SPONSORED - In this episode of AB Majlis, with reporter Nicole Abigael and J.K. Khalil Division President for East Arabia at Mastercard, we explore the transformative world of digital payments. Discover insights on financial inclusion, enhancing security measures, and pioneering future payment trends in the region and beyond.

In this episode, host Tala Michel Issa, Senior Reporter at Arabian Business, sits down with David Constable, acclaimed journalist, food writer, and editor of Gault&Millau UAE. They delve into the economics of fine dining in Dubai, exploring whether it's dead, thriving, or evolving.

Constable shares his expert insights on the changing definition of fine dining, the challenges faced by high-end restaurants, and the exciting trends shaping the future of Dubai's culinary scene.

From the rise of chef's tables to the increasing use of local ingredients, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the economics and innovation driving Dubai's gastronomic landscape.

On this episode we explorer the future of money with Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, discussing emerging financial technologies, evolving payment systems and the changing landscape of global transactions. Listen more for a fascinating glimpse into the financial world of tomorrow.

In this episode, Arabian Business' Senior Reporter Tala Michel Issa sits down with Careem's Managing Director Bassel Al Nahlaoui to dive into the power of partnerships and how they helped propel the "everything app" into a household name in the region and the multi-service platform as we know it today.

Al Nahlaoui weighs in on key players such as Amazon Web Services and the integral role it played in helping the company scale to rapidly innovate in the ride-hailing market and add new services like Careem Box, School Rides, Dine Out, and so much more through cloud technology.

Throughout the interview, he reveals insights into the company's strategic decisions, challenges faced, and the unique factors that contributed to Careem's success.

Listen in to learn how this Dubai-based company leveraged the power of partnerships and it's mission to create social impact to achieve a billion-dollar valuation and become one of the region's most prominent unicorns.

Can Saudi Arabia's massive investments in attracting sports legends like Cristiano Ronaldo revive its economy beyond oil? Senior Reporter Tala Michel Issa discusses this with Jürg Kronenberg of Bain & Company on the latest AB Majlis podcast.

Kronenberg analyses Saudi's Vision 2030 diversification goals through the sports lens, From football's surging popularity to opportunities in basketball, tennis, golf, and more. He weighs the economic impact of mega-events like the potential 2034 World Cup versus grassroots participation.

As Saudi and the UAE race to build sports powerhouses, Kronenberg explores building sustainable sporting ecosystems for long-term growth beyond economic events.

SPONSORED - The rise of AI brings exciting potential but also raises concerns about responsible use. However, highly advanced countries like the UAE have already laid the groundwork.

In this episode of AB Majlis, Arabian Business' Senior Reporter, Tala Michel Issa, sits down with Dr. Fadi Salem, Director of Research and Advisory at the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), and Ali Haidar, Corporate Counsel and UAE Lead for Corporate, External and Legal Affairs at Microsoft, to discuss AI's responsible use and what a potential ethical framework could entail in the near future.

On this episode, the CEO of RAK Properties talks about the latest real estate developments in Ras Al Khaimah. Discover ambitious launch plans, the impact of global brand partnerships, new developments and more.

In this episode, Senior Reporter at Arabian Business and Podcast Producer Tala Michel Issa sits down with 2 Partners in Financial Services at Kearney Middle East, Zeeshan Khwaja and Naman Sharma, to discuss the pivotal role SMEs must play in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and overall Gulf economic diversification plans. Khwaja and Sharma also weigh in on the massive SME funding gap, why banks have underserved this segment, and how leveraging data, AI, and strategic partnerships can transform SME financing and support.

In this episode of AB Majlis, Senior Reporter Tala Michel Issa sits down with Chainalysis' VP Southern EMEA, Nicola Buonanno, and Policy Lead for Middle East & Africa, Arushi Goel, to discuss the current state of crypto crime.

They discuss the alarming rise in romance scams and trends in ransomware attacks, as well as the steady decline of illicit activity on the blockchain. The experts also provide insights into regaining public trust after events like FTX's collapse, regulation's role in combating crypto crime, and how blockchain analytics help identify and disrupt illicit activity. They highlight that while crypto remains a small portion of overall economic activity, the industry must continue educating and building guardrails as adoption grows.

SPONSORED - In this episode, experts from Microsoft and M42 provided a glimpse into their groundbreaking collaboration aimed at using AI to transform drug discovery, clinical research, and precision medicine delivery.

Arabian Business Editorial Director Matthew Amlot sits down with Ashish Koshy, Group Chief Operating Officer at M42, and Elena Bonfiglioli, Global Business Leader for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Microsoft, to get an exclusive look into the work the two companies are doing together in the UAE and how it fits in the country's wider AI strategy.