Bitesize Business Breakfast Podcast

Dubai Eye 103.8

<p>Daily highlights and exclusive interviews from Dubai's most informative news and business radio show. With a round-up of the day’s most important business stories, providing local content and context on the international issues that matter.Presented by Richard Dean &amp; Brandy Scott.</p>

  • 50 minutes 5 seconds
    Hot desks in the park. Rents dropping. And 55 events all hitting at once

    22 Apr 2026. Dubai is shifting toward a renters market with rents down 12.5% year on year, but office space tells a completely different story, with rents up 14% and occupancy at 95%. Rupert Simmonds from Betterhomes and Matthew Green from CBRE join us with the full picture. Plus, 55 events crammed into H2 and the events and PR industry is bracing for one of the busiest periods it has ever seen. Natalie Crampton from TEC Event Management and Pete Jacob from Current Global discuss how they’re planning for it. And work from park is coming to Dubai! we speak to the people building and operating the outdoor workspace pods.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 April 2026, 7:16 am
  • 33 minutes 46 seconds
    Dubai’s hotels are closing for refurb. What does that mean for the city?

    21 Apr 2026. Several Dubai hotels have closed for renovation. STR, a hospitality data company, joins us to explain what that means for the city’s room stock and what the sector will look like upon reopening. Plus, JW Marriott Marquis is undergoing its first refurbishment in 13 years while staying fully open - we find out how you pull that off. Ras Al Khaimah has doubled its domestic visitor numbers year on year through the RAK Moments campaign. And Dubai property valuations fell for the first time since 2020, ValuStrat’s head of research joins us with the data.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 April 2026, 8:08 am
  • 33 minutes 3 seconds
    Implications of reopening and closing again on Strait of Hormuz

    20 Apr 2026. The Strait of Hormuz opened on Friday and closed again on Saturday and the impact on oil prices and shipping insurance costs was immediate. We look at what that volatility means on the ground. Plus, the UAE is easing tax penalties and encouraging companies to come forward and fix mistakes, we speak to the FTA directly on how to use this window. And could UAE residents who worked from home abroad during the conflict find themselves liable for tax in another country? We get some legal advice.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    20 April 2026, 7:44 am
  • 41 minutes 19 seconds
    World's first vertiport ready in Dubai

    17 Apr 2026. The world's first commercial vertiport is ready next to DXB, with air taxis potentially flying before the end of 2026. We speak to Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. The RTA joins us on 13 kilometres of new road connections reducing journey times by up to 40% across 18 residential areas. Miral Destinations on Yas Island's push to win over UAE residents with all-inclusive offers. And Taj Hotels on resilience, staff welfare and holding the line on service standards during one of the toughest periods the hospitality sector has faced.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 April 2026, 6:51 am
  • 30 minutes 24 seconds
    Business of School is Back!

    16 Apr 2026. UAE children are returning to classrooms but has the move come fast enough to ease financial pressure on schools? Education consultant Shaun Robison, CEO of BBD Education and GSM Middle East, tells us. Art Dubai is revealing more details of its 20th edition, one of the few major events still going ahead in May amid the conflict. Executive Director Benedetta Ghione on what will feel different this year and how the conflict is shaping it. And Stellantis on a new initiative giving UAE small businesses free access to Jeep, RAM, Peugeot and Citroën vehicles to help them stay operational right now.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    16 April 2026, 7:40 am
  • 27 minutes 29 seconds
    What does the UAE Labour Law say about being absent from work?

    15 Apr 2026. The ceasefire is holding but the legal questions aren't going away. Chris Bailey-Gibbs from Hadef and Partners breaks down what UAE Labour Law actually says about workplace safety and your right to work from home. Plus, the IMF has cut its UAE growth forecast from 5% to 3.1% this year - economist Ed Bell tells us what that actually means. Sobha Realty launches a Dh40 billion waterfront city in Abu Dhabi, and SITA on why record aviation technology investment isn't delivering the results it should.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 April 2026, 7:32 am
  • 40 minutes 27 seconds
    Hormuz: The Blockade, the Peace Talks and What Comes Next

    14 Apr 2026. Bit of a theme today on trade! Oil prices are swinging as hopes for peace talks jostle with realities on the ground in the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf Intelligence gives us the latest. The ceasefire raised hopes of the Strait reopening but supply chain leaders are still navigating a very uncertain environment and Sam Achampong, Regional Director of CIPS, tells us what that looks like on the ground. As the world waits to see how Iran responds to the new US blockade, we have an exclusive interview with the UN’s International Maritime Organization. And Fadi Ghandour of Wamda Capital on what the crisis is teaching Gulf businesses about resilience.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 April 2026, 8:07 am
  • 40 minutes 34 seconds
    While Global Supply Chains Struggle, The UAE Is Finding Its Footing

    13 Apr 2026. Q1 job numbers are up. Economic zone fees are coming down. Dubai property is holding steady. And one UAE company is posting 19 percent revenue growth by staying local. Today on The Business Breakfast we look at what’s keeping the UAE economy moving with Cooper Fitch, DIEZ, Fairmont The Palm, Bayut and more.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    13 April 2026, 7:14 am
  • 34 minutes 46 seconds
    Home renovations, Holiday Homes and Banks supporting SMEs

    10 Apr 2026. David Cook, CEO of Contractors Direct, discussed a four-way business collaboration making home renovation easier for UAE residents. Harrison Moore, CEO of Vacationer, discussed rising holiday home occupancies and who’s actually staying. Amit Malhotra, Global Head of Retail Banking at ADIB on what the banking sector is doing to support SME cash flow six weeks into the regional uncertainty, And NESR, one of the region’s biggest oilfield services companies, discussed why the MENA energy sector could be on the verge of a major investment surge.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    10 April 2026, 6:33 am
  • 37 minutes 19 seconds
    Oil prices may be falling but don’t expect cheaper flights just yet

    09 Apr 2026. IATA is warning that even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens and traffic returns to normal, jet fuel prices will take considerably longer to follow. Aviation expert Nick Humphrey joins us to explain why the lag exists and what it means for airlines and passengers in the months ahead. Plus, gold hit record highs during the conflict as investors rushed to safety, so what does that mean for the jewellery sector? We speak to the Dubai Jewellery Group about how the industry is adapting to shifts in visitor patterns right now. And our property pulse with Espace Real Estate - covering what both buyers and sellers are actually seeing on the ground right now.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 April 2026, 7:20 am
  • 44 minutes 15 seconds
    Oil prices plummet and stocks surge on ceasefire news

    08 Apr 2026. How easy (or not) will it be for energy companies to get oil flowing again through the Strait of Hormuz, and what has five and a half weeks of closure actually done to global energy markets? We speak to economist Jeanne Walters and energy expert Matt Stanley. Plus, Union Properties pays its first dividend in 11 years, we speak to the CEO. And the company that drew up a 'conflict plan' in week one tells us how it’s played out

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    8 April 2026, 7:00 am
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