Bitesize Business Breakfast Podcast

The UAE is now connected to EU's digital covid certificate. We find out what it means for travel with Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. Plus, looking at what changing border rules in Australia mean for holiday travel with aviation expert Nick Humphry. And Careem is expanding the groceries offering on its Super App by launching Quik, a new ultra-fast grocery delivery service. We get all the details from the Managing Director of Mobility at Careem, Bassel Al Nahlaoui.

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Gordon Barr of Al Tamimi & Company joins The Business Breakfast and tells us what is changing and what we're going to see from February 2, when UAE government and private sector workers will have the option to work flexibly, part-time, or take up temporary jobs. Plus, total retail spending in the UAE last year reached $71 billion, positioning it 14th globally and on the top spot in the Middle East and North Africa region. We get the details from the company behind the survey, Kearney Middle East. And  a new initiative to highlight Dubai’s "unique personality and identity" has been unveiled. Nehal Badri of the Dubai Media Council tells us more.

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Dubai welcomed more than 4.8 million visitors in the first ten months of 2021, according to new data from the Department of Economy and Tourism. 9.4 million room nights were sold - 2.4 million more in the same period in 2019. CEO Issam Kazim of DTCM tells us the reason behind those numbers. Plus, talking business confidence with Nader Haffar of KPMG Lower Gulf. And we are counting down to 12 days of Christmas! Tom Harvey from Spinneys joins us live to look at the markets for fresh turkeys this Christmas. 

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We speak to Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirate's Department of Government Relations about their decision to move to a four day work week. We also speak to the Dubai family group that has announced a hybrid working week for its staff, Easa Al Gurg, Group CEO of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group. Plus,  IATA has called for governments to follow WHO advice and immediately rescind travel bans that were introduced in response to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Kashif Khalid tells us what they expect governments to do.

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On the back of this week's news that Etihad Rail will carry passengers, we speak to the project's Executive Commercial Director, Omar Al Sebeyi. Plus, Etihad Airways frequent flyers will be awarded loyalty points and “green tier” status if they offset emissions from their flights, cars and homes. We get the details from Managing Director of Etihad Guest, Kim Hardaker. And UAE stock markets are following the public sector to a Monday-Friday work week. What could it mean for the local market? We asked Monte Safieddine of IG.

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There's only one thing anyone's been talking about for the last 24 hours! We explore the UAE's newly announced working week from a number of angles:- what it means for office life with future of work expert Oliver Baxter- what it means for wages and hiring with recruitment expert David McKenzie- what it means for the UAE economy with Daniel Richards of Emirates NBD- what it means for FDI with Rudolph Lohmeyer from Kearney Middle East- what it means for local markets with the general manager of investment service Stashaway- what it means for the staycation industry with Radisson general manager David Allen 

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It's salary survey time! We get the largest predictions from Trefor Murphy, Founder and CEO of recruitment company Cooper Fitch. Plus, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) has become the first bank in the region to launch an online consumer car ecosystem that offers car listings from both dealers and car owners. Philip King tells us more about it. And could Donald Trump be the next Mark Zuckerberg? The former President launches his own social media company so we asked media lawyer Fiona Robertson of Cedar White Bradley how big this could get. 

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Surina Kelly from the ARN News Centre has all the latest on the UAE Railway Programme's passenger services that aims to carry more than 36.5 million people by 2030. Plus, What does Saudi Arabia's $3 billion loan mean for the country? Policy advisor and Pakistan's Former Advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Khaqan Najeeb has the details. And what does the new variant mean for conferences as some high profile drop outs from a couple of big events have got organisers worried? We get the thoughts of Natalie Crampton of TEC. And we talk tax with the head of the Federal Tax Authority. Why is the UAE cutting some of its penalty fees for admin mis-haps? H.E. Khalid al Bustani explains.

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The UAE has signed a Dhs60 billion deal to buy fighter jets from France – with an extra Dhs10 billion on military helicopters. The deal was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to the UAE; shares of Dassault Aviation climbed 10% in Paris. We get the reaction from French Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Xavier Chatel. Plus, OPEC Plus met to decide what to do about new covid variants and extra barrels from President Biden. Energy expert Matt Stanley tells us what it means for the oil price under Richard's Christmas Tree. And Bitcoin is making headline over the weekend. We get the thoughts of Nagham Hassan, a crypto content creator, about the story behind the dramatic swing.

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We are broadcasting live from Union House - the building where the UAE constitution was signed, the birthplace of the United Arab Emirates. We hear from a variety of people young and old, including Dr Azad Moopen – founder of the Aster Healthcare empire. We also hear from business leaders who have played an instrumental role in shaping the commercial landscape of the UAE, including former Jumeirah Group CEO Gerald Lawless and Dubai Airports boss Paul Griffiths.

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