Dubai Works Business Podcast

He's on the offence again - this time towards Sam Altman's OpenAI. Elon Musk called it "a lie" as he released his chatbot as open-source to compete with ChatGPT. On the upside for renters, Sharjah's property prices are on the rise, while Airbnb is entangled in yet another scandal involving hosts and hidden cameras. Plus, our guest talks securing a US education and retirement.The Smashi Business Show is where Smashi interviews the business leaders who make a difference in this great city. From founders to CEO’s, we talk in depth about their industry, their business models and get to know what has made them successful, hosted by Lubna Hamdan.

Telegram's Pavel Durov said the app has been valued at $30BN, while Saudi's football club Al Nassr is itself gaining traction, and Dubai's chess club founded by two women is attracting top level CEOs. Plus, you'll soon be able to pay your rent online. The Smashi Business Show is where Smashi interviews the business leaders who make a difference in this great city. From founders to CEO’s, we talk in depth about their industry, their business models and get to know what has made them successful, hosted by Lubna Hamdan.

From divisive presenter Piers Morgan dropping his show on TalkTV to do YouTube only, to Saudi's Aramco paying dividends despite a drop in profits, and Cristiano Ronaldo rumoured to be buying a football club in the kingdom, this episode is not short of scoops - especially that our guest Matt Haycox went from opening strips clubs to lending money.

Ministry Steps Up to Protect UAE Consumers, Dubai's $429 Million Parkin IPO Sells Out In Minutes, Sky Kurtz, Founder and CEO of Pure Harvest Smart Farms.

The story of Saudi Oger Ltd exemplifies the unpredictable nature of success and failure in Saudi Arabia's construction industry. It started with a rapid ascent and ended in a difficult downfal

Description: Saudi Arabia’s first man robot didn’t leave a great first impression, while Etihad expects to exceed last year’s annual profits this year as it prepares for an IPO, and a special sports segment. Plus, today's guest, economist Dr Sohaib Shahid, talks stocks and financial education

Top Stories Today:Starbucks Middle East franchisee AlShaya to cut over 2,000 jobs: ReutersA Google engineer has the entire world talking about him. Find out why up next.Both Bitcoin and Gold rose to an all-time high.

At Leap in Saudi this week, Noor Sweid of Global Ventures said the VC made 7.4 times their initial investment from startup Tabby, while AWS announced it will invest $5BN into its infrastructure in the kingdom, and Mohamed Alabbar is among Emirati elite invited to Mukesh Ambani’s son’s wedding.

Top Stories Today:Two Swedish brothers have launched a Palestinian Coca-Cola alternative Emarat offers up naming rights for 31 of its titles MD of Muslim Pro app creator Bitsmedia, Nafees Khundker

Founded in 1975 by Riad Kamal, Arabtec soared with ambitious projects, shaping the region's skyline. Yet, its journey was fraught with challenges, navigating economic downturns and geopolitical tensions. Sadly, Arabtec faced its demise and liquidation in 2020.انطلقت شركة أرابتك في عام 1975 بقيادة رياض كمال، وتركت بصمتها على المنطقة من خلال مشاريعها الطموحة، إلا أنها واجهت تحديات اقتصادية وسياسية صعبة على مدار تاريخها، الأمر الذي أدى إلى تصفيتها في عام 2020 رغم الإرث المتميز الذي تركته

Top Stories Today:Web summit Qatar Takeaways Saudi princess lamia calls the kingdoms transformation a release Bahrain Beban helps another UAE Startup raise Money 

The Souq co-founder said on stage at the Web Summit Qatar that global startups will look to the region in a market shift, while Abdullah Abu Sheikh who acquired Botim wants to help unbanked consumers do everything with the help AI, and Bitcoin is on track for its biggest two-day rally this year while its smaller rival ether topped $3,200.

We don't need your money or your preaching, is Fadi Ghandour's message to the West at the Web Summit in Doha, as the Aramex founder and Wamda Capital tells Smashi the $1BN fund announced by Qatar at the event yesterday will attract even more investment into regional startups, giving family offices more confidence in local talent.

Top Stories Today:Dubai Billionaire “Abu Sabah” Was Reportedly Arrested On Charges Of FraudScaling Regional Homegrown Businesses Abroad With Wok Boyz

Majid Al Futtaim's journey is a story of visionary leadership, relentless innovation and a deep commitment to enhancing the quality of life in the Middle East His legacy is not just in the skyscrapers, malls, and leisure facilities that bear his name but in the vibrant communities that have grown around them. The economic growth he has spurred and the standards of excellence he has set in the retail and entertainment industries. 

A serial entrepreneur, he helped thousands of companies set up operations in the UAE. But Jigar Sagar tells us founders launch startups for vanity purposes, and highlights the importance of researching product market fit before raising money

The B2B2C payment solutions startup helps users and restaurants tackle the challenges of time consuming bill payments  

Ex-investment banker and co-founder of Keyper joins Smashi at Step Conference to discuss navigating challenges ranging from liquidity to resilience in times of adversity

Top Stories Today:The UAE will exit a watchdog’s dirty money list following a clamp down on illicit financial activityNew dating apps are setting higher credit score requirements: will the Middle East adopt similar measures?Abu Dhabi start up The Cloud has secured $12MN and acquired a UK startup KBox

Top Stories TodayProperty developer Danube is eyeing expansion into RAK in line with the opening of casinos Paris-based bank Rothschild has opened a new office in Riyadh’s finance hubGoogle is about to make your life a whole lot easier - stay tuned and find out how