The Agenda

If you're part of the UAE’s cycling community, chances are you’ve stopped by Wolfi’s Bike Shop at some point. It’s been a fixture on Sheikh Zayed Road for more than two decades, known not just for bikes, but for building a real cycling community here in the city. But last week, the store was forced to temporarily close its doors after a fire broke out in the early hours of Wednesday. Katie speaks with Wolfgang Hohmann, founder of Wolfi’s. 

Now, we are just 7 weeks and 1 day away from New Year’s Eve, and in Dubai, that means millions of people pouring into the city’s most iconic spots, from Downtown and Burj Khalifa to The Palm and Dubai Festival City. And while most of us are busy deciding which fireworks spot has the best view, there’s a whole city-wide machine gearing up behind the scenes to make sure we all get there… and back… smoothly.

In the first half of this year alone, Ajman recorded AED 12.4 billion in property transactions, that’s a 37% increase compared to the same period last year. And in just one month, in May 2025, more than 1,800 deals were recorded, worth around AED 2.3 billion. So what’s driving this surge? Are you considering shifting to Ajman?

And why do we yawn? Apparently it's really good for our brain.

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Now, we are just 7 weeks and 1 day away from New Year’s Eve, and in Dubai, that means millions of people pouring into the city’s most iconic spots, from Downtown and Burj Khalifa to The Palm and Dubai Festival City. And while most of us are busy deciding which fireworks spot has the best view, there’s a whole city-wide machine gearing up behind the scenes to make sure we all get there… and back… smoothly.

In the first half of this year alone, Ajman recorded AED 12.4 billion in property transactions, that’s a 37% increase compared to the same period last year. And in just one month, in May 2025, more than 1,800 deals were recorded, worth around AED 2.3 billion. So what’s driving this surge? Are you considering shifting to Ajman?

How's Wolfi's now? If you're part of the UAE’s cycling community, chances are you’ve stopped by Wolfi’s Bike Shop at some point. But last week, the store was forced to temporarily close its doors after a fire broke out on its Sheikh Zayed Road branch. 

And why do we yawn? Apparently it's really for our brain.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With road and metro traffic feeling the pressure from our ever-growing population in the emirates, we've been hearing about plans to transform the country's infrastructure. Residents have been reacting to last week's announcement of a massive AED 170 billion national infrastructure plan that is looking to alleviate the pressure on the country's transportation system by 2030. We speak to infrastructure expert Chris Seymour. 

As the international museum community descends in Dubai this week to attend the ‘ICOM Dubai 2025’ event, we look at what it means for the UAE's cultural and heritage sector.

Do you prefer herbal "medications" - well a batch of a popular Thai inhaler has been recalled in the UAE; we catch up with a medical expert on the risks of contaminated products. 

And do you love the idea of a snowy Christmas? Winter markets in Austria, Germany, Switzerland. Cozied up in a sweater drinking hot chocolate. It's a dream for many... but the clock is ticking if you're still trying to winter in Europe and you need a visa. 

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The Knowledge and Human Development Authority has announced plans to license 60 new affordable private schools across the emirate. Will these new schools offer real relief for parents facing rising fees? Katie Chambers speaks to Mohamed Abdulhalim, Acting Director of Supply Development at KHDA.

Microsoft is pledging to invest $15 billion into the UAE by 2030, not just to boost AI and cloud infrastructure, but crucially, to help train the next generation of talent. Georgia Tolley speaks to Microsoft vice chairman and president Brad Smith to know how the money would be spent.

For the first time this year, private schools across the UAE are following a unified academic calendar, and it means an early and extended winter holiday. So how are schools managing the pressure of exams, events, and end-of-year expectations — all within this compressed timeline? And how will travel patterns shift among UAE residents?

As the UAE accelerates its ambitions in science, technology, and space exploration, new efforts are being made to build the talent pipeline from the ground up. A flagship programme in this space is the Space & Rocketry Academy UAE or SARA, an education initiative preparing students for careers in STEM, space science, and AI. Lissy Donald, Managing Director of Compass International & NASA Astronaut Dr. Donald Thomas share more details

And this weekend, hundreds of students from across the UAE will take to the stage... not to perform, but to spell. The Spelling Bee Championship UAE is back, bringing together young learners from 145 schools and over 40 nationalities, all competing for a chance to represent the country on the global stage.

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The newly-elected New York City mayor thinks they should be over there. It’s a concept that’s been gaining traction in cities around the world– would it work here in the UAE? Would it change how you travel, if there are no bus fares?

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)  has announced it will build 60 new affordable private schools, as part of a broader plan to deliver 100 new schools. But how do you make education more affordable without cutting corners? 

From April 2026, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will launch a new Global Curriculum for all of its affiliated schools operating outside of India. And that includes the 106 CBSE schools here in the UAE, the largest network of Indian curriculum schools anywhere outside India. But what does this mean in real terms for students, parents, and schools?

And we’re heading to Cairo, where the Grand Egyptian Museum has finally opened its doors.

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That’s according to a forecast by Oliver Wyman, that also says the global aviation industry could face a shortfall of 80,000 pilots by 2032 to support expanding fleets and route networks. How significant is this shortage, and what’s driving it? And what does it mean to train a whole new generation of pilots, in the middle of a climate emergency?

A new report this week reveals that OpenAI has placed fresh limits on what ChatGPT can say, especially when it comes to offering legal, health and financial advice. We speak with lawyer Emma Noble.

Now, artificial intelligence is dominating the conversation at ADIPEC and one company that’s right at the heart of this intelligent transformation is AIQ.  Katie speaks with Mohammed Ali Khan, Senior Vice President of Sales and Customer Success at AIQ.

And we hear from MBZUAI, where researchers have developed a homegrown large language model built right here in the UAE.

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The Maldives has introduced the world’s first generational smoking ban, preventing anyone born after 2006 from ever buying or using tobacco.

We explore whether a similar generational smoking ban could realistically be implemented in the UAE. 

Jesse Eisenberg’s decision to donate a kidney to a stranger sparks a wider conversation about living organ donation.

AI is being used to help the energy sector meet soaring global demand driven by data centres and industry growth.

Three new satellites have launched, dramatically boosting the UAE’s real-time earth-observation capability.

Amazon has unveiled AI smart glasses for delivery drivers, prompting debate about how far wearable tech will reshape logistics.

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As of Saturday, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has banned delivery riders from using the fast lanes on major roads. Meanwhile, in Sharjah, authorities have introduced specific lanes for motorcycles and delivery bikes - separating them from heavy vehicles on key roads.

A new study from China suggests that some professionals are using LinkedIn to strategically cover up gaps in performance, and that tactic could actually fast-track them to promotion. 

The UAE is officially leading the world when it comes to adopting AI in the workplace. The research found nearly 60% of workers here are already using generative AI tools at work. But what about the other 40%? If you haven’t yet explored AI in your job, where do you begin?

And we’re looking at how trees - yes, trees - could be the smartest climate technology we have.

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We discuss UAE space tourism as a company specialising in space experiences looks to expand its footprint in the region. We also look at the strategy and regulations involved with UAE-based space consultancy AzurX. 

A different kind of rain enhancement research is making headlines, one that involves not cloudseeding, but lasers. We get more details from Alya Al Mazrouei, Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science.

Now that the weather has cooled down, thousands of UAE residents are heading outdoors, and for many, that means one thing: camping. But where should you go? What should you pack? And what are the do’s and don’ts of wild camping here in the Emirates?

This month, an AI-controlled race car set a lap time faster than a professional driver, and it happened right here in the UAE, as part of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, or A2RL — a high-stakes, high-tech competition where teams from around the world train AI to race without a driver.

And every once in a while, a simple act of community spirit captures the public’s attention and this week, it came from a cyclist on Al Qudra cycle path in Dubai.

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A major remittance app used by thousands of expats here in the UAE has gone offline — with no clear timeline for when it’ll return. TapTap Send says it’s undergoing a system upgrade, but users say they were given no warning. We hear your thoughts including what other tools you use to send money to your home countries. We also speak with finance coach Jay Adrian Tolentino about how it’s affecting families who rely on that remittance back home.

Big changes are on the way when it comes to the city’s rubbish collections as Dubai Municipality has just launched a bold new strategy called Circle Dubai, aiming to send zero waste to landfill by 2041. Engineer Mohammed Alrayees, Director of Waste Strategy and Projects Department at Dubai Municipality joins Katie.

Emirates is investing in new weather-monitoring tech and flight data tools to predict and avoid the worst of it. It's all about improving safety and comfort as flying conditions become more unpredictable. Aviation commentator and pilot Alastair Rosenschein gives us his take.

And nearly 90 years after Amelia Earhart vanished over the Pacific, a new search team says they’re focusing on a spot other missions have overlooked, right near where she was supposed to land. 

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