Business Extra

Host Kelsey Warner, future editor at The National talks to Dr Rakesh Suri, chief executive of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi about the future of medicine, robotics and open-heart surgery. Later on, they talk about the global response to the Coronavirus and why there is no reason for paranoia.

In this episode:

Open-heart surgery and robotics (0m 37s)

The impact of 5G in hospitals (5m 59s)

The Coronavirus scare (11m 26s)

Read more on our website:

• How robots will change the world of work

• Coronavirus: Do not be paranoid, we are prepared, says top Abu Dhabi hospital chief

• Abu Dhabi hospital uses gene therapy to save Emirati sisters from blindness

• Driving, surfing and swarming: drone tech on display at Umex 2020

Parent company Port and Free Zone World has offered to acquire the 19.55 per cent of DP World's shares traded on Nasdaq Dubai, returning the company to private ownership. It is going to give shareholders an almost 30 per cent premium on the share price before the announcement as a sweetener.

This week, Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief at The National, and Kelsey Warner, future editor, talk about DP World's decision to delist and Jeff Bezos's $ 10 billion Earth Fund.

In this episode:

DP World (0m 32s)

Earth Fund (13m 28s)

Headlines (18m 00s)

Read more on our website:

• DP World to delist from Nasdaq Dubai to focus on long-term strategy

• What does DP World’s delisting decision mean?

• DP World on lookout for acquisitions in the US

• Amazon's Jeff Bezos pledges $10bn to fight climate change

• HSBC to restructure as profit of Europe's largest bank falls 33%

• Investcorp plans second regional private equity fund following its HarbourVest deal

• World’s happiest nation seeks further joy through national financial literacy plan

Bill and Melinda Gates have spent tens of billions of dollars over two decades to support efforts to improve global health, education, gender equality and fight climate change. They say the experience has made them optimists.

This week, host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief at The National, and Kelsey Warner, future editor, are at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit. We also hear from Nora Super,  senior director of the Milken Institute Centre, who talks to us about the future of aging.

In this episode:

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (0m 48s)

Nora Super at the Milken Institute Summit (6m 44s)

Headlines (15m 03s)

Read more on our website:

• Milken Institute to focus on health and well-being at Abu Dhabi summit

• Opec+ technical committee recommends extending cuts until year-end

• KKR and GK Investment prepare bids for under-fire NMC Health

• Air Arabia makes Dh1bn in profit in 2019

A new source of energy discovered in the UAE on 5,000 square kilometres of land on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will support the country's aim to be totally self-sufficient and also provide additional power capacity to boost broader economic diversification efforts.

This week, host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief, and Kelsey Warner, future editor of The National, talk to energy correspondent Jennifer Gnana about the new discovery and the factors weighing on oil prices. Joining them in studio is cofounder and principal at Changeosity, Suzanne Gandy, and an expert in culture and leadership transformation, social behaviour and the future of work.

The panel discuss energy markets as oil prices faced further losses, with Brent trading at its lowest in more than a year as fears over the economic impact of the coronavirus rattles markets.

In this episode:

UAE's new energy source (0m 52s)

Coronavirus shocks the market (7m 24s)

New social behaviours at work (13m 42s)

Headlines (17m 35s)

Read more on our website:

• Abu Dhabi and Dubai to develop new gas reservoir in Jebel Ali area

• Jebel Ali gas reservoir discovery the 'largest in 15 years'

• Oil slides further over coronavirus as Opec+ convenes to stabilise markets

• Regulatory disagreement on Boeing 737 Max wiring complicates jet's return

• UAE banks to maintain 'stable' credit profiles in 2020, S&P says

• Aramco-like IPO proposed for Indian insurer

We are at peak hysteria over the coronavirus outbreak in China with equity and commodity markets reacting to fears it could impact economic growth in the world’s second largest economy.

 

This week from The National’s newsroom in Abu Dhabi host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief, and future editor, Kelsey Warner are joined by Phil Bahoshy, chief executive of Magnitt, which describes itself as MENA's most powerful start-up platform.

In this episode:

The Coronavirus effect (0m 29s)

Sharjah taps into gas (7m 33s)

What is Magnitt? (9m 00s)

Headlines (21m 56s)

Read more on our website:

• Coronavirus: Past mistakes and emerging tech mean this outbreak will be different

• Sharjah reveals first new onshore natural gas discovery in three decades

• Finablr shares tumble after it says half of its stock pledged as collateral for Travelex debt

• Ethiopia’s reformist leader Abiy Ahmed woos private sector investors to fuel economic growth

The World Economic Forum's 50th Annual Meeting is underway in the Swiss ski resort of Davos-Klosters in the Alps. This year's theme: 'Stakeholders for a sustainable and cohesive world'. 

 

Kelsey Warner, future editor and assistant editor-in-chief Mustafa Alrawi discuss US president Donald Trump's speech on the opening day, the meaning of this year's theme and who the most talked-about guests are, as well as what to expect from the rest of the week ahead.

In this episode:

The Trump Speech (0m 39s)

What's the theme? (7m 25s)

Davos atmosphere (14m 15s)

Headlines (20m 06s)

Read more on our website:

• Oil unlikely to post major gains in 2020, S&P Global Platts chief says

• Google CEO calls for aligned AI regulation as US and EU plans diverge

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week kicks off and it has been a pretty big week for the champions of sustainability as investors and companies show they are becoming more climate conscious. A very public mea culpa from Siemens chief executive Joe Kaeser in an exclusive interview with The National’s energy correspondent Jennifer Gnana. Siemens' involvement in an Australian coal mining project involving India's Adani Group was a "mistake", but the company needs to complete the work to fulfil its contractual obligations, its chief executive Joe Kaeser said.

 

Host Mustafa Alrawi assistant editor in chief and Kelsey Warner future editor discuss the changing strategy of climate activists and the attitudes towards climate responsibility in the business world. Kelsey also interviews Dr Mark Esposito at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week about the fears and potential of AI.

In this episode:

Siemens and Adani (0m 30s)

Kaeser under fire (4m 36s)

Sustainability in US (10m 37s)

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (13m 47s)

Dr Mark Esposito (16m 11s)

Headlines (21m 27s)

Read more on our website:

• Adani coal mine contract a 'mistake', Siemens CEO says

• US threat of sanctions against Iraq 'not helpful', says Siemens chief

• Famed investor Tim Draper says the Middle East has the potential to create ‘rhinos’

• Aramco's IPO grows in size to $29.4bn as 'greenshoe' option exercised

• Adnoc extends and expands oil storage agreement with Japan

Uncertainty over US-Iran tensions have led investors to take - at least for the moment - a risk-off stance. Stock markets are volatile and gold is at a six-year high while US treasury yields are rising. Meanwhile, oil prices have spiked amid concerns over the potential disruption to Middle East supply. All in all, it is a delicate time for local, regional and global economies.     

Host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor-in-chief, and Kelsey Warner, future editor of The National, talk to Robin Mills, chief executive of Qamar Energy and columnist, about the energy landscape and dig into the risks to economic growth in the region. Jennifer Gnana, The National's energy correspondent, also talks to Randy Bell, director of the global energy centre at the Atlantic Council ahead of the Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi.

In this episode:

Supply disruption and Chevron, Erbil (0m 43s)

What about China? (11m 02s)

Saudi Aramco and diversification (13m 00s)

Sustainability and the future of US energy policy (20m 12s)

Headlines (27m 29s)

Read more on our website:

• Oil and gold prices climb on the back of Iran strikes

• Oil may rise to hit $75 per barrel on Middle East tensions

• Global stock drop may prove 'a temporary scare' amid escalating tensions in the Middle East

• US oil workers leave Iraq following the assassination of Iran's top commander

• Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy grows on new orders and employment

• Uber completes $3.1 billion deal to buy Dubai's Careem

• Samsung jumps into crowded smart speaker and augmented-reality glasses market

Expectations of a pickup in the global economy, a recovery for aviation following the 737 Max crisis and the continued consequences for private equity in the region from Abraaj’s collapse will all likely be features of the business landscape in 2020.

 

The National's Assistant Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Alrawi speaks to Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi about some of the biggest business news stories from 2019 and what might be intriguing and significant developments in the coming year.

Streaming wars. Tiktok. Billie Eilish. EDM concerts in Saudi Arabia. What do these things all have in common?

Business Extra is recapping the year in the business of entertainment and pop culture. Host and The National’s Future Editor Kelsey Warner is joined by colleagues Nyree McFarlane, Head of Arts and Lifestyle and Jason Von Berg, Head of Audience Growth to discuss the biggest business news from the entertainment industry in 2019.

In this episode:

Netflix vs. Everybody (0m 35m)

Entertainment in Saudi (5m 50s)

TikTok and the rise of social media (8m 33s)

Read more on our website:

• Movie audiences are in control today – and that's good for both business and art

• MDL Beast represents a 'paradigm shift' in the kingdom

• Facebook owns top four most downloaded apps of the decade

• There's an app for that. How technology has transformed every life