Dirhams & Dollars

On this episode of the Dirhams & Dollars podcast, the Business team discusses some of the top headlines of the week. We start with the most prominent; Adnoc's plans to expand partnerships and publicly list some subsidiaries. Why is Adnoc following in Saudi Aramco's footsteps? And do oil and gas companies need to diversify their revenue sources? The team also discusses upcoming bank earnings. Will Goldman Sachs see a return to form after a rare missed quarter earlier this year? Finally, we also discuss the now-viral rant by JP Morgan's chief executive, Jamie Dimon, who said it was becoming "almost an embarrassment to be an American citizen" abroad as he vented his frustration with the political system and the media - though, apparently, not with President's Donald Trump administration.

Ever dream of owning a comic book store? With only a week to go till Comic-Con International in San Diego, we talk to Saeed Arjumand, an Emirati, about why he decided to do just that. In April he opened Comic Stop, a small business in Dar Wasl mall dedicated to comics. Arjuman, who is also a trained comic book illustrator, discusses why he decided to open his business, what the best-selling comics are in Dubai, and whether buying comics can be a good investment.

Is the US decision to stand apart at the G20 conference a reason to be concerned? Do Donald Trump’s apparent differences with the other world leaders at the G20 have any implications for the global economy? On this week’s episode of Dirham & Dollars, the team discusses how despite Trump’s defiant stance on trade, climate change, and Russia, the 45th president seems to be having little on the economy, which appears to be getting along fine on its own. But what does this mean for interest rates, and should the Fed continue to hike? We also talk about what the lifting of the laptop ban on US-bound flights from the Middle East could mean for regional carriers.

The Business team looks at why the US seems to be reversing its controversial decision. The US ban on electronic devices larger than a smartphone on flights from the Middle East to the US has raised numerous questions. Why did the US announced the ban in the first place? Deputy Business Editor Shweta Jain, a long-time aviation reporter, joins us to talk about the issues surrounding this controversial topic.

With Ed off on leave, Sarah and Scott talk about the upcoming G20. The US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet for the most highly anticipated talks between a Russian and an American since Rocky IV. The team also looks at how the Qatari markets will fare this week after refusing to accept GCC demands, how the new Goods and Services tax could impact India, and just what to expect when the Federal Reserve minutes are released on Wednesday. Spoiler alert: Scott’s betting on much higher interest rates.

Following the UAE's latest decision to ban Skype, the team unpacks the various theories about what happened, and the long, confusing history of internet talking applications like Skype. What are the motivations for banning such applications? And what is the future for them? We look at whether there is any hope for such applications, or if, in the future, we will all be using Etisalat and du's equivalent apps.

In this bonus episode of Dirhams & Dollars, the team dives into the latest news naming Mohammad Bin Salman as Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince. The team discusses implications on the Kingdom's economic strategy and reforms, as well as market reaction to the news.

Are you ready to buy your groceries online? In this episode, the Business team takes a closer look at the latest blockbuster e-commerce deal; Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, the US-based grocery chain. Are people willing to buy perishable goods online? And, within the UAE, what do retailers think of the rise in e-commerce and the challenges it presents? After Amazon’s acquisition of UAE-based Souq.com, the team also discusses what the Whole Foods deal means for the region, and whether we can expect Whole Foods to start deliveries to the Gulf.

With Brexit set to dominate headlines as negotiations between a strident EU and politically fragile UK begin, we look at what’s on the line, who’s stepping up, and who might be stepping down. Across the channel, the annual Paris Airshow is underway, with Boeing and Airbus battling it out for supremacy of the skies, against a backdrop of significantly declined orders since 2014. Finally, the team talks markets, analysing the resurgent tech stocks, the pound sterling, and oil...And Ed teaches Scott how to pronounce quinoa.

Is the tech stock bubble about to burst? That’s the question the team tries to tackle on this episode. Over the last two days of trading, key tech stocks such as FaceBook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (FANG) have dipped in value, following several years of unrelenting growth. Why? We try to look at what might be behind this drop, and we ask if it’s a one off, or if it’s the beginning of the end for Silicon Valley’s domination of the US stock markets.

The Business team discusses the recent announcement by some Arab countries to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, and the implications of that. Four UAE airlines have already suspended flights to and from Doha, with analysts already discussing the potential of a food shortage in Qatar. The team also discusses the general election in the UK that resulted in a hung parliament. What will that mean for the sterling? And what does heightened uncertainty mean for the UK economy? Finally, in financial news, the team discusses the plunge in some of the Nasdaq-listed tech stocks late last week, including why share prices dropped, and whether equity markets in the US are in a bubble.

The team speaks to Business Editor Scott Shuey, who is in San Jose for Apple’s WWDC, an annual conference for software developers. The team discusses the major announcements, as well as CEO Tim Cook’s keynote speech for clues about the iPhone 8. We look at Apple’s new HomePod, a rival to Amazon’s Echo, and the latest iOS 11 operating software, and find out from Scott what kind of impact they may have.

In this episode, the team is joined by Gulf News’ Editor-at-Large, Francis Matthew, to discuss Thursday’s general election in the UK. The team then discusses the upcoming European Central Bank meeting on interest rates, as well as America’s decision to exit the Paris Agreement, and how China may fill the void left on the world stage. Finally, we discuss the potential ramifications of former Director of the FBI James Comey’s testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

On today's episode, the team go in depth on the subject of selective tax, otherwise known as "sin tax". This new tax, set to come in to effect in Saudi Arabia on June 10, and in the UAE later on this year, will double the price of energy drinks like Red Bull, and cigarettes, whilst it will increase the price of all fizzy drinks, like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, by half. We look at how this will impact the companies selling such products, how it will impact the consumers buying the products, and why the tax is being introduced now. We answer all your questions about how the tax will work, and how it will effect your money, and discuss what might come next.

On this episode of Dirhams & Dollars, the business team discusses the flurry of international activity at the tail end of last week, including OPEC’s oil cut extension, and the meeting of world leaders at the G7 summit. We talk about why the price of oil crashed despite the extension of production cuts, and we look at the G7’s shaky agreement on free trade. On the subject of trade, and looking ahead at the coming week, the team discusses Modi’s impending visit to Europe, where his first stop is Germany, and a meeting with Angela Merkel, where trade and investment are expected to be at the top of the agenda. On the political front, we analyse the shifts in the UK election landscape, and talk about how often polls are wrong. Next up, we look at the bull run bitcoin is on, and how far up the price can go before, if at all, it comes crashing down.

In this episode, the Business team focuses on the upcoming Opec meeting in Vienna where oil producers are expected to agree to extend their current deal to cut production levels. The episode features an interview with Jameel Ahmed, Vice President of Corporate Development and Market Research at FXTM, who shares his insight. Jameel discusses oil price outlook, the battle against shale oil producers, and expectations for the Opec meeting.

In today's episode, the team discuss Trump's first trip abroad. POTUS touched down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, and has since then bagged approximately $350 billion in trade deals with the kingdom, including the largest ever US arms deal ($110 billion). What does it mean for Saudi Aramco, Saudi's state oil giant, to be doing $50 billion in deals with US oil companies? With all this winning taking place abroad, one would be forgiven for thinking that Trump's home soil woes had gone away. But they haven't. Calls for impeachment are mounting, and the markets are becoming increasingly volatile. The team also discuss oil ahead of Thursday's OPEC meeting in Vienna, the political crisis in Brazil, and notes from last week's meeting of the Fed.

The team has a special guest in the studio for this episode. Bilal Baig, the technical lead of one of the world’s leading cybersecurity company, Trend Micro, is called in to lend a helping hand whilst the team discusses last weekend’s WannaCry ransomware disaster. As most people watched on in horror as the virus spread around the world, holding over 75,000 computers hostage, Bilal was working to soften the blow the ex-NSA malware did across the Middle East. The business desk talks to him about where the virus came from, who is behind its spread, and what the average person can do to protect themselves. Plus, Bilal offers a sobering prediction for the years ahead…

With ransomware dominating the headlines this past weekend, on today’s episode the team looks at the potential ramifications of the WannaCry. There are rumours swirling that another variant is on its way, this time without a kill-switch, so we analyse what that would mean for business and the cybersecurity industry. Also top of the agenda this week is the G7 meeting and its watered-down talks on free trade. The team discusses the implications of this, and other issues.

On this episode of Dirhams & Dollars, the business team is joined by Duncan Hare, Gulf News Deputy Sports Editor, to talk about the relationship between corporations and professional sports. The conversation delves deep in to the dynamics of a sports sponsorships, following Sunday’s announcement that Qatar Airways had replaced Emirates as the official Fifa World Cup partner. We look at the success of team sponsorships versus individual athletes, and the risks of putting all your eggs in one, potentially controversy-prone, basket. We also talk about the efficacy of naming a competition or stadium, only to find that viewers and pundits continue to refer to it by its old name. Even worse if consumers continue to associate it with a past sponsor. Finally, we discuss the human story behind sponsorships, and how they often allow the lower-tier athletes to pursue their dreams of a full-time career in sports.