Dubai Works Business Podcast

HEADLINES:♦ Huda Beauty Donates AED1 Million to UNRWA in First Move as Fully Independent Brand♦ Dubai Appoints New Board at Majid Al Futtaim to End Billionaire Heir Dispute♦ Emirates Partners with Emirati Brand Home Bakery for First-Class Experience♦ Warner Bros. Discovery Split Puts OSN+ Under Streaming Spotlight♦ Smashi Business Talks to Jassim Al-Nashmi, Creative Director and Partner at Qudra Global

HEADLINES:♦ Turning Qatar’s Jet into Trump’s Air Force One Could Cost $400 Million♦ Huda Beauty Donates 1 Million Dirhams to Mark Eid and Take Back Control♦ UAE Helped the U.S. Shape Crypto Rules, Says Circle President♦ Zara’s Russia Exit Was a Setup for a Comeback, FT Reports

HEADLINES:♦ Huda Kattan Has Officially Reclaimed Full Ownership of Huda Beauty♦ Mubadala Emerges as World’s Most Active Sovereign Fund in May♦ Ex-Lebanese PM Saad Hariri Launches Abu Dhabi-Based AI Investment Firm♦ Kuwait Joins $30B Global AI Push Backed by Microsoft, MGX, and xAI

HEADLINES:♦ HH Sheikh Hamdan Visits World’s Largest Diamond Exchange at DMCC♦ Cloud Kitchens Are Booming in the GCC — And Kaykroo Is Leading the Charge♦ UAE-Based Flower Company Creates Labubu Bouquet Worth $8,100♦ Dubai Real Estate CEO Pushes Back on Fitch’s 15% Property Drop Forecast

HEADLINES:♦ Shaikha Al Nowais Makes History as First Woman to Lead UN World Tourism Organization♦ Elon Musk Tried to Block Sam Altman’s Big AI Deal in the UAE♦ Saudi Arabia, Qatar Pledge Joint Financial Support To Syria’s Public Sector Amid Warming Ties♦ Dubai’s Al Habtoor Tower Nears Completion — 800 Units to Be Delivered

This weekend on Smashi Business Show: Weekend Edition, we break down three major stories shaping the region. India moves to exempt Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund from key investment rules, paving the way for deeper financial ties and major capital inflows. In Dubai, property prices may drop by up to 15% as a record housing supply threatens to outpace population growth. And billionaire landlord Asif Aziz—who owns major parts of London’s West End—is relocating to Abu Dhabi, joining a growing wave of wealthy individuals fleeing UK tax changes and investing in the UAE’s booming real estate scene.Instagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQNewsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

HEADLINES:• Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN Plans $10 Billion Global VC Fund to Power AI Ambitions• Dubai’s Viral Chocolate Brand FIX Lands in Ultra-Luxury Marsa Al Arab Hotel• Dubai Wellness Brand Humantra Secures JamJar Investment Ahead of Boots UK Launch• John-Paul McKerlie on How TOD Is Shaping the Future of Sports & Streaming in MENA

HEADLINES:♦ Dubai Residential REIT’s Big Debut: $584M IPO, 15% Surge, and Market Buzz♦ UAE Citizen Pavel Durov, Elon Musk Sign $300M Deal to Bring xAI’s Grok to Telegram♦ Saudi Fintech Stitch Raises $10M to Expand Across MENA and East Africa♦ Syria to re-open stock market starting June 2, finance minister says

HEADLINES:♦ Kings League MENA: SURJ Sports And Gerard Piqué’s Kings League Launch Football Format In Saudi♦ Dubai’s Dune 23 To Be Acquired By M&C Saatchi In Strategic Middle East Expansion♦ Majid Al Futtaim And Dubai Future Foundation Launch People-First Retail Robotics Pilot At City Centre Mirdif♦ Fadi Ghandour Warns of AI Tsunami as Microsoft Layoffs Signal Shift in Software Industry

HEADLINES:• Saudi Arabia Denies Alcohol Legalization Rumors Amid World Cup Buzz• UAE will Become the First Country to Offer Free ChatGPT Plus to All Residents• Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Strike New Oil in Partitioned Zone• Piers Morgan’s Shift on Gaza Reflects Global Moral Shift, Says Khalaf Al Habtoor• Middle East’s Wealthy Family Offices are Look to the West

HEADLINES:• Fact Check: Is Saudi unbanning Alcohol in 600 Tourist Locations?• Omani Huda Al Lawati Raises $200M for Gulf’s First Woman-Led Equity Firm• Tabby and Tamara Report Strong Profits as Saudi Fintech Sector Surges• UAE Citizen Pavel Durov’s Telegram Posts $540M Profit in 2024 Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

HEADLINES:• Highlights of Day 3 of Qatar Economic Forum• Noor Sweid Warns of “Massive Funding Gap” in Middle East at Series B Stage• Saudi Arabia Launches AI Startup Incubator to Accelerate Digital Innovation• Abu Dhabi AI Giant G42 Has Brought Stargate to the UAE• Global Investors Expected to Put $10 Billion into Dubai Property by 2025

HEADLINES:• Highlights from Day 2 of the Qatar Economic Forum• Flynas Raises $1.1 Billion in IPO Priced at Top Range, Fueling Saudi Aviation Push• U.S. Officially Accepts Qatari Jet as Trump’s Air Force One• Moniify Officially Appoints Lana Sawiris as CEO

HEADLINES:♦ Key Announcements and Global Deals at Qatar Economic Forum Day 1♦ UK Halts Trade Talks, EU Reassesses Israel Ties Amid 'Horrifying' Genocide in Gaza♦ Saudi Arabia Plans $100 Billion ‘Project Paradise’ in Riyadh♦ Saudi Proptech Startup Ejari Eyes Expansion as Rental Demand Surges

HEADLINES:• Nvidia, UAE’s MGX Plan to Build Europe’s Largest Data Center• Saudi PIF Opens Paris Office, Aims to Double Europe Investments• Pavel Durov slams Mark Zuck, calls WhatsApp a cheap copycat of Telegram• UAE's travel and tourism sector to add more than 26,000 jobs this year• Codex: Will coding become obsolete as AI automates it in ChatGPT?

HEADLINES:• Sarwa Enforces No-Negotiation Pay Policy to Ensure Fair Salaries for New Hires• Trump Tower Dubai Launch Sparks Investor Frenzy with Promises of 30% Resale Gains• Dubai Holding Upsizes Dubai Residential REIT IPO Amid Strong Investor Demand• Syria to Print New Currency in UAE and Germany, Ending Russian Partnership• OpenAI, Oracle to Help UAE Develop Massive Data Center

HEADLINES:♦ US and UAE Sign Partnership to Build Largest Data Center Complex Outside of the US♦ Emirates in Talks With SpaceX to Bring Starlink Wi-Fi Onboard Widebody Fleet♦ UAE-Jordan CEPA Takes Effect, Set to Boost Bilateral Trade to $8 Billion by 2032♦ Etihad Rail Passenger Service to Launch in 2026, Transforming UAE Travel

HEADLINES:♦ Qatar Signs $200 Billion Deal to Buy Jets from Boeing During Trump Visit♦ Trump Meets Syria’s Interim Leader, Lifts Sanctions in Push to Rebuild Ties and Trade♦ Elon Musk says Starlink was approved in Saudi Arabia♦ Nvidia and AMD Join Forces with Saudi Arabia’s Humain to Build AI Superstructure

HEADLINES:♦ Trump Lands in Riyadh to Grand Welcome, Crown Prince Meets Global Tech and Business Titans♦ Trump Announces Major Policy Shift: U.S. to Lift Sanctions on Syria Amid Gulf Tour♦ Trump Secures Historic $600 Billion Investment Commitment from Saudi Arabia♦ Saudi Startup Kilow Secures $2.5M to Power AI-Driven Weight Loss Revolution

HEADLINES:♦ Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Launches HUMAIN to Power Nation’s Bold AI Push♦ Elon Musk Set to Join Trump Delegation at Saudi-U.S. Forum as Gulf Tour Begins♦ MBC Group Posts $70M Q1 Profit Surge as New CEO Michael Sneesby Takes Helm♦ Money Without Borders: Hubpay’s CEO on the Future of Fintech in the UAE