Dirhams & Dollars

Do you love a good super hero flick? Or are you one of the growing number of people who think your friendly, neighbourhood, billionaire, alien what-ever-he-is should go back to the comic books where he belongs? If you’re among the latter, we’re got some bad news for you: the cape-themed franchise is probably here to stay, especially if Disney has anything to say about it. Black Panther, the 18th movie in Marvel’s ongoing super hero franchise opens today and will likely add a Hulk-sized load of dollars to Disney’s bottom line. It didn’t used to be this way, but in the 10 short years since Marvel launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, things have changed. Stand-alone movies are now as rare as Super Heroines. GN’s Guides Editor Garreth Warren joins us on the show to talk about what these changes mean and whether that is a good thing for both the industry and its viewers

The Dirhams & Dollars team is back to discuss last week’s violent market drop. Oh, and whether or not you can ever drink too much coffee. At a 10 per cent decline, the hit now constitutes a correction, which, for those of you who have listened since we launched the podcast last year will know, was long overdue. The question now becomes, how far will the correction go? Sarah and Scott give their predictions. The team also discuss this week’s World Government Summit, taking place in Dubai, and why Narendra Modi was in town (hint: it’s to do with Abu Dhabi and oil).

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) gets incorporated more and more into our lives, should we dread the future and brace for robots to take over? Or will AI make everyone’s lives easier? The business team sits down to chat about the future of AI and how it will change the world around us. We’re joined by a special guest; Ihsan Anabtawi, chief operating and marketing officer for Microsoft, to talk everything AI. We discuss the challenges that AI presents, including in the labour market where many fear of losing their jobs to AI. And what about some of the more philosophical questions that AI brings? Does it oblige when humans ask it to do damage? Does it prioritise one life over the other? And whose job is it to ensure that AI is inclusive and accessible to everyone? Microsoft’s Anabtawi also tells us what excites him most about AI and the future of the technology.

Last week, the US markets suffered their worst rout in two years, as bond yields climbed and fresh fears of inflation gripped investors. On today’s episode of the podcast, we look at the week ahead, and ask: Where do the markets go from here? A correction of 10 per cent has long been touted as the answer to this gloriously successful run that the US markets have embarked on. Scott thinks it could go as far as 20 per cent. Sarah isn’t so sure. Who will be right when the bell rings? Only time will tell. Elsewhere on the battlefield, cryptocurrencies have also been getting slaughtered. Down across the board, supporters are looking for the next natural support level that was found at $10,000 for bitcoin. What does this week hold for digital currencies? Will it be another bloodbath? We discuss this, and try to answer why the drop has taken place.

It’s been a little over a year since Donald Trump took office as president of the United States, and he now has to deliver his first State of the Union address. So, what can we expect? And what is the state of the United States economy a year after Trump took office? The Business team looks at key economic highlights including a strong labour market, though, in fairness, that picked up steam under former President Barack Obama. The team also discusses the possible infrastructure bill Trump has been touting, border wall funding (that Mexico is most definitely going to pay for!), and trade tensions. But for the UAE, what does it all mean? Well, the US dollar index is likely to see some volatility on the back of the speech, and with the UAE dirham pegged to the dollar, that volatility is going to echo here. The team delves into all these economic issues and more on the podcast.

This week, several companies are expected to announce their full year results for 2017; Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union, the annual presidential address to the US government; and Janet Yellen will step down as chairwoman of the US Federal Reserve after four years in the position. Among the companies expected to turn in their financial results are four major tech stocks: Facebook, Alphabet (formerly Google), Amazon, and Microsoft. We discuss what might lie in store when they file their results, especially given Netflix’s blockbuster performance, announced last week. We also take a look at some of the local results, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Mashreq, and what to expect from other banks when they post their numbers later this week.

It's the most wonderful time of the (economics) year when the world's top politicians and economists gather in the snowy Swiss town of Davos. This year, the World Economic Forum at Davos kicked off with a speech by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with more politicians set to speak at the event. Perhaps most interestingly of whom will be US President Donald Trump who is likely to counter everyone else's views on global trade. As Asian politicians advocate for free trade and no barriers, the Business team talks about protectionism, a worrying trend that’s been growing for the past two years. Will the US now have to take a back seat as other nations promote stronger trade ties? And who is the new leader of the free world? (Hint: it’s a European woman.) Another talking point at Davos this year is internet regulation. With fake news gaining more and more clicks, should the likes of Facebook and Google be regulated? What about regulations to the likes of Uber?

On Tuesday, the rich and famous will be heading to the small Swiss town of Davos to share ideas on the global economy. But are they ready for Trump? The US president will join the elites this year, and try to pitch his "America First" strategy. That might be very hard to sell, especially with the US government shutdown due to the Republicans' inability to get a budget passed. The US shutdown could present a problem elsewhere, too. If it continues, the economic impact could begin to hit markets at a time when relatively good earnings should be helping markets rise. And what's the deal with the Airbus A380? Emirates seems to have saved the jet with a large MoU, but what does that mean in the long run?

Alexa famously squared off against the Google assistant at CES, but what was all the hype really about? Regardless of whether you call them digital assistants, chat bots, or AIs, these voice-activated devices are quickly making their impact felt everywhere, including here in the UAE. Souq.com was selling the Echo Dot – the hockey puck-sized device that houses Alexa – in the UAE during the holidays, part of a global push on the part of its parent company, Amazon, to grab markets share. But does Alexa in the UAE do everything it can in the US? And it brings up some questions, such as: do you need to be polite to your digital assistant? To get a better feel for what Alexa is all about, we bring it (her?) into the studio to ask a few questions. It quickly becomes apparent that Alexa is listening ready to talk…. maybe a little too much. Alexa isn’t the only digital assistant making headlines though. There are a lot of them coming on to the market, including Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, and Bixby.

We’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is it’s the first week of the earnings season. So, get ready for a rush of company results, starting with the banking sector. Spoiler alert: it’s supposed to be a good week. Also, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which includes the World Future Energy Summit, gets under way. While the focus will be on sustainable energy, we’ll also likely hear about OPEC and its oil cuts. The bad news? Any good news – and market effect – could be overshadowed by a possible shutdown of the US government, whose ability to pass a working budget seems hamstrung by all the political infighting in Washington. Needless to say, markets aren’t usually too pleased with government shutdowns.

While usually more renowned for its array of adult entertainment, every January, Las Vegas becomes ground zero for the tech industry. The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) brings companies from the around the world to offer the latest in consumer technologies, ranging from the truly innovative to the truly bizarre. Into this morass of technology and neon lights we’ve sent co-host Ed Clowes. He survived the first two days, so we’re speaking to him live from the MGM on the Las Vegas Strip. Ed tells us the biggest story so far is probably the battle between Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s digital assistant, which got underway at the Panasonic press conference. But Ed’s favourite event so far was watching Huawei’s CEO blast the US over why the company is having difficulty breaking into the US markets. SPOILER ALERT: The US governments apparently doesn’t trust the Chinese government. Who knew? Finally, Ed runs down some of his favourite news products at the show, including Kodak’s KashMiner (it mines Bitcoin)

It’s been less than a week since the new tear started, but if there has been one major business story for 2018, it’s the roll-out of Value-Added Tax here in the UAE. So far, the disruptions have been minimal, usually involving delivery drivers forced to collect a few dirhams when online platforms failed to factor the new tax into the billing, but other news surrounding VAT seems to be building, too. Sales of gold at Dubai’s Gold Souq have fallen since the year started. But is that due to the VAT or is it just a natural conclusion to the annual year-end gold-buying frenzy? We may have to wait a few weeks to find out. The second major business story for 2018 is going to be out of Las Vegas, where the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is scheduled to get underway on Monday. Amazon and Google look to be set for a AI-on-AI throw down at the show. Will the Google Assistant beat Alexa, or is the Echo’s Dot dominance secured by booming holiday sales?

Ho ho ho! It's Christmas time, so the Dirhams & Dollars team gathers by the fire (and the microphones!) to talk through the biggest stories of the year, and boy, was this a long year! We start off with the crazier news including Bitcoin, whose prices have skyrocketed this year. We also discuss one of the worst economic trends that seem to have cast a dark cloud of the year; protectionism. From France (earlier this year) to the US, the idea of protectionism seems to be gaining more traction.. In more local news, we discuss what possibly has been the biggest headache for consumers and companies in 2017; taxes. The UAE saw the introduction of excise tax this year, and is getting ready to roll out VAT in 2018. Finally, we talk through the event of the year; the Dubai Air Show, and all the mega deals signed there. So, get yourself some cocoa, sit back, and listen to the year that was.

What’s your favourite mashup? Homer and Mickey? Or Deadpool and Wolverine? Because after last week’s announcement that Disney has acquired 21st Century Fox, both are now a possibility. (By the way, if you’re confused, Disney actually bought 21st Century Fox, which also owned the Fox Television Network, who in turn owns 20th Century Fox, who make all the movies. For $51.4 billion, of course you’d get the whole package. And, no, Fox News was not part of the deal.) Disney was already the world largest entertainment company with a wealth of franchises in its stables, including Disney theme parks, Marvel Comics – with and its extremely lucrative MCU film series -- and that little space opera no one seems to have heard of, called Star Wars. THAT series by itself is why Scrooge McDuck can go swimming in a pool of gold coins. Now, it will add the Simpsons, X-Men and Avatar. Can a media company be too big? The Disney of today is not the Disney that Uncle Walt knew. Granted, it’s no longer destroying classic litera

Christmas is only a week away. Huzzah! Well, not quite. A week before Christmas, and the Dirhams and Dollars journalists are struggling to find juicy stories to argue about as the news flow starts to dry out. Not to fret, though, as the international front can always keep us occupied. We discuss the expected tax reforms in the US, and what impact those will make on stock markets, which have only been going up this year. In other US news, we also discuss the most used phrase of last weekend, “Net Neutrality.” Why exactly is social media abuzz with talks about net neutrality? And what exactly does it mean for you and internet service providers? Finally, we discuss the sexiest commodity/currency of 2017; Bitcoin! (P.S. have we settled on whether we’re classifying it as a currency or a commodity yet?) With the cryptocurrency hovering around the $20,000 price level, we discuss whether shorts will start coming into that market and Bitcoin’s meteoric price rise this year.

Have you ever wondered what monetary policy the evil Galactic Empire had in place to finance a planet annihilating Death Star. For those of you that answered “yes” - you’re in for a treat. For those of you that said “what’s a death star?” - keep listening, because this episode has something for everybody. In celebration of the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi this week, Dirhams & Dollars team dive into a world of business and lightsabres. We tackle pressing questions inside the Star Wars universe like: What were the key sources of revenue for the Empire? How much did the Death Star cost exactly? And which US President does Emperor Palpatine most closely resemble? Back in the real world, we talk about the $4 billion Disney takeover of the Star Wars franchise in 2012, the origins of the loyalty that the series commands from its fans, and the estimated $30 billion that the merchandise alone is worth.

It may not be the most important story ever, but over the weekend, the rise and fall of Bitcoin was THE story. Move over, Brexit. Bitcoin, that little bit of encrypted nothingness, was worth $10,000 last week, but it surged on Friday, topping out over $19,000 on some exchanges. Since then, it’s been a rough ride. Just what happened to drive this controversial currency to such heights? Ed, Sarah, and Scott talk - or more accurately, argue - about just what is going on. While we all seem to agree there is a place in the world for cryptos, that agreement comes to sudden halt over just why it has any value at all. We also have very different ideas on where it’s going. We also talk about events coming in the week ahead, including the meeting of three major central banks and the Arab Strategy Forum, which will have Ian Bremmer and Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel prize winner in economics who thinks Bitcoin should be outlawed. Just sayin’.

It’s December, which means the start of the holiday shopping season, but this year you’re going to need to do some extra thinking about how – and when – to buy those stocking stuffers. We talk about whether you should buy your gifts early, or wait until Dec. 26 for the start of the Dubai Shopping festival, especially with UAE retailers offering deals before the start of the Value-Added Tax on Jan. 1. Speaking of VAT, just how prepared are you? Do you know everything that is going to be taxed starting 2018? Then there is the question of where to buy your gifts, especially if you’re looking to buy online. A strong euro isn’t make those Swiss chocolates any more affordable.

Dubai: Are the markets feeling the Christmas cheer yet? Well, not quite. When it was announced that former national security advisor Michael Flynn had agreed a plea bargain, which would see him reduce his sentence for illegal contact with Russian officials in return for co-operation against the Trump administration, the US markets fell. In their first show of nerves this year on what has been an unmatched bull run, finally political developments rattled investors, albeit briefly. Stocks were back up shortly afterwards on the announcement that the US government had agreed a tax deal. So what does this all mean going in to this week, where a government shutdown looms large over Washington D.C.? Scott and I discuss the potential implications of political developments, and whether the US government can overcome political gridlock to avoid coming to a standstill. Staying true to the dirhams half of Dirhams & Dollars, we also take the time to talk about the UN event taking place in Sharjah on Monday and Tues

Getting bored with the same old restaurant? You obviously need to get out more. According to a new report, Dubai residents have more food choices per capita than New York City. Even if you don’t want to go out, eating apps allow you to get just about anything you can think of delivered to your door. It’s definitely a foodie’s market. But that doesn’t mean things are good in the kitchen. The growth in restaurants and a level delivery field means that competition is fierce. There have already been a few casualties, even among the big Western brands, which used to be viewed as a sure thing. So just how do restaurants caters to today’s tech-driven, social media centric food fans – other than just making sure your order is right? Ed and I hash it out.