Latest news with #SalimEssaid


The National
11 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Oil up, stocks down: Market volatility amid Iran-Israel war
In the days since Israel started its offensive against Iran, oil prices have shot up and global markets dipped. Israel has struck nuclear sites and oil fields, and the aggression has left global markets wary of what's to come. Markets are holding out for the possibility of major supply chain disruptions that could have global impact. To understand what this war means for the global economy, Business Extra host Salim Essaid hears from The National 's Geo-Economics Editor Manus Cranny, and Colby Connelly, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute.


The National
12-03-2025
- Business
- The National
What challenges do women still face in the Middle East start-up scene?
The start-up economy is booming in the Middle East, but despite progress, women remain underrepresented, as founders and as recipients of funding. While women-led start-ups make up 7 per cent of the region's total, they receive about 1 per cent of available funding, Wamda statistics show. In this episode of Business Extra, host Salim Essaid speaks with three female founders in the UAE – Yasmin Rose of Rise Birth Centre, Yasmin Megerisi of House of Meena, and Thea Myhrvold, chief executive of Getbee – who share their experiences of navigating the start-up scene in the region. The host also hears from Hynd Bouhia, a start-up funding expert, who unpacks the numbers behind the gender gap in investment and the biases that continue to shape funding decisions.

The National
26-02-2025
- Business
- The National
AI and the Gulf: Where it's been and what's next
In the past decade, Gulf countries have prioritised innovation. It's part of a shift from their prime standing as oil economies to their new goal of using the advent of AI to enhance their economies all around. It's getting attention from global tech hubs. A former Google chief recently said Saudi Arabia has the potential to become the next AI powerhouse. Only last month, Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector economy recorded its strongest expansion in more than a decade. Some of the biggest names in tech are pouring billions into innovation in Gulf countries, from physical infrastructure such data centres to partnerships that support virtual breakthroughs. In this episode of Business Extra, Salim Essaid hears from tech experts and leaders on the Gulf's AI appeal and where it's going.