The Agenda

Nearly two-thirds of UAE employers say they plan to hire more Emiratis next year. But with 60% of Emirati professionals unhappy with their pay, what will it take to attract and keep them? There's a glimmer of good news from COP31 in Turkey, with fossil fuel emissions expected to fall slightly this year. With the scandal involving Nvidia boss Jensen Huang, we look at the fascinating history of spie...

A beach in Khor Fakkan is the latest stretch of UAE coastline to close after oil slicks were spotted along the shore. We get the latest about the clean-up and investigations. Scientists say 2026 could be the hottest year ever recorded, with a powerful El Niño threatening even more extreme weather next year. And here in the Middle East, the UN says water shortages are continuing, despite unu...

A landmark 1,800-kilometre railway network could connect all six GCC countries, linking the UAE with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. How close are we to making this a reality, and what could it mean for passengers and trade across the region? And could one visa soon make travelling across the Gulf much easier? We look at the latest plans for a single visa covering all six GCC countr...

Almost one in three pupils worldwide has been bullied at school in the past month, according to UNESCO, which warns that AI is making online abuse harder to tackle.  Are schools and parents equipped to protect children? We speak to a UNESCO expert and the VP of Safeguarding at GEMS. Hackers have interfered with temperature controls at three blood storage facilities in France and at supermarke...

When does a professional opportunity become a red flag? Katie was recently approached about moderating an event, only to discover that payment was required to be involved. We also hear from experts who've been approached with paid “Top 50” entrepreneur features, awards and magazine opportunities. British Airways is back flying between London and Dubai after an eight-month suspension. T...

Delivery motorbikes in Dubai are about to be fitted with cameras and sensors. We speak with the Roads and Transport Authority on why they're introducing a smart monitoring system now. We also ask, how do these kinds of monitoring system work? How many cars can you have registered in your name in the UAE? From January 2027, there will be a new limit. The US midterm results are reshaping the balance...

A  hundred luxury SUVs made in the UAE are rolling off the production line in Abu Dhabi. They are made by ROX, which has set up a manufacturing centre, AI lab and design studio in KEZAD over the last six months. The project is backed by a partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office and the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology. And now, Abu Dhabi wants to build a much bigger Made-...

Authorities say the oil spill off the UAE’s northern coast has now been contained, with no fresh leaks detected, and they say drinking water supplies are safe. But what impact could the spill have on our desalination plants? Meanwhile, petrol prices in the UAE are coming down this month, but they’re still two thirds higher than at the start of the year. And diesel prices are up by 86 p...

A week on from the UAE oil spill, more beaches have closed in Sharjah as clean-up operations continue in Ras Al Khaimah. Is the oil still spreading, and when could our coastline recover? Could we all do with less screen time at the dinner table? Restaurants in Sardinia are trialling a phone-free dining scheme. Could it work here in the UAE? Dubai's winter camping season starts this Sunday, with hu...

Does watching employees more closely actually make them work better? It's the main question now with AI making it possible for employers to monitor their staff in detail. If you're working here in the UAE, can your boss legally monitor your emails, track your computer activity or use AI to assess how productive you've been? Dubai is spending another AED 3 billion on storm water drainage. &nbs...

Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh wants to be UN secretary General. So what would she change if she became the first woman to lead the UN? Meanwhile as beaches across the northern emirates remain closed to residents and tourists, due to an oil spill off the coastline, we'll investigate how the slick is spreading - and the impact it could have on marine life. And, Earth's orbit is getting clogged up...

Beaches across the northern Emirates remain closed following an oil spill off the UAE coast. We’ll look at how the slick is spreading and what it could mean for marine life and the coastal environment. Dubai’s short-term rental market is showing signs of improvement, but is this an early sign of a wider tourism recovery? We’ll look at the latest figures and want to hear from thos...

Beaches across parts of the northern Emirates are closed following an oil spill off the UAE coast. We discuss the clean-up operation and what it means for wildlife, swimmers and our desalinated water supplies, plus how experts track the likely path of the spill.  The UAE is looking at plans to connect water networks in the east and west of the country, so supplies keep flowing even if there&r...

A quarter of the world's population lives in countries facing extremely high water stress every year. That's according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. And with farming accounting for more than 70% of global freshwater use, the pressure on supplies is only growing. Now the UAE is looking to tackle the problem and unlock billions in potential investment in water projects.  Space...

Authorities say they're investigating reports of unusual odours across several parts of the UAE, while reassuring residents there's no indication of a threat to public health. But how can a smell travel across several emirates, and what does it take to track down the source?  The Christmas shopping rush is approaching, and with it, the spotlight on global trade because retailers rely on inter...

The UAE is banning a widely used antibiotic from being given to animals from next month, over fears it could help bacteria develop resistance.  We find out why this isn’t just about treating sick animals - it’s about protecting humans too. Australia wants to give social media users the power to switch off the algorithms that decide what they see online. So could this be the beginn...

Have you ever read a comment online and wondered whether a real person wrote it? This week, a senior UAE official warned that social media bots are being used to inflame tensions between countries in the region.  Do you understand your child's slang terms? We're living longer, but how many of those extra years are we actually spending in good health?  Divers off the coast of Turkey say t...

Attacks on container ships in the Strait of Hormuz are rising to record levels. What does it mean for shipowners trying to get cargo around the world for their customers? Apple says extraordinary demand for its foldable iPhones means some customers will have to wait until January for their new devices. But the wider smartphone market is facing a chip shortage, so what does that mean for us as cons...

One of Britain’s top schools is ditching laptops and bringing back pen and paper, saying pupils concentrate better and finish homework faster.  So have schools gone too far with technology? We hear from Zaineb Mahdi, who oversees digital technology and innovation at GEMS Education, and from a neuroscientist whose research suggests children understand more of what they read on paper than...

The UAE’s space economy has grown by 27% in a year, with private companies now behind almost half of all spending.  HE Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, explains the role of the private sector in that figure. Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar shares his views on Dubai’s investment outlook as business leaders gather at the RISE Expo, and we look at...

Hackers turned the fridges in hundreds of French supermarkets into ovens, heating freezers to 50 degrees and forcing shops to throw away their fresh and frozen food. How did it happen, and could it happen here? Meanwhile, could leaving a bad Google review land you in legal trouble in the UAE? Dubai Police are issuing a warning about when online criticism crosses the line. Plus, putting a child thr...

Around 400 Filipino expats have lost their hard-earned money and some are also facing mounting overstay fines after an alleged massive visa scam committed by a UAE-based company. We speak to two victims who paid around AED 9,000 and AED 15,000 each and until now waiting if their visas will still be processed. What legal options do the victims have? Can they still get their money back? We get the a...

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is mourning the death of twelve people killed in an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The mass casualty event also saw more than 300 people injured, some of them critically according to Saudi authorities. How significant is this for KSA and international aviation?  Dubai is cracking down on shared housing, with new rules that could force s...

Dubai bans families and single tenants from sharing a unit under tougher shared housing rules. What does it mean if you rent a room, and could you be forced to move? KHDA wants to hear from parents stuck in school traffic. Why is it running a survey on the school commute? Half term is here, and UAE staycation bookings are up nearly a third. Where is everyone heading, and are there last-minute barg...

Abu Dhabi researchers have launched a new AI model designed to understand Emirati Arabic. We'll discuss why the UAE needs its own ChatGPT equivalent. As global technology leaders gather in Abu Dhabi for AI Everything, the boss of French AI company Mistral says the UAE needs powerful AI systems under its own control to defend against cyber threats. Thousands of robots will be roaming the streets of...