-quarter profits soared past expectations, as did those for many of the UAE's biggest banks. Could an uptick in the financial sector be a sign that the worst of the economic downturn is behind us? Hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson discuss this and more in this week's Business Extra podcast.  Also in this episode: They discuss how the Apple X has not performed up to...

Growing demand for oil, gas and other commodities has prompted Beijing to seek more co-operation from markets abroad. The UAE offers a stable, geographically strategic hub to help meet its needs. From this springboard there are a number of economic opportunities that the UAE can seize.  With Chinese President Xi Jinping making his first state visit to the UAE this week, we look at the role energy...

SellAnyCar.com has become a go-to resource for those in the UAE looking to buy and sell automobiles while avoiding traditional classifieds and dealers. But it's far from the only successful endeavour spearheaded by the company's founder, Saygin Yalcin. In this episode, host Chris Nelson talks in studio with Yalcin, who has a unique perspective on how to succeed as an entrepreneur in the UAE. Yalci...

Host Mustafa Alrawi talks to the CEO and co-founder of Sigma Ratings , Stuart Jones, about his new firm's findings on the region and its top financial institutions. He says there are reasons to be optimistic. Also, The National's Paul Peachey is in Scotland talking to the head of clean energy business at Masdar about the testing of a new technology that could have far reaching consequences for ren...

From a branding perspective, there are few more visible outlets than the stage created by the Fifa World Cup. Success on the pitch can relate to significant gains in brand value for players, the nations and clubs they represent, and for the sponsors shilling out huge sums of money to have their names advertised across the globe. For instance, It's safe to say few in the West had heard of Etihad or...

The National's Mustafa Alrawi and personal finance editor Alice Haine mark two years of the weekly column, The Debt Panel, and speak with reader Sumera Hasan about her ultimately successful five-year ordeal with personal debt. We also focus on new rules from the Central Bank capping how much lenders can charge customers for their services and products and explain the importance of developing money...

This week, Business Extra and Mustafa Alrawi bring you our World Cup quiz from our friends on The National's sports desk and the Extra Time podcast .  For the latest business news, visit www.thenational.ae/business . The eyes of the football world will be fixated on Russia this summer as 32 nations compete to be crowned the 2018 World Cup champions. Ahead of kick-off on Thursday, when hosts Russia...

With top oil producers Russia and Saudi Arabia indicating co-ordinated increases in supply we analyse what it might mean for prices . Host Mustafa Alrawi is joined by Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis to discuss all aspects of oil markets from Opec and non-Opec joint action to the impact of sanctions on Iran and the recent focus on the downstream sector.  R...

Host Mustafa Alrawi is joined by personal finance editor Alice Haine to discuss recent trends in the cost of living in the region and globally and how Dubai is one of the most expensive places to live. But your money goes further than you might think thanks to the low-tax environment. We also give you our top tips for managing your finances at home and how to best avoid extra charges when travelli...

The news on Sunday from the Cabinet that there is to be sweeping changes to visa and residency rules as well as that 100 per cent foreign ownership of businesses will no longer be confined just to free zones, is expected to have a far reaching impact on the country and the economy as a whole. Co-hosts Mustafa Alrawi and Chris Nelson dissect the ins and outs of this seismic development. Subscribe t...

Captain Tilmann Gabriel is the executive chairman of the International Pilot Training Association. An industry stalwart, he has held senior executive positions across the global sector. Now the head of City, University of London’s MSc Aviation Management Programmes, Capt Gabriel spoke with The National’s Chris Nelson in Abu Dhabi for this Business Extra podcast about his role at the university and...

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...

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 b...

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...