The Smashi Business Show

HEADLINES: • Oil Markets Steady Despite Iran’s Missile Strikes on US Bases in Gulf • Saudi CEOs Are Getting Younger and More Local, Says New Korn Ferry Report • Oman to Introduce First Personal Income Tax in Gulf by 2028 • The Arab Influx of London Is More Than Just Shopping at Harrods   Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModr WhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLU Instagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQ Tikt...

HEADLINES: ♦ Mohamed Alabbar Launches New AI-Driven Arabic Media Platform "Lana" ♦ Iran Considers Strait of Hormuz Closure After US Strikes ♦ Valu Set to Debut on Egyptian Exchange in Landmark Fintech Listing ♦ Airlines Reroute Flights After Unprovoked U.S. Strikes on Iran Escalate Airspace Risk

HEADLINES: ♦ Saudi Arabia's HUMAIN Launches Media and Gaming Division ♦ Mohammed Al Abbar-chaired Americana Looking to Add Five Guys, Cinnabon to its Portfolio of KFC, Pizza Hut ♦ Citi Group Says Oil May Touch $90 per Barrel if Strait of Hormuz is shut ♦ Syria Conducted its First Direct International Bank Transfer via the SWIFT System

HEADLINES: ♦ Aramco CEO: Oil and Gas ‘Crucial in Times of Conflict’ Amid Israel-Iran Tensions ♦ Flight Detours and Fuel Costs Hit Gulf Airlines During Peak Travel Season ♦ Dubai's Binghatti Launches $1 Billion Shariah-Compliant Asset Management Firm ♦ Iranian State TV Accuses WhatsApp of Sharing User Data with Israel

HEADLINES: • Al Habtoor Group is looking at potential IPO for Hospitality Portfolio • Kris Fade's Fade Fit is a local success story • UAE Was World’s Second-Fastest Growing USD Millionaire Hub in 2024

HEADLINES: ♦ The Abu Dhabi Infrastructure Summit is starting today from June 17 till June 18 ♦ Adam Neumann Tapped Saudi Investors For $300M Flow Expansion In Kingdom ♦ Dubai’s Salt is Heading to Egypt’s North Coast? ♦ Israel furious as France shuts four weapons stands at Paris Airshow

HEADLINES: ♦ Emirati Billionaire Khalaf Al Habtoor Calls for Peace between Iran and Israel ♦ Podcast-Born Thmanyah Wins Saudi Football Streaming Rights ♦ Following Backlash, Modrić’s Deal With Israeli Firm Skillset Disappears From Web ♦ Egypt Postpones Grand Egyptian Museum Opening Amid Regional Tensions

HEADLINES: • Egypt Revamps Giza Pyramids Site in $30M Push to Elevate Tourism • Oil Soars, Markets Slide After Israeli Strikes on Iran Trigger Regional Tensions • After Khaleej Times Exit, Michael Jabri-Pickett Launches New Dubai-Focused Media Brand • Talabat Prioritizes Profit and Patience Over Saudi Expansion Post-IPO

HEADLINES: ♦ Nvidia Approves UAE’s G42-Backed Khazna to Host Its Most Advanced AI Chips ♦ Emaar Launches VYOM, a Digital Resale Platform to Transform Property Transactions ♦ How Syrian Founder Yasmeen Jisri Baked Dubai’s Most Beloved Digital Dessert Brand ♦ Brand Strategist Sparks Debate Over Saudi Fast-Food Giant AlBaik’s Dual Logos 

HEADLINES: ♦ UK and Allies Sanction Israeli Ministers for Inciting West Bank Violence Amid Gaza Crisis ♦ Emirati Billionaire Khalaf Al-Habtoor to Lead Delegation to Syria for Investment Talks ♦ Nigeria’s $5 Billion Aramco Loan Stalls as Oil Prices Drop ♦ BCG Boss Says Sorry, Quits Controversial Gaza Aid Project Backed by Israel ♦  The Reel Deal: How Katara Studios is Reshaping Arab Cinema—Wit...

HEADLINES: ♦ Huda Beauty Donates AED1 Million to UNRWA in First Move as Fully Independent Brand ♦ Dubai Appoints New Board at Majid Al Futtaim to End Billionaire Heir Dispute ♦ Emirates Partners with Emirati Brand Home Bakery for First-Class Experience ♦ Warner Bros. Discovery Split Puts OSN+ Under Streaming Spotlight ♦ Smashi Business Talks to Jassim Al-Nashmi, Creative Director and Partner at Qu...

HEADLINES: ♦ Turning Qatar’s Jet into Trump’s Air Force One Could Cost $400 Million ♦ Huda Beauty Donates 1 Million Dirhams to Mark Eid and Take Back Control ♦ UAE Helped the U.S. Shape Crypto Rules, Says Circle President ♦ Zara’s Russia Exit Was a Setup for a Comeback, FT Reports

HEADLINES: ♦ Huda Kattan Has Officially Reclaimed Full Ownership of Huda Beauty ♦ Mubadala Emerges as World’s Most Active Sovereign Fund in May ♦ Ex-Lebanese PM Saad Hariri Launches Abu Dhabi-Based AI Investment Firm ♦ Kuwait Joins $30B Global AI Push Backed by Microsoft, MGX, and xAI

HEADLINES: ♦ HH Sheikh Hamdan Visits World’s Largest Diamond Exchange at DMCC ♦ Cloud Kitchens Are Booming in the GCC — And Kaykroo Is Leading the Charge ♦ UAE-Based Flower Company Creates Labubu Bouquet Worth $8,100 ♦ Dubai Real Estate CEO Pushes Back on Fitch’s 15% Property Drop Forecast

HEADLINES: ♦ Shaikha Al Nowais Makes History as First Woman to Lead UN World Tourism Organization ♦ Elon Musk Tried to Block Sam Altman’s Big AI Deal in the UAE ♦ Saudi Arabia, Qatar Pledge Joint Financial Support To Syria’s Public Sector Amid Warming Ties ♦ Dubai’s Al Habtoor Tower Nears Completion — 800 Units to Be Delivered

This weekend on Smashi Business Show: Weekend Edition, we break down three major stories shaping the region. India moves to exempt Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund from key investment rules, paving the way for deeper financial ties and major capital inflows. In Dubai, property prices may drop by up to 15% as a record housing supply threatens to outpace population growth. And billionaire landlo...

HEADLINES: • Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Plans $10 Billion Global VC Fund to Power AI Ambitions • Dubai’s Viral Chocolate Brand FIX Lands in Ultra-Luxury Marsa Al Arab Hotel • Dubai Wellness Brand Humantra Secures JamJar Investment Ahead of Boots UK Launch • John-Paul McKerlie on How TOD Is Shaping the Future of Sports & Streaming in MENA

HEADLINES: ♦ Dubai Residential REIT’s Big Debut: $584M IPO, 15% Surge, and Market Buzz ♦ UAE Citizen Pavel Durov, Elon Musk Sign $300M Deal to Bring xAI’s Grok to Telegram ♦ Saudi Fintech Stitch Raises $10M to Expand Across MENA and East Africa ♦ Syria to re-open stock market starting June 2, finance minister says

HEADLINES: ♦ Kings League MENA: SURJ Sports And Gerard Piqué’s Kings League Launch Football Format In Saudi ♦ Dubai’s Dune 23 To Be Acquired By M&C Saatchi In Strategic Middle East Expansion ♦ Majid Al Futtaim And Dubai Future Foundation Launch People-First Retail Robotics Pilot At City Centre Mirdif ♦ Fadi Ghandour Warns of AI Tsunami as Microsoft Layoffs Signal Shift in Software Industry

HEADLINES: • Saudi Arabia Denies Alcohol Legalization Rumors Amid World Cup Buzz • UAE will Become the First Country to Offer Free ChatGPT Plus to All Residents • Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Strike New Oil in Partitioned Zone • Piers Morgan’s Shift on Gaza Reflects Global Moral Shift, Says Khalaf Al Habtoor • Middle East’s Wealthy Family Offices are Look to the West

HEADLINES: • Fact Check: Is Saudi unbanning Alcohol in 600 Tourist Locations? • Omani Huda Al Lawati Raises $200M for Gulf’s First Woman-Led Equity Firm • Tabby and Tamara Report Strong Profits as Saudi Fintech Sector Surges • UAE Citizen Pavel Durov’s Telegram Posts $540M Profit in 2024  Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModr WhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLU Instagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQ Tik...

HEADLINES: • Highlights of Day 3 of Qatar Economic Forum • Noor Sweid Warns of “Massive Funding Gap” in Middle East at Series B Stage • Saudi Arabia Launches AI Startup Incubator to Accelerate Digital Innovation • Abu Dhabi AI Giant G42 Has Brought Stargate to the UAE • Global Investors Expected to Put $10 Billion into Dubai Property by 2025

HEADLINES: • Highlights from Day 2 of the Qatar Economic Forum • Flynas Raises $1.1 Billion in IPO Priced at Top Range, Fueling Saudi Aviation Push • U.S. Officially Accepts Qatari Jet as Trump’s Air Force One • Moniify Officially Appoints Lana Sawiris as CEO

HEADLINES: ♦ Key Announcements and Global Deals at Qatar Economic Forum Day 1 ♦ UK Halts Trade Talks, EU Reassesses Israel Ties Amid 'Horrifying' Genocide in Gaza ♦ Saudi Arabia Plans $100 Billion ‘Project Paradise’ in Riyadh ♦ Saudi Proptech Startup Ejari Eyes Expansion as Rental Demand Surges

HEADLINES: • Nvidia, UAE’s MGX Plan to Build Europe’s Largest Data Center • Saudi PIF Opens Paris Office, Aims to Double Europe Investments • Pavel Durov slams Mark Zuck, calls WhatsApp a cheap copycat of Telegram • UAE's travel and tourism sector to add more than 26,000 jobs this year • Codex: Will coding become obsolete as AI automates it in ChatGPT?