Bitesize Business Breakfast Podcast

09 Feb 2024. We've got the latest on earnings from three big-name companies - Salik, Dewa and Emaar with Sameer Lakhani, Managing Director, Global Capital Partners. Plus, as Dubai records its best-ever annual tourism performance in 2023, with international tourist arrivals increasing by 19.4 per cent annually to 17.15 million, we'll hear from the Dubai department of Economy and Tourism on why it's been such a record year. Ahead of the Lunar New Year, we speak to Dubai-based family business magnate - Patrick Tsang, live from Hong Kong. And, we hear from one UAE law firm about why they're seeing an increase in IP applications.  

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08 Feb 2024. We've got the latest on Adnoc Distribution which saw net profit dip slightly by around 4 per cent last year - we'll find out why with CEO Bader Al Lamki. Plus, Josh Gilbert, Market Analyst, eToro gives us reaction to some big earnings from Wednesday night, including Disney and Uber. He'll also give us the latest on earnings for weightloss drugs- Eli Lilly and Nintendo which have been released today. We'll find out what that record year for Dubai tourists felt like on the ground with Radisson boss David Allen and as Dubai’s prime residential property market grew at the fastest pace among all the global cities in 2023, Clementine Munro, Espace Real Estate gives us the latest. 

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07 Feb 2024. We've got the latest on Dubai Taxi's preliminary results - they've seen a 54% increase in net profit year on year. Plus, retail Group LuLu is said to be picking support for an IPO - we look at the appetite for family company offerings with veteran market man Mohammed Yasin. Business Expansion Activity Across Saudi Arabia Sees 4X Increase Since 2018, Says AstroLabs first Saudi Market Entry Report - Alex Nicholls, Head of Enter KSA at AstroLabs quantifies the increase for us. We're also talking private jets with Thomas Flohr, Founder and Chairman of the Dubai private Jet company - Vista. They flew 87,000 flights last year – nearly double pre-pandemic levels. And, Wego data showed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and India remain the top travel destinations in Q4’2023. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer at Wego tells us more.

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06 Feb 2024. That's according to new official statistics - driven by a drop of more than 9 per cent in oil activities. However, the non-oil economy grew by more than 4 and a half per cent. We'll have the latest on that live from Saudi. We're also joined by economist Dr Christopher Payne, Chief Research Officer, Coldwell Banker Saudi Arabia, who talks us through those Saudi GDP numbers. Plus, the head of IPOs at consultancy EY, Gregory Hughes, on the flurry of new listings in this year’s pipeline. And, we speak to commercial shipping expert, Dr. Krishna Prasad, as Egypt’s Suez Canal revenues fall by almost half.

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05 Feb 2024. We speak to aviation expert Nick Humphrey as he gives us his reaction to Emirates boss Sir Tim Clarke warning Boeing it's in the "last chance saloon" when it comes to fixing technical problems. Maurice Gravier, Group Chief Investment Officer, Emirates NBD joins us with a sobering message for investors: “expect modest returns, with high volatility.” Plus, we hear from Asad Jamil, Senior Consultant - Banking and Financial Services, Robert Walters about whether the jobs market is glass half full or half empty. And, we'll hear from  Zbooni about their new c-commerce survey that shows we still want to deal with humans, not AI.

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02 Feb 2024. We'll look at why the BOE kept interest rates on hold with Ed Bell from Emirates NBD and get reaction to India's budget yesterday. We'll also  speak to Borouge CFO, Jan Martin Nufer, about their 2023 earnings and what 2024 means for new office space with Ben Bargh of CRC. Plus, we'll speak to Motoring Journalist and Motor Mania host, Damien Reid, about Lewis Hamilton's shock move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. 

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01 Feb 2024. We've got reaction to the Federal Reserve leaving interest rates on hold – with the UAE Central Bank immediately following suit and the UAE base lending rate remaining at 5.4% - that's with Ed Bell, Senior Economist, Emirates NBD. We also get his take on UAE petrol prices rising around 2 per cent. Plus, we cross live to the US as we speak to investor Keith Fitz-Gerald who has reaction to that Fed rate decision, and earnings from Boeing. We also look at what interest rates being on hold means for our housing market with the co-founder of Nomad Homes, Helen Chen. And, Emirates Post Group has just rebranded - we speak to the Group CEO, HE. Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, about where post is going. 

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31 Jan 2024. We'll have the latest on the IMF report with reaction from Emirates NBD senior economist, Ed Bell who tells us what local conclusions we can draw from numbers on the world, oil and Saudi. Why are more than a third of UAE workers planning to switch roles in 2024? Zahra Clark, Head of MENA, Tiger Recruitment tells us what people are looking for this year and why it's a time of action. The World Gold Council's gold demand trends report has revealed annual gold demand fell by 5% in 2023 - Andrew Naylor of the World Gold Council gives us his reaction. Plus, Ras Al Khaimah has launched a massive mixed-use development that will have grade A offices and become the largest commercial business district in the northern emirates - Paula Jane Cox, a business owner fully integrated in supporting business growth in RAK, tells us more.

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30 Jan 2024. RAK Central will include more than 3 million square feet of office space, over 4 thousand apartments and three hotels. We'll find out why we're seeing growing interest in the northern emirates with Anthony Payet, Sales and Leasing director for Vibe Real Estate in RAK. Plus, RAKBank is the latest UAE lender to report record profit - the CEO of RakBank, Raheel Ahmed, joins us live in the studio to tell us if the UAE banking boom is sustainable. The world's largest cruise ship set sail this weekend- we'll speak to the regional managing director of Royal Caribbean, the company behind her. Finally, the Stanley Cup has gone viral, with sales chaos in the US - but are we seeing the same demand here? We'll speak to regional distributor Ramrod General Trading.

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29 Jan 2024. We’ve got the latest on Dubai’s international growth initiative, the Fed and BoE setting rates and what’s moving the oil price this week with Ed Bell, Senior Economist, Emirates NBD.  Plus, tech valuations are on the rise - but so are tech layoffs; we'll look at what it all means for the region's tech workforce with recruiter Andrew Croft. We’ll also look at where investment is likely to flow into the region with a new report from Lumina Capital. And why are UAE banks reporting blockbuster profits – and can they keep it up? Veteran banker Asad Ahmed tells us more.

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26 Jan 2024. We've got the latest on US GDP at 3.3% for the fourth quarter and that fighting talk from Christine Lagarde – as well as reaction from economist Khatija Haque. It's a double dose of real estate leaders today as we speak to Aldar Development CEO, Jonathan Emery, who's here to tell us about his latest development. And he’s brought a mate - Chef Izu! He'll tell us why he's getting involved in this latest project. We'll also speak to Arada real estate CEO, Ahmed Alkhoshaibi,  who explains why they're seeing huge demand for premium communities in Sharjah. Plus, we're talking about the finance of football: as Real Madrid knock Manchester City off their perch as the world’s richest club, Deloitte sports expert Izzy Wray is here to crunch the numbers.

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25 Jan 2024. We'll discuss top lawyer Habib Al Mulla's calling for a Salik price hike to curb congestion and we'll get the latest from Emirates NBD chief economist Khatija Haque on the sharp drop in Dubai inflation: is the cost of living really easing up? Plus, we'll hear from Clementine Munro, Associate Director - Head of Apartment Sales, Espace Real Estate about what fancy amenities mean for service fees - and rents down the road. And, as Shares of Tesla fall 5%, we'll speak to Jessica Amir, Market Strategist, moomoo on what that means for the company. 

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24 Jan 2024. We get reaction to the New Hampshire primaries, with Professor Adam Ramey of New York University, Abu Dhabi. Plus, as China prepares to inject a quarter of a trillion dollars into its flagging stock market, veteran Asia investor Gary Dugan reveals his China strategy. We also hear from the property company using an online auction to rent apartments in a new building with Abdulla Al Shaibani, Founder, Alphabeta Properties and we'll look at what an uptick in projects from smaller developers means for the property market with Zann Johincke of Property Monitor. Finally, as the UAE scraps minimum payment for property golden visa - we'll find out what it all means with Merani, Senior Reporter, AGBI. 

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23 Jan 2024. We'll get the latest on UBS raising its gold price forecast this year by 10% with Khatija Haque, Chief Economist, Emirates NBD, and we'll get her reaction to Japan's latest interest rates. We'll also speak to PWC partner Stephen Anderson about what the future holds for companies who fail to adapt in the face of technology. Plus, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation can now act as a court - we'll find out what that means for companies and claimants with the lawyer Jim Berry. And we're talking the economics of video games, as a UAE firm signs a Dhs200 million deal to open gaming centres across Saudi Arabia.

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22 Jan 2024. Khatija Haque, Chief Economist, Emirates NBD joins us to discuss Dubai's GDP growth. She'll also have the latest on Dubai real estate and Wall Street stocks that have set new records. Taking a deeper look at the Dubai property market, property expert Richard Waind, Betterhomes, takes us through those blockbuster Dubai property stats. Plus, we'll speak to the DME about their 33 per cent stake sale to the Saudi Tadawul. And, as Azizi starts work on a 'vertical' shopping mall in a skyscraper, we ask: does anyone really go shopping on the 7th floor? Veteran mall expert David Macadam tells us more. 

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19 Jan 2024. As the UAE rolls over $2 billion of aid and pledges billions more infastructure - we'll find out the significance for Pakistan and the UAE. We'll also hear from Amena Bakr, Deputy Bureau Chief & Chief Opec Correspondent, Energy Intelligence Group about the surprise Saudi swoop on Dubai’s commodity hub. Plus, the UAE is closing in on its Operation 300 billion target for the industrial sector. We'll hear from His Excellency Omar Ahmed Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology for the latest on that. Finally, we'll find out about the region's most valuable brands with brand expert.

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18 Jan 2024. We'll have the latest from Dan Richards, Senior Economist, Emirates NBD on UK inflation and how its punctured interest rate cut hopes. We'll also speak to Jon Ede, Regional Director, Michael Page UAE on what people are looking for in the jobs market. Plus, as Samsung unveils its latest weapon in the smartphone wars - handsets powered by AI - regional boss Fadi Abu Shamat joins us in studio. And, we'll hear from Richard Quest, CNN Anchor and Correspondent as he updates us on the latest developments coming out of Davos.  

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17 Jan 2024. We'll have the latest developments from Davos and the future of AI. We'll also cross live to Shanghai, for reaction to China’s breaking GDP data: what does lukewarm growth in the world’s second biggest economy mean for the UAE? That's with Weisi Xie, Director, Shanghai, Economist Intelligence Unit. Plus, we speak to the GM of OKX - one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges who have just been granted a regulatory license in Dubai that will allow it to offer crypto services to retail clients. And, as India’s stock market hits a record high, we speak to a UAE investment firm Lunate Capital giving retail investors access to India.

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16 Jan 2024. We speak to Standard Chartered global chief investment officer - and long term friend of the show - Steve Brice about his investment themes for 2024. Plus, as billionaires gather in Davos for the World Economic Forum, the former WEF boss Fred Sicre joins us to explain why he believes it's still a significant event. And, as Oxfam releases its report on the "decade of division" which has seen the wealth of the five richest men double since 2020, Simon Miln, Managing Director at Miln International joins us live from Davos where he's been sleeping rough in a tent in -17 to raise awareness of homelessness. 

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15 Jan 2024. Daniel Richards, Senior Economist, Emirates NBD gives us the latest on the situation in the Red Sea as oil prices flip-flopped last week amid the regional instability. As container shipping rates for key global trade routes soared this week, with U.S. and UK air strikes on Yemen stirring fears of a prolonged disruption to global trade in Red Sea, one of the world's busiest routes, we hear from the founder of online broker Container X-change. Plus, we hear from Slav Shakhov, Managing Partner, Cooper Fitch as he explains there's been a 6% increase in the number of new jobs in the GCC in quarter four 2023 when compared with quarter four 2022. Finally, could free transport for students in Dubai help curb the traffic? We'll have more on that with James Mullan, Founder, Which School Advisor.

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