Lab-grown meat; those aren’t words that gets most people salivating but that hasn’t stopped the food industry from turning it into a billion dollar industry. Proponents of lab-grown meat, also known as cultured meat, talk up its many benefits, including how it is more ethical than factory farming, less harmful to the environment, and less susceptible to disease. But how does it taste? And will people accept it? At least one burger chain is betting that people will, and the industry is expected to be worth trillions by the middle of next decade. We discuss the various meaty issues surrounding this tasty subject.
Last week was a tumultuous one for the Dubai Financial Market. A number of listed companies, including Marka and DSI, were forced to disclose that they were either in talks to liquidate, or were under investigation. In today's episode, we delve in to where things went wrong, and what investors can do to remedy the situation. Are the region's shareholders too passive? Do they need to make their presence felt, instead of standing idly by whilst board members run the show?
Are shorter working hours in Ramadan just a myth? by Gulf News
Musicians have, for whatever reason, long avoided making Dubai a fixture on their world tours. With a handful of notable exceptions, the Middle East has never been graced with the sames caliber of artists that Europe or Asia has. So, when the press release for the new Dubai Arena, since renamed the Coca-Cola Arena, said that the venue filled a void between Istanbul and Singapore, they may very well have been right. So we look at what the new arena is promising to offer in terms of sports, comedy, and music, how it sizes up to its international competitors in other key cities, and what to expect logistically if you decide to visit. We also ask how it will impact the other, smaller venues in Dubai, and what kind of ticket prices will need to be realised in order for Meraas, the developer, to justify the millions of dollars it has presumably spent building the state-of-the-art arena.
Expo 2020. This is what every business in the UAE is waiting for; the exposition that is coming to Dubai next year, and bringing with it a Dh122-billion benefit to the economy. We delve into a report by EY discussing exactly what the Expo will mean for the UAE economy and its different industries. Who stands to benefit most? And why exactly are some of us less than thrilled about this mega event? We discuss our own takes on the Expo, and guesstimate how it will affect people both while it takes place and years after it’s over.
What is the future of transport in the region? On this meandering and discursive episode of the podcast, the team talk about fantasy transportation methods, what kind of transportation the Middle East needs more of, and whether flying cars will ever be a thing. We discuss questions like: Why are electric scooter rentals illegal? Why is car pooling illegal? When will they build a train between Dubai and Abu Dhabi? Okay, maybe not flying cars, but what about flying motorcycles? Dubai Police says they are on their way…
After months of speculation, ride-hailing firm Uber finally announced its acquisition of local hero Careem, in what was the region’s largest tech acquisition ever. When the news broke, many were concerned that Careem, which has a strong local affinity with the UAE’s population, would be swallowed in to Uber and cease to exist. Others were pleased to see a home-grown start-up exit at such a high valuation. In this episode of the podcast, we discuss the pros and the cons of the acquisition, the factors that laid the groundwork for the deal, and the potential knock-on effects.
Credit cards, news, & TV: All the latest from Apple by Gulf News
In the finance world, there are banks that are “too big to fail.” In the tech world, there are the likes of Facebook, Google, and Amazon that are too big to…go offline, shall we say? The tech giants have been garnering a lot of attention over the past two years for what lawmakers see as a failure to protect democracies and a failure to keep consumers' personal details safe. In the wake of the New Zealand mosque shootings, lawmakers are once again pointing fingers at the likes of Facebook for failing to identify what was a hate-filled manifesto. So, what do we do now? Do we break up these tech companies? Scott thinks so, but Ed and Sarah disagree because even with broken up companies, there are troubles. Tune in to hear them argue that one out.
Headlines this week have been dominated by news of the tragic crash of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, killing all 157 people onboard. Coming so soon on the heels of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which similarly involved a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, the disaster has led to aviation authorities and airlines across the world grounding the model until it can be confirmed that there is indeed an issue with the aircraft. On today’s episode, we look at whether the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is safe to travel. We ask whether aviation authorities have been right to ground the plane so quickly, before details of Sunday’s accident are fully understood. We also discuss why the US federal aviation authority (FAA) has yet to close its airspace to the jet. The FAA is standing its ground in the face of mounting pressure, as aviation authorities around the world continue to forbid the plane from flying in their countries. Could it be to do with government dysfunction? Or is it simply the correct approach? We...