Business Extra

For more than a decade, Syria has been under international sanctions aimed at pressuring Bashar Al Assad’s regime. But there is a longer history of sanctions on the country and the broader Middle East. Sanctions can be used as a nudge – or shove – from government to government, usually during times of war. But their impact continues into periods of relative peace, trickling from the highest ranks...

Donald Trump has been vocal about his planned tariff war since setting foot on the campaign trail – in both his first and second times in office. Mr Trump began his first stint in the White House with a trade war against China. Some of those tariffs were preserved by Joe Biden’s administration when he began his term in 2020. But throughout his campaign, Mr Trump made clear he’d come back with tari...

The start-up economy is booming in the Middle East, but despite progress, women remain underrepresented, as founders and as recipients of funding. While women-led start-ups make up 7 per cent of the region’s total, they receive about 1 per cent of available funding, Wamda statistics show. In this episode of Business Extra, host Salim Essaid speaks with three female founders in the UAE – Yasmin Ros...

This episode is sponsored by Al Masaood Automobiles The global automotive industry is undergoing dramatic transformation as owners seek more from their vehicles – and technology delivers. This is evident in the UAE where major distributors such as Al Masaood Automobiles are anticipating and catering to shifting customer demands. In this episode of The National’s Business Extra podcast, the company...

In the past decade, Gulf countries have prioritised innovation. It's part of a shift from their prime standing as oil economies to their new goal of using the advent of AI to enhance their economies all around.   It's getting attention from global tech hubs. A former Google chief recently said Saudi Arabia has the potential to become the next AI powerhouse. Only last month, Saudi Arabia's non-oil...

Global leaders, policymakers and industry experts came together in Dubai this week at the World Governments Summit to discuss the most pressing challenges shaping the future. With a focus on sustainability, AI governance and global finance, this year's conversation set the stage for collaborative action in an evolving world, from economic resilience to technological innovation.   On this episode o...

It’s been a busy few weeks in the world of tech, with big names such as TikTok, Meta and X making moves in terms of policy and business models. Changes were announced as huge political shifts took place in the US – the start of President Donald's Trump's second term, being one – and some of them were moments for the history books. The timing is no coincidence. This episode of Business Extra hears...

Tune in every other Wednesday for top stories from a global business hotspot, with vital analysis from renowned experts, diverse perspectives from key figures, and exclusive insight from The National's team of reporters.

Two weeks before returning to office, US president-elect Donald Trump has his eyes on the Middle East — and business interests that are storied to him, but new to the White House. The latest one stars one of the biggest business names in the UAE: Damac properties. Emirati businessman Hussain Sajwani founded Damac in 2002. It’s now one of the leading real estate developers in the region. Damac repo...

For the past few decades, slowly but surely, paper cash has increasingly been viewed as antiquated. Digital payment options are in. You can pay by card, by phone and even by smartwatch. Some people even opt to pay via cryptocurrencies.   Yet there are those who insist that physical, paper cash has role in future transactions. Some also insist that personal financial freedom and independence depend...

This page was produced by The National in partnership or collaboration with Danube Group. The Danube Group is a prime example of how 1990s opportunities in the UAE combined with business acuity to create a regional success story.   Having learnt tough retail lessons selling items from a Mumbai street cart, the brand’s founders went on to create a conglomerate that today employs thousands and contr...

Saudi Arabia is witnessing a housing boom that is transforming the country’s real estate sector, as home ownership rises and international investors join one of the world’s most dynamic markets. Leading this transformation, developer NHC is meeting demand for lifestyle communities with mega-projects that anticipate future growth. The kingdom’s real estate market is on a path to reach unprecedented...

Just when you thought AI news and developments have reached peak saturation, it seems there’s always something new that captures our collective imagination. Every week brings a new large language model – the backbone of many AI implementations. This time, AI is getting a Hindi-language breakthrough. It’s part of NANDA, a project unveiled earlier this month at the UAE-India Business Forum in Mumbai...

The Middle East, particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, has witnessed significant growth in sectors such as cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and FinTech, largely driven by cutting-edge technologies. Some have speculated that the wealth and innovation created from those industries could eclipse that of the oil industries that defined the region. However, this rapid expansion of crypto, AI,...

After decades of anticipation, electric vehicles are becoming the mainstream – as more hit the roads globally, despite bumps along the way.   EVs are on the rise, driven by greater affordability, environmental concerns and a shift in consumer preferences.   But with geopolitics, infrastructure and misconceptions still in the mix, what does the future hold?   In this episode of the Business Extra p...

Banking institutions are a common denominator for many throughout the developed world. Though often portrayed as powerful and imposing, banks, especially in recent times, have learnt to move quickly. They have to adjust to consumer behaviour, and of course, make the most of technologies that change at a breakneck pace. The banks of the Middle East, of course, are no different, and often, they are...

In this episode of Business Extra, we explore the rapidly evolving FinTech landscape in the Middle East, where new apps and products are constantly emerging with promises of easier financial transactions and innovative money management solutions. Among these players, Dubai-based start-up Ziina stands out for its methodical rise over the past few years. Ziina aims to bring economic freedom and enha...

A global market sell-off kicked off the week, marking the biggest sell-off in decades. Japan’s Nikkei started things off, dropping 12 per cent, which was the index’s worst day since the Black Monday crash of 1987. Following this, the rest of the world followed suit. The Dow Jones dropped more than 1000 points, causing even the most casual of observers take notice. The world's 500 wealthiest people...

The Olympics have always been a stage for showcasing human excellence in sports. But this year, technology and artificial intelligence play a pivotal role in enhancing the experience for everyone involved. By integrating AI into various aspects of the Olympics, the event hopes to become more efficient, engaging, and inclusive. In this episode of the Business Extra podcast, host Cody Combs is joine...

Last week more than 8.5 million computers stopped working. The post-industrial and very much digital world in which we live, much of it anyway, came to a halt as well. Airlines couldn’t check in travellers. Hospitals had to find new ways to help patients, and restaurants resorted to pen and paper to take reservations. Cyber security company CrowdStrike inadvertently caused the chaos with a faulty...

Amid the war in Gaza, some communities, especially Arab ones, have decided to support the Palestinian cause by boycotting certain international brands. To fill the void, new business endeavours have taken hold, such as local Arab brands. Palestine Cola was born out of a desire to provide a meaningful alternative to global giants such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Three brothers from Malmo, Sweden, along...

There is more to sport than wins and losses, the sports business comprises many factors, including the athletes, their training methods, their agents, franchises, media coverage and the team owners as well. So what’s the future of sports media coverage, the business of athletics, and what does the future hold for the fans for whom sport is so important? In this episode of Business Extra, host Cody...

Founded in California in 2002, LinkedIn’s growth has been at a methodical pace. Slowly but surely, the CV-based, aspirational job platform gained momentum and now has more than one billion members around the world. Its journey started from simply a place to look for jobs and post CVs, to become a knowledge bank where people can learn, write articles, take classes and even play games to keep the mi...

In the rapidly evolving world of social media, many new, innovative platforms are still trying to challenge the dominance of industry giants by promising better experience and – in some cases – better monetisation tools. In this episode of Business Extra’s series looking at social media platforms, host Cody Combs is joined by Dave Catudal, founder of Lyvely, a UAE-based social media app that aims...

In 2011, amid the Arab uprisings, other protests around the world and the rise of social media, Snapchat emerged with a unique concept.   The app pioneered by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown allowed images shared to disappear after a certain time.   This innovation reshaped the social media landscape.   Snapchat quickly became a pioneer in the concept of augmented reality by introduci...