The Smashi Business Show

<p>Telegram will tokenise its stickers, UAE’s telecom giant Du has launched fintech arm Du Pay, Sharjah is providing flood relief via WhatsApp, Saudi Arabia cinema now rakes in $1BN, UAE is offering loan relief for flood victims and Tesla’s profits dropped 55% but Elon Musk is optimistic</p>

<p>An ex-MBC director has sent a strange email mourning the loss of his Porsches due to the rainAbu Dhabi's most valuable, Abu Dhabi's most valuable company is eyeing a $1BN bid for Zambia copper mines, Saudi is looking to invest $1.5BN in a tourism project in Egypt's Ras Gamila, how doing good was bad for Unilever and Meta has launched a new Meta AI website which could threaten Microsoft and Google's AI plans</p>

<p>Telegram's mysterious founder at Dubai event, Emaar Properties will repair homes damaged by rain, Habtoor to donate $4.6M to fix Emirati houses, Young graduates in UAE are landing "director" roles, Nvidia loses $400BN in market frenzy, Saudi's Neom seeks Chinese investment, Jordan mental health startup raises $1M and our guest today is the co-CEO of a crypto rating agency and financial analytics platform ARIA</p><p> </p><p></p>

<p>We reveal the UAE businesses damaged by rain, Binance’s Dubai crypto license, Neom mulling a $1.3BN bond, and the kingdom’s newest airline linked to Africa. Plus, boycotts shut down a KFC branch 24 hours after opening in Algeria.</p>

<p>What to do with insurance if your car has been damaged by the rain, Google fires pro-Palestine employees, Gulf markets tumbled but Egypt’s 70+ index is up, firms moving HQ to Saudi have to pay zakat tax, Starbucks and Alshaya aim to repair imageand Dubai’s $10M home sales surpass New York & London</p>

<p>How the weather is affecting business in the UAE, prominent businessmen say long Eid holidays bad for business, Spinneys will go public with 25% stakE, Abu Dhabi AI group gets $1.5bn from Microsoft and The Four Seasons has launched its own private jet for $115K a day</p>

<p>Economist Dr. Sohaib Shahid on financial education</p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">Emaar has placed a ban on any AI-altering imagery of its assets, Andrew Tate says now isn't a good time to sell your Dubai property, Nas Daily may be teaming up with WeWork's disgraced ex-CEO on his new startup, and Google is facing backlash for a $1M consulting deal with Israeli military</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">The Dubai startup founder nobody wants to touch, Amazon invests $4BN in OpenAI rival, a Dutch company sparks outrage with dissolvable Quran paper, this developer will donate $163M to build a school complex in Dubai, Abu Dhabi will spend $10BN in tourism push to nearly double hotel rooms, and Supercar Blondie is looking to raise over $100M after refusing a buyout deal</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">Jose Andres is mourning the death of 7 aid workers from his charity World Central Kitchen in an IDF attack in Gaza, where Israel is using AI technology Lavender to carpet bomb civilians. Plus, Netflix and Meta are entangled in another privacy scandal, and finally Aramco awarded a $7.2BN contact for a gas plant in Saudi</span></p>

<p><strong><u>Top Stories Today</u></strong></p><ul><li><strong>Dubai HR Tech Startup Alfii Shuts down shortly after raising $2.5M</strong></li><li><strong>Double Profits For Shein At $2BN Ahead Of Expected IPO</strong></li><li><strong>Riyad Attracts 350 European Companies Moving Their HQS to The Capital</strong></li></ul>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(248,248,248);color:rgb(29,28,29);">Mubadala has come to the rescue of China’s mall operating giant, China is having a real estate crisis but it's bringing the Chinese back to Dubai. It's also dealing with deflation - what does that mean for the region? Plus, understanding the effects of China’s aging population on the GCC</span></p>

<p><strong>"Nobody believed we would make it" admits Swivvl founder as the company turns profitable, but critics still say the startup raised and spent too much. Plus, profits of Lazurde have dropped but it still recommends paying dividends, Abu Dhabi is drawing increased interest from asset managers, Cafu is going through a PR crisis, and two fierce rivals have united for a power project</strong></p>

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>Aldar Properties' journey reflects a commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainable development, positioning it as a key player in not only the UAE. but also the global real estate industry. As it moves forward, Aldar remains dedicated to contributing to the socio-economic development of Abu Dhabi and beyond, shaping the skylines of the future with its visionary projects.</strong></span></p>

<p>UAE salaries are expected to outpace the growth of living costs in 2024, how the Baltimore bridge incident is going to affect the global supply chain, what Saudi's IPOs mean for the region, and why 2 Hollywood producers are setting up shop in Dubai</p><p> </p>

<p>Top Stories Today</p><p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">Donald Trump sells 'God Bless the USA' bibles, TikTokers more effective than celebrities, Telegram’s new feature may cost more than your entire phone bill, America’s electric car maker Lucid looks to Saudi for funding and Estonia’s Bolt takes on Uber in Egypt</span></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><p><strong>Boeing’s CEO will step down in the wake of ongoing safety problems, Saudi's private sector has added 1.1M jobs, the EU has enforced the toughest AI regulations in the world - what does that mean for Abu Dhabi? And shares of the owner of Arab News have hit a record high</strong></p>

<p>A Vice chief had to cut a meeting short after a flood of thumbs down emojis, boycotts of this Dubai cafe continue, Bahrain's Mumtalakat full ownership of Mclaren group revealed, ex-Disney CEO says no need for ESPN partnerships, BBC fears force of online algorithms and MBC grabs nearly 14% of Anghami in surprise move</p>

<p>A Bahrain F&B group has taken legal action against pro-Israel chef Susy Massetti, while both Apple and Hermes are being sued in two separate incidents - find out why - and Elon Musk is being accused of being racist. But it's good news for Parkin's Dubai trading debut as shares surged 30%</p>

<p>A Dubai F&B boss is facing boycott threats after sharing a zionist post on Instagram, the UAE is eyeing Egypt as its overall oversea investments top $2.5TN, and <strong>DeepMind’s co-founder is facing backlash as he joins Microsoft as CEO of its new AI division</strong></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);"><strong>Saudi Arabia's $48.00 billion Mega-Project: New Murabba Seeks Global Investors</strong></span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);"><strong>Telegram secures $330 million in new capital through the issuance of bonds - but will it list in Abu Dhabi?</strong></span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);"><strong>Unliver Will Spin Off Ice Cream Branch, cut 7,500 jobs as stock rises over 5%</strong></span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);"><strong>Elon Musk claims his use of ketamine benefits investorsSara Avera Co-Founder of GCME talks stocks for beginners</strong></span></p>

<p><strong><u>Top Stories Today:</u></strong></p><ul><li><strong>PIF initiates talks to acquire the kingdom's national carrier Saudia</strong></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Apple is discussing using Google's divisive gemini to boost Iphone AI</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Nobu residences in Abu Dhabi set a new record for the emirate's priciest apartment</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Popular YouTuber MrBeast strikes Amazon deal for competition reality show</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Live with Lorenzo Jooris CEO Of Creative Zone </strong></span><br> </li></ul>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">Thousands of Russians lined up outside the embassy in Dubai to vote over the weekend, while Bahrainis were busy calling out a local chef for her zionist comments, and the World Bank found out there's no workforce equality for women in any country around the world. Plus, our guest talks revolutionising cross-border e-commerce</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>Aramco's story represents both national prosperity and global energy transformation.</strong></span></p>

<p>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.<br><br>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.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">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.</span></p>

<p><strong>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.</strong></p>

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">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</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(34,37,41);color:rgb(209,210,211);">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</span></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Starbucks Middle East franchisee AlShaya to cut over 2,000 jobs: Reuters</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>A Google engineer has the entire world talking about him. Find out why up next.</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Both Bitcoin and Gold rose to an all-time high.</strong></span></li></ul>

<p>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.</p><p></p><p><br></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Two Swedish brothers have launched a Palestinian Coca-Cola alternative </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Emarat offers up naming rights for 31 of its titles </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>MD of Muslim Pro app creator Bitsmedia, Nafees Khundker</strong></span></li></ul>

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>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.</strong></span></p><p><br></p><p style="text-align:right;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>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</strong></span></p><p><br></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Web summit Qatar Takeaways </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Saudi princess lamia calls the kingdoms transformation a release </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Bahrain Beban helps another UAE Startup raise Money </strong></span></li></ul>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">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.</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(248,248,248);color:rgb(29,28,29);">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.</span></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Dubai Billionaire “Abu Sabah” Was Reportedly Arrested On Charges Of Fraud</strong></span></li><li><strong>Scaling Regional Homegrown Businesses Abroad With Wok Boyz</strong></li></ul>

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">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.</span></p><p><br> </p>

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(29,28,29);">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</span></p>

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

<p><span style="background-color:rgb(34,37,41);color:rgb(209,210,211);">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</span></p>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>The UAE will exit a watchdog’s dirty money list following a clamp down on illicit financial activity</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>New dating apps are setting higher credit score requirements: will the Middle East adopt similar measures?</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Abu Dhabi start up The Cloud has secured $12MN and acquired a UK startup KBox</strong></span></li></ul>

<p><strong><u>Top Stories Today</u></strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Property developer Danube is eyeing expansion into RAK in line with the opening of casinos </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Paris-based bank Rothschild has opened a new office in Riyadh’s finance hub</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Google is about to make your life a whole lot easier - stay tuned and find out how </strong></span></li></ul>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>OpenAI’s Sam Altman wants to turn UAE into AI testing ground</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Experience the Future of Tech at Step Conference 2024</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Dubai brokers have 3 days to take down fake listings</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Two Bahrain startups have secured funding in a Shark Tank-inspired show, while Dubai’s own Shark Tank seems to have tanked</strong></span></li></ul>

<p>Top Stories Today:</p><ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Saudi passes law protecting whistleblowers </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Experience the Future of Tech at Step Conference 2024: A Must-Attend Event for Tech Enthusiasts! </strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Kuwait resumes issuing family visit visa after over a year of halting it</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Yuri Dvoinos Tech and AI entrepreneur</strong></span></li></ul>

<p><strong>Top Stories Today:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Zuckerberg says Meta’s Quest is not only the better product, but is ‘like 7 times less expensive’</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Brand ME Summit 2024 - Elevate Your Future </strong></span><br><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Tucker Carlson films show from Dubai, garners over 17M views in under 24 hours</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Rent prices will be capped for artists in Dubai’s Al Quoz: Sheikha Latifa</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Tarun Joshi, Founder of IGP's</strong></span></li></ul>

<p><strong><u>Topics Covered Today:</u></strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>‘Mob of thugs’ - Dubai crypto boss slams FinCEN after financial crime allegations</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Jordan’s Sowt Media acquires Dubai-based podcast platform Rising Giants</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Roshn Saudi League welcomes PepsiCo as Gold Partner</strong></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Today's Guest Segment: Rising Giants co-founder and CEO Basel Anabtawi Sowt co-founder and CEO Ramsey Tesdell</strong></span></p>

<p><strong><u>Top Stories Today:</u></strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Hala Taxi accident that Dubai passenger claims to have left her paralysed raises questions about ride-hailing company liability</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Emirates CMO hints airline chose NBA over football deal thanks to “reasonable number” in new partnership</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Big Macs are expensive and people are buying less of them</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(38,38,38);"><strong>Alex Mubert CSO and Co-Founder of DELIVERED</strong></span></li></ul>

<p><strong>Top Stories:</strong></p><ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Egypt’s richest man Nassef Sawiris employs convicted ex-Abraaj exec Mustafa Abdel Wadood in Dubai office</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Jessica Kahawaty cancels Starbucks-MamaRita contract over Gaza genocide</strong></span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(0,0,0);"><strong>Meta to flag AI generated pictures on Instagram, Facebook</strong></span></li></ul>