The Agenda

Tech unicorn CEO's are coming out to bat for Dubai - saying it is fast becoming the global launchpad for the next generation of innovation. And with oil prices soaring, the cost of cooling your home is likely to rise, even here in the UAE. So is now the time to make the switch to solar? Meanwhile, with restaurants in the UAE face rising costs and tough choices, a brand new platform's opening up to...

Forty two kilometres long, 40 metres underground. Eighteen stations. Fifteen key areas. And it's going to expand the Metro by more than a third. A new report shows the UAE leading global hiring in 2026, with strong job growth across the Gulf driven by tech, AI, healthcare and energy. Meanwhile, there’s a growing focus on worker wellbeing in the UAE’s real estate sector. Plus, City Natu...

That's the decision of the KHDA, for remote learning during the conflict. We discuss this with Audrey Hametner of The Bedrock Program. Dubai is looking to build an express rail line linking DXB with Al Maktoum International. We get the take of transport expert Martin Tillman. Abu Dhabi has revealed the results of a landmark genome programme involving 500,000 Emiratis, with new findings on eye heal...

With students going back to in-person learning this week, we go behind the scenes at the university where students are also back on campus. We meet the brilliant 17-year-old Anvith who has come up with a clever carpooling platform. The completed Hessa Street upgrade is making traffic in Dubai flow faster. We ask the RTA how they managed to reduce travel time from 24 minutes to just 5. A brand new...

Confusion in the Strait of Hormuz raises questions over what’s really happening. UAE students return to classrooms, but the transition is far from normal. Dubai’s rental market is shifting, with short stays down and long stays rising. Dubai’s first flying taxi hub is now ready at DXB. A €100 ticket wins a Picasso worth over a million in Paris. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

With school buses suspended ahead of the return to classrooms, what does that mean for your morning commute? Could thousands more cars be hitting the roads next week, and how much pressure will that put on the network? What are other alternatives for parents and students? From the UAE to the Philippines, we discuss the impact of the nationwide transport strike driven by soaring fuel prices. And we...

It was the news many families across the UAE have been waiting for, classrooms reopening and students heading back in from Monday. We speak with Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General - Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to find out how ready the system truly is. We also welcome school officials from both private and higher institutions to learn how they are managing the return...

After 7 weeks of disruption and four weeks of distanced learning, nurseries in Dubai and Sharjah are preparing for a phased return to in-person learning from this week, subject to approval from the Dubai's KHDA and Spear, the bodies that regulate private childcare and schools in the emirates. So what does that mean in practice? We speak to one Dubai-based nursery. We also talk to education leaders...

Gaming platform Roblox is rolling out major new safety measures, including age-based accounts, stricter parental controls, and mandatory verification for certain features, to better protect children online. But how effective are these safeguards in reality? We hear from Roblox directly, and then speak to a child development expert about what it means for behaviour, wellbeing, and digital literacy....

With the ongoing situation in the region, we look first at the status of the housing market in Dubai with Louis Harding from Betterhomes. We also discuss what’s happening behind the scenes, with some mortgage applications now on hold, while others move quickly to secure deals. Jo Phillips from Phillips & Walls Mortgage Brokers joins us on that. A fragile ceasefire may be holding but over...

We’ve got the interview a lot of parents will be waiting for - the KHDA, which regulates private schools in Dubai, joins us shortly to talk through their guide to distance learning. While it still feels too early to announce a return to normality - some sectors of the economy are still bubbling along. We'll discuss concerts with Dubai Opera, and sports with the team from ISD Dubai Sports Cit...

With tourism slowing, business leaders are having to make difficult decisions about staffing.  Meanwhile, there is a new initiative aiming to turn parking into a boost for Dubai’s small businesses.  A key element of the ceasefire centres around Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz.  But only a trickle of ships have passed through in the last 24 hours - we'll ask the International...

We are cautiously celebrating the good news of the ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran, a major pillar of the agreement is the opening of the Strait of Hormuz - so how soon could we see ships moving and goods flowing? Meanwhile, despite the on-going conflict and issues at home, Dubai continues to scale up its global humanitarian response - four massive shipments were sent...

Gulf airlines are still operating at just half capacity as disruption continues across the region The UAE has extended its Nafis programme to 2040, with new support for Emirati families Forty days into the conflict, major UAE employer Dulsco is facing evolving challenges in supporting its 25,000-strong workforce across multiple sectors. Meanwhile, the UAE events calendar remains busy despite disru...

A risky mission to rescue a US airman stranded in Iran over the weekend is reported to have cost more than 300 million dollars Retired US Marine Corps Colonel Brendan Kearney will join us to explain why it’s being described as one of the most daring operations in recent US military history The UAE has approved its first pill for weight loss and obesity, becoming just the second country in th...

With the ongoing regional conflict - global food prices are back in focus - with the UN warning fertiliser costs could keep inflation stubbornly high. While cocoa prices are falling, chocolate prices are still stubbornly high. We'll speak to a local chocolatier about why? Plus with some exam boards are now cancelling GCSE exams in the UAE, how will grades now be decided? And, Abu Dhabi's launching...

As the conflict continues into a fifth week, we're starting to see signs of strain in some parts of the economy - in particular in those that rely on the tourism dirham. We'll be hearing from the team behind community mall Times Square Centre in Dubai, and from the Coca Cola Arena - which is currently hosting a massive clearance sale. Meanwhile the school transport companies are starting to offer...

As the impact of the conflict begins to be felt in the UAE, there are growing signs of a shift in the jobs market. Meanwhile, Dubai's driverless taxis are officially roaming the roads of Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah picking up passengers right now after the launch on Tuesday. We'll speak to Uber - one of the booking platforms - about how it's working out. And the trend towards banning social media for...

Dubai is launching driverless taxis today - a long-awaited step into the future. Home schooling has been extended for another two weeks - now running until April 17 - putting added pressure on parents and the wider education system. Meanwhile, with the Strait of Hormuz closed for a fifth week, it’s not just oil and gas affected - fertiliser costs are surging, raising fresh concerns about glo...

Despite regional conflict disrupting major sporting events, the Dubai World Cup has gone ahead - sending a strong signal about the UAE’s resilience and global standing. Meanwhile after heavy rain and flooding across the UAE, a new concern is emerging - could we now see a spike in mosquito activity, and how quickly can that risk grow? And as NASA prepares to head for the moon this week, we'll...

We look at what's happening on the roads during this season's rains and how the RTA and Dubai Municipality prepare and ensure that the 2024 floods don't happen again. As we come to the close of the first week of home learning this term, we ask schools and universities about how they are managing the online setup. We also speak with the KHDA to find out the latest rules when it comes to remote lear...

We look at property transaction volumes and mortgage lending in the UAE during the ongoing regional conflict. The Dubai World Cup is back this weekend, with a staggering $12 million on the line and some of the best horses on the planet lining up at Meydan. So what does it actually take to train, manage, and race a horse at this level?  And Primark has officially opened its first store in Duba...

The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed and it's causing chaos in global trade flows. We get the latest on what can actually be done to restore safe passage through one of the world’s most important waterways with Damien Chevallier from the International Maritime Organization.  The UAE’s small and medium-sized businesses are facing rising costs and uncertainty, and they’...

As the conflict enters its fourth week, we take a closer look at the UAE’s resilience and global reputation with His Excellency Badr Jafar, the UAE’s Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy. Construction remains one of the key pillars of the UAE’s growth. But how is the sector really holding up? We ask Chris Seymour of Mace Middle East. A green corridor between Oman and Dubai...

As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continue to cause global repercussions, we are revisiting waterway and the seafarers currently trapped at sea. We also look at how the conflict is putting pressure on air traffic controllers. We turn our attention to spending habits when uncertainty rises, and are UAE shoppers pulling back or leaning in? As remote learning resumes, we also look at how the con...