Dubai Works Business Podcast

HEADLINES:• Paistani ship passes Strait of Hormuz• Praise for Dubai• Ukraine President Offers Help to Middle EastNewsletter: 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:• Dubai Gold Shipments Resume Slowly As Flight Disruptions Keep Trade Below Normal• TikTok US Deal, Backed by UAE's MGX, Could Deliver $10 Billion To Trump Administration• MBC Group Profit Jumps 70% As Advertising And Shahid Drive Growth• Meta Pauses Gulf Segment Of 2Africa Cable As Iran's Attacks Disrupt WorkNewsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

In today’s episode, we discuss the official arrival of Starlink in Kuwait through a strategic local partnership. We also look at the rapid recovery of oil operations at the UAE’s Fujairah port following a weekend incident, and finally, we examine the growing backlash against online platforms allowing massive financial bets on the Iran war.

This episode covers Talabat’s share buyback on the DFM, Yalla Group’s record revenue, and why global banks are rescheduling major UAE events. All the essential business updates in one place.

HEADLINES:• UAE Economic Momentum Challenges Goldman Sachs’ 5% Contraction Warning • DHL Pushes $577M Middle East Investment Despite Iran Attacks• Jordanian-American Amjad Masad's Replit Raises $400M at $9B valuation • UAE Hiring Slows Slightly but Job Market Remains Resilient: Recruitment Startup Founder 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:• Iranian Drones Strike Oman's Strategic Port; Oil Markets Surge Past $100 • Middle East War Costs Tourism Industry $600 Million a Day • Major International Banks Move to Remote Work Settings in Gulf Offices • “My Priority Is the Safety of Our People,” Says ADNOC CEO Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber 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:• Saudi Aramco CEO warns of “catastrophic” fallout if oil disruption persists• Abu Dhabi's Ruwais oil refinery complex shut down after fire breaks out• Saudi is in negotiations with Ukraine to buy Million of Dollars worth of Ukrainian-made interceptor drones: WSJ• Azizi Developments plans to invest Dh75 billion to build 151 hotels across the UAE 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:• Saudi Aramco Announces $3B Share Buyback Despite Profit Dip • Kuwait and Bahrain Declare Force Majeure as Conflict Disrupts Gulf Energy Supply • Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds Could Expand Global Influence Amid Crisis: GlobalSWF 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:• Oil is rising as everything else is falling everywhere • ADNOC says its operations continue despite disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz • Businesses across the Gulf are rushing to buy political violence insurance, per FT  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:• Gulf States Review Global Investments as War Strains Budgets: FT Report • UAE Weighs Freezing Iranian Assets as Conflict With Tehran Escalates • David Ellison Pledges CNN Editorial Independence as Gulf-backed Paramount Wins $111B Warner Bros. Deal 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:• UK Media Divided Over Who Should Pay to Evacuate Britons From Middle East • Abu Dhabi-Backed RedBird IMI to Merge All 3 Media With Banijay in €4.4B TV Production Giant • Qatar Halts LNG Exports After Iranian Strikes, Declares Force Majeure • Kalshi Refuses to Pay Out Khamenei Bets, Reimburses Traders Instead

As geopolitical tensions grip the Middle East, markets swing violently and evacuation flights scramble to extract 300,000 British expats from the UAE. But back in Westminster, a political firestorm erupts: Should these "tax exiles" be taxed by the UK government? Meanwhile, the entertainment industry undergoes seismic consolidation as Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. clears regulatory hurdles, promising a unified streaming giant. And in a stunning act of defiance, bootstrapped AI startup Thaura—founded by Syrian refugee brothers—publicly exposes and rejects a suspicious acquisition bid from an Israeli company, declaring its mission to the people is non-negotiable. Markets, money, and morality collide.  Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dAkTDhJ6WhatsApp: aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): aug.us/3BTU2MY

In today's Smashi Business Show, we cover three major stories shaking the region. Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura refinery — processing 550,000 barrels a day — has been shut down after a drone strike, as Qatar simultaneously halts LNG production following Iranian attacks on key energy facilities. Brent crude is already surging past $79. Amazon Web Services confirms drone strikes have damaged data centres in the UAE and Bahrain, disrupting cloud services and forcing warehouse closures across the Gulf. And on a lighter note, the UAE dirham is set to get its own Unicode symbol — coming to keyboards worldwide this September. Stay informed with us.Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dAkTDhJ6WhatsApp: aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): aug.us/3BTU2MY

In today's episode of the Smashi Business Show, we break down three stories defining the Gulf crisis in real time. Telegram founder Pavel Durov calls Iranian missiles "free fireworks" and insists Dubai is safer than Europe — even as the UAE intercepts hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones. Gulf stock markets take a battering, with the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar shutting down entirely while Saudi Arabia and Egypt bleed in open trading. And Amazon Web Services confirms its Dubai data center was struck by mysterious "objects," triggering fires and a major cloud outage.  Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dAkTDhJ6WhatsApp: aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): aug.us/3BTU2MY

HEADLINES:• Gulf-Backed Paramount Emerges as Frontrunner in $111 Billion Warner Bros. Discovery Takeover • Al Nassr Star Cristiano Ronaldo Enters Club Ownership With 25% Stake in Saudi-Owned Almeria • DoorDash Exits Qatar and Three Other Markets in Global Profitability Push  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

Three stories today, all pointing in the same direction. The UAE is too wealthy to stay on JPMorgan's emerging market list — a milestone that reflects decades of economic transformation. Abu Dhabi's G42 is pioneering an AI chip monitoring system so impressive that Washington is calling it a model for the world. And Saudi Arabia is channeling billions into data centers as the kingdom positions itself as the region's AI infrastructure capital. From bond indexes to Nvidia chips to megawatt data centers, the Gulf is playing at a completely different level. Newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dAkTDhJ6WhatsApp: aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): aug.us/3BTU2MY

HEADLINES:• UpScrolled Hits 5 Million Users Amid Growth, Controversy and a Brief Google Play Ban • Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has reported a record annual profit in 2025 • Former WWE head Vince McMahon is NOT trying a buyback with Saudi backing  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:• Gulf-Backed Anthropic Accuses Chinese Rivals of Mass AI Capability Extraction • Al Habtoor Group Moves Toward Washington Arbitration Against Lebanon Over Investment Dispute • Elie Habib Launches Free Global Intelligence Dashboard After Building Anghami 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:• UAE Thwarts AI-Powered “Terrorist” Cyber Attacks Targeting Critical Infrastructure • Saudi Arabia Eases Regional HQ Rule, Reopens Government Projects to Foreign Firms • Regional Outrage After Mike Huckabee Remarks, Tech Founder Amjad Masad Speaks Out 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

This episode traces the rise of Jordanian-Emirati entrepreneur Abdallah Abu-Sheikh — from hustling at 17 under family pressure to building billion-dollar platforms before 30.We unpack his journey from renewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa to launching Rizek in the UAE, scaling electric mobility with Barq, and architecting Astra Tech’s ultra-platform strategy through PayBy and Botim. Instead of building apps, Abu-Sheikh built systems — communication, finance, mobility — all designed to reduce friction across daily life in MENA.Now, he’s entering his most ambitious chapter yet: Mal, an AI-driven Islamic fintech platform headquartered in Abu Dhabi, backed by a $230 million seed round — one of the largest in MENA history.