Recorded

This series is sponsored by GIB AM The year 2024 was the hottest on record and the first to officially breach the 1.5°C global warming limit set by the Paris Agreement. As the climate crisis deepens, strong leadership is crucial to enabling the systemic changes needed to protect our future. While new generations of leaders face the growing impacts of climate change, they have the advantage of learning from, and building on, the work of the trailblazers who have come before them. So, what can we do to ensure the next wave of climate leaders is ready to take on the biggest challenges of our time? Climate change is a global problem: no one state can fix it, no single action is enough. How do you bring people with you? Where are the opportunities for collaboration, and where are the networks to tap into? How do you make your career the most impactful it can be? Climate change isn't just a topic of conversation- it's a call to action. In this sixth and final episode of the Women in Climate podcast, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK talks to Sherry Madera, chief executive of CDP, Anna Pot, the Netherlands' national co-ordinator for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Marina Antonopoulou, chief officer for Climate and Conservation, Emirates Nature-WWF.

This series is sponsored by GIB AM Finance is at the heart of all discussions around climate action, and it is thought of both as an opportunity and an expense. At Cop29, an agreement was reached for rich countries to provide developing nations with $300 billion annually to help them decarbonise, through a mixture of government and private investment. As trillions of dollars are funnelled into climate action over the coming decades, how do we make sure this money is well spent? What are the principles that should direct these investments to ensure equitable climate action? What are the blocks to moving finance and how do we make sure that the people most impacted receive the support they need? The fifth episode of the Women in Climate podcast series delves into the complexities of sustainable finance with three trailblazing women, exploring the evolving ESG landscape and the critical role of financial institutions in driving decarbonisation. We address the challenges of balancing compliance with genuine commitment, and examine the need for greater transparency and accountability. Our discussion highlights the progress being made in places such as the UAE, while also confronting the global policy shifts and the importance of a holistic approach to ESG, emphasising human rights and the impact on developing nations. We explore the idea that the transition to sustainable energy is not always a clean one, and that we must be aware of the effect of our choices on developing nations. We also explore the idea that business can play a much larger role in the transition, and that we need to move away from a system where everyone is pointing at each other, towards a system where we are all working together. In this episode, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, interviews Victoria Barron, chief sustainability officer, GIB Asset Management, Habiba Al Mar'ashi, president and chief executive of Arabia CSR Network, and co-founder and chairwoman of Emirates Environmental Group, and Avery Johnstone, manager at KPMG's Global Decarbonisation Hub.

With more than 300 million people globally in urgent need of assistance, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is struggling to meet growing demand and operating under severe financial constraints, the UN's humanitarian chief has said. In an interview with The National's Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi, the UN's Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher emphasised the importance of making humanitarian operations more efficient by cutting bureaucracy and diversifying funding sources beyond traditional donors. As he completed his first 100 days in office, a period marked by escalating conflicts in the Middle East, Mr Fletcher said he had visited Gaza, Syria and Sudan, and described Gaza as “worse than anything” he had ever seen. He highlighted the success of aid operations since the Gaza ceasefire took effect, which have managed to get 20,000 aid lorries into the enclave. Turning to Syria, Mr Fletcher urged the international community to engage in reconstruction efforts as the country emerges from years of civil war and sanctions. He also praised the UAE's growing leadership in humanitarian aid, noting its significant role not just in funding, but also in bringing innovation and problem-solving to the sector.

We are now on the brink of a technological revolution that has the possibility to transform our approach to climate action. Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI and other ground-breaking technology have exploded into the mainstream, reshaping industries and offering new tools to tackle climate change. But while these advances hold incredible promise, much of the world, especially the global south, has been left behind. The fourth episode of the Women in Climate podcast series discusses what this new technology mean for climate action in reality, asking if they will help or hinder the fight against climate change. Can the pace of innovation match the urgency of the climate crisis? And will it be worth the cost to move the dial faster? In this episode, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, interviews Jane Burston, chief executive of the Clean Air Fund, and Francesca Brady, co-founder of AirRated and Stealth Startup.

This series is sponsored by GIB AM. Women excel in environmental reporting and governance teams and yet remain underrepresented in leadership roles. So, what does it take to break through these barriers and drive meaningful change? The third episode of the Women in Climate podcast series moves beyond talk and dives into proven action. We uncover how leaders push ambitious sustainability goals from within massive corporations – implementing radical change top-down and bottom-up. We explore how company initiatives, personal action and leveraging networks at scale is working. We delve into how the legal profession is driving climate solutions — from boardroom negotiations to courtroom battles — and why vulnerability can be a leadership superpower at getting this done. In this episode, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, explores what it truly takes to be a climate leader with Amanda Carpenter, chief executive of Achill Legal, and Magali Anderson, founder of S4 and former chief sustainability officer at Holcim.

While climate change affects us all, it doesn't affect us equally. Women, particularly those in marginalised communities, are disproportionately impacted by climate change through the exacerbation of existing inequalities. Across the world, women depend more on, yet have less access to, natural resources and in many regions bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water and fuel. As such, the UN has estimated that by 2050, about 158 million more women and girls will be pushed into poverty, and will comprise 80 per cent of the people displaced by the impacts of climate change. Yet their voices are often left out of climate decision-making. Given their frontline experience, women are in a unique position to drive change. So, how do we promote greater collaboration between genders to accelerate climate action? How do we amplify women's voices to ensure those affected by climate change are part of the decision-making process? And what can be done to reduce the effects of climate change on women and girls? In the second episode of the Women in Climate podcast series, host Naomi Kerbel, director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, speaks to Kathy Baughman McLeod, chief executive of Climate Resilience for All, Angelica Andrade, MPhil student at the Sustainable Mining Institute, University of Queensland and Rachel Kelly, Climate Editor at The National.

AI was the talk of the town at Davos 2025, which focused on ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'. At last year's summit climate change held centre stage, but significant headwinds now threaten the progress that's been made. A climate-sceptic president has been elected in the US, promising to pull out of international climate negotiations; inaction at Cop29 left many attendees despondent; and, despite a rapidly expanding share of renewables, global emissions are still growing. When the tides seem to be turning against climate action, how are leaders responding? Are they justifying climate action in new ways and using different language to discuss it? How are they creating consensus for action now that climate consensus seems in doubt? What narratives are unfolding around climate action? And what is stopping more from being done? For the first episode of the Women in Climate podcast series, GIB Asset Management, a sustainability-focused investment firm, hosted a round-table at Davos where extraordinary women leaders in the climate space discussed how they maintain momentum for climate action within their industries. Host of the series Naomi Kerbel, who is the director of communications at SEC Newgate UK, spoke to Katherine Garrett-Cox, chief executive of GIB Asset Management, Marisa Drew, chief sustainability officer at Standard Chartered Bank, Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, chief executive of the Green Finance Institute, and Dr Manar Al Moneef, chief investment officer at Neom.

With public healthcare systems under constant development, AI is emerging as a powerful tool to optimise services, enhance diagnostics and improve overall efficiency. In this special episode, recorded at the World Economic Forum in Davos, The National's assistant editor-in-chief Rory Reynolds sat down with Mina Hamoodi, head of health care at Mubadala, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the global healthcare industry. Ms Hamoodi shares her insights on the gradual adoption of AI in health care, emphasising that while the technology will not replace doctors, it has the potential to alleviate many of the sector's most pressing challenges. As an investor in innovative healthcare companies, Mubadala is focused on leveraging AI to advance medical research, streamline administrative processes and improve patient outcomes. Beyond AI, we also explore Mubadala's global healthcare investment strategy, from the US and Europe to Asia and emerging markets. Ms Hamoodi explains how the company is helping to bridge healthcare gaps, particularly in high-growth sectors such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, while also bringing world-class healthcare services to the UAE.

Delhi, home to more than 32 million people, has long been ranked the world's most polluted capital city – for years, experts have called it a “gas chamber”. And while pollution is a year-round struggle here, the crisis peaks every October and November, turning what was once a season of sunny picnics into months of suffocating smog. In the past, winter was eagerly awaited by Delhi residents, who could step out of their homes and enjoy a warm, sunny day in public parks, with a cool breeze blowing. But now a foul concoction of smoke from farm residue and firecrackers and emissions from industry and vehicles smothers the city when winter arrives. In this special episode of the Recorded podcast, host Taniya Dutta reports from the heart of the crisis in New Delhi. She looks at the reasons for Delhi's annual pollution peak with experts, asks if the Indian capital is on the verge of becoming an uninhabitable place and considers what the government can do to clean the city's air – before it's too late.

Over the course of 2023, Sulaiman Hakemy, opinion editor at The National, had the chance to sit down with three international thought leaders, representing the fields of media and business strategy, public opinion and space science. In this episode of the Big Ideas Edition, Sulaiman speaks to space science expert Prof John Zarnecki, who offers his observations of the UAE space programme, the country's mission to Mars and its effect on the next generation.

Over the course of 2023, Sulaiman Hakemy, opinion editor at The National, had the chance to sit down with three international thought leaders, representing the fields of media and business strategy, public opinion and space science. In this episode of the Big Ideas Edition, Sulaiman speaks to Joe Twyman, co-founder and director of Deltapoll, a leading polling and market research company. They talk about understanding public opinion through surveys and discuss how to poll diverse audiences.

Over the course of 2023, Sulaiman Hakemy, opinion editor at The National, had the chance to sit down with three international thought leaders to explore the big ideas in the realms of media and business strategy, public opinion and space science. They represent these fields, bring fresh insights to the table and go beyond the narratives in the context of the Middle East region. On this episode of the Big Ideas Edition, Sulaiman speaks to Raju Narisetti, global publishing director at McKinsey & Company. They talked about the business of journalism, the profitability of the media landscape, internet access in different regions and how technology will continue to transform the industry.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the UAE, yet a large-scale review shows that better screening is reducing the number of advanced cases of the disease and improved survival rates are now comparable with those of leading western nations. This was a recent study, led by Prof Humaid Al Shamsi, director of medical oncology at Burjeel Medical City. In this episode of Recorded podcast, we sat down with Prof Al Shamsi to get to the bottom of how complicated breast cancer health literacy is and how much it affects the lives of people who have it. He is an esteemed oncologist, university professor and one of the most respected experts in the field, whose goal is to make people with breast cancer healthier.

The creative economy. The term refers to the interchange of ideas, intellectual property, knowledge and technology. But it is an ever-evolving concept, and resists being pigeonholed into a single definition. It has also become a bit of a buzzword in the UAE, especially in the last 15 years as the country has endeavoured to bolster its creative sector. In this time, several cultural institutions have been launched that reshaped the local creative landscape, notably Louvre Abu Dhabi and NYUAD on Saadiyat, Jameel Arts Centre and AlSerkal Avenue in Dubai and the House of Wisdom in Sharjah. But launching cultural institutions is only the first step. Next comes the challenge of engaging with the public and inspiring the next generation of artists, architects, software engineers, writers, publishers, researchers and filmmakers. Maya Allison, Executive Director of The NYUAD Art Gallery, and Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at NYUAD Arts Centre, discuss the role NYUAD is playing in nurturing and developing this creative economy.

The NYUAD Arts Centre and Art Gallery have returned to in-person programming for the first time in two years. The Spring 2022 line-up features an eclectic mix of live musical, cinematic and dance performances as well as art exhibitions that defy traditional categorisation. Bill Bragin, from the NYUAD Arts Centre, and Maya Allison, from the NYUAD Art Gallery, have been working to cement the role of the University in the public sphere.    Although the pandemic caused disruption, it also provided an opportunity to reflect on how the Gallery's work reaches the local community. The pandemic was a call for cultural institutions to step up and help artists during a time of crisis and ensure local arts communities thrive.  In this podcast Bill Bragin, Executive Artistic Director at the NYUAD Arts Center, and Maya Allison, Executive Director of The NYUAD Art Gallery, speak about the importance of nurturing local artists.

Hesam Rahmanian, Rokhni Haerizadeh and Ramin Haerizadeh met in the underground art scene in Tehran in the early 1990s. After the Iranian Cultural Revolution that followed the overthrow of the Shah, free artistic expression could only take place in furtive private gatherings. It was during these meetings that the three were inspired to come together to form a collective, one founded on the principles of sharing and cooperation. The trio have been in the UAE since 2009. Their latest show at the NYUAD Art Gallery, titled Parthenogenesis, offers the audience the opportunity to become immersed in a surreal, multimedia landscape representing what they've been doing since coming to the Emirates. The exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, poetry and dance made by them or in collaboration with other artists, encompassing vast themes of displacement, transformation and their ongoing commitment to working together. This episode of Recorded is brought to you in Partnership with the NYUAD Art Gallery and Arts Centre.

Alaa Krimed is a luminary of the Middle East's contemporary dance scene. For the better part of the last decade, the Palestinian choreographer has been an ardent advocate of the art form through his Sima Dance Company, which he founded in Damascus in 2003. On a path that has been full of displacement, dance has remained his anchor as he first left Syria to avoid the war, then Lebanon to avoid the instability, to finally find a place for his creative practice to be nurtured in the Emirates.    Philip Rachid has always found solace in hip-hop, be it the music, the dance, or the aesthetic. As a half-Bulgarian, half-Iraqi Kurdish kid growing up in Amsterdam he felt like an outsider and soaked in the messages of hip-hop's global culture to help him expand his creativity. But it was in the UAE that Rachid found a way to combine all his different creative mediums into one.    This episode of Recorded is brought to you in Partnership with the NYUAD Art Gallery and Arts Centre.

After six months of cultural shows, concerts and summits, Expo 2020 Dubai is over. But what happens next? What will stay and what will go? Ahmed Al Khatib, the Chief Development and Delivery Officer for Expo 2020 Dubai, tells us how the now iconic site will be transformed into a city where people live, work and play.

Since the Emirates' formation in 1971, it has become a close friend and strategic partner of the United Kingdom.   In this miniseries, The UAE at 50, we examine how the relationship between the UAE and the UK has developed over the past fifty years.   In this episode, we take a look at the giant leaps made in the UAE's STEM fields and how exchanges with the UK have helped launch the young nation's space programme.   The UAE launched the Emirates Mars Mission last year and is already collaborating with other countries like the UK on a project to build the first human settlement on the planet by 2117.   We talk to Alia Al Mansoori, an aspiring Emirati astronaut and student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and mechanical engineer Nora Al Matrooshi, who became the first Arab female astronaut after joining the UAE's astronaut corps.

Since its formation in 1971, the UAE has become a close friend and strategic partner of the United Kingdom. In this mini-series, The UAE at 50, we examine how the relationship between the two countries has developed over the past 50 years. In this episode, we speak to two experts in archaeology based in the UAE about their most recent discoveries and how the young country is searching both its vast desert and deep waters to learn more about its ancient past. Noura Hamad Al Hameli is a young Emirati archaeologist with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi and Tim Power is a British archaeologist and historian specialising in Arabia and the Islamic world. He has been working as an academic, consultant and writer in the UAE since 2009 and is currently completing his next book, a 500-page history of the Emirati people. Hosted by Layla Maghribi Interviewed by Alice Haine and James Langton Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

In this bonus episode, The National is live from Adipec 2021 in Abu Dhabi, to discuss how the energy sector is evolving after the Covid-19 pandemic and Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow. Host Mustafa Alrawi talks to Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and a regular contributor to The National, about the outlook for oil and gas, how the industry will marry short-term supply needs with the path to net zero. Also, how viable is hydrogen as an option for the clean energy mix? Hosted by Mustafa Alrawi

Since the Emirates' formation 50 years ago, it has become a close friend and strategic partner of the UK. After an official visit by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to the UK earlier this year, the UAE's relationship with the country has entered a new chapter. Several high profile investments in greener, high-tech industries were announced, expanding on the Sovereign Investment Partnership, announced last March, with an initial £1 billion joint investment in life sciences. In this miniseries, The UAE at 50, we speak to those at the heart of this connection about what it means and examine how the links between businesses, governments and institutions have developed over the period. In this episode, we talk speak to Nick Cochran-Dyet, Director and Chairman of the British Business Group about the very long history of commerce between the two nations. Hosted by Layla Maghribi Interview conducted by Alice Haine Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson

Since the Emirates' formation 50 years ago, it has become a close friend and strategic partner of the UK. In this miniseries, The UAE at 50, we speak to those at the heart of this connection about what it means. In this episode, we talk to two environmental experts about the UAE's fast-changing environmental sector and how the country is forging ahead with its commitment to have net-zero emissions by 2050. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, who sits on the board of advisors of the Yale Centre for Environmental Law and Policy, and Dr Richard Perry, advisor to Abu Dhabi's Environment Agency, who helped establish the institution decades ago, tell us how partnerships and collaborations with countries such as the UK are at the heart of the UAE's goal to become a world leader in sustainability and renewable energy. Hosted by Layla Maghribi Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Pereira

The deadly 9/11 terror attacks reshaped US foreign policy with regards to the Middle East. Its consequences continue to be felt, 20 years on.   In this special episode, The National's Assistant Editor in Chief, Mustafa Alrawi, and Sean Murphy, Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, discuss the impact of that tragic event, both broadly on the region and in terms of their own careers.

Ten years ago, Diego Maradona stunned the world as he arrived in the UAE to manage club team Al Wasl. In this series, Paul Radley, sportswriter for The National, and football correspondent John McAuley will be looking back at the time when Maradona mania arrived in the UAE. Subscribe to this five-part special to hear the story in full. Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson.

In stark contrast to his gilded playing career, Diego Maradona never won a trophy as a manager. His spells in charge of teams were only ever brief, and often ended in turmoil. And yet those who played for him during his time in the UAE remember him with deep affection. They describe a manager full of empathy, warmth, and charisma, who would back them - even when all was lost. In Episode 4 of our podcast series, hosts John McAuley and Paul Radley hear from a number of players who were managed by Maradona at Al Wasl and Fujairah. The question to each of them was a simple one: what was it like to be coached by one of the most effervescent characters in all of sport? Subscribe to this five-part special to hear the story in full. Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson.

Diego Maradona is, for many, the greatest footballer to have ever played the game. So what made him so good? In 1982, when aged 22, he moved from Boca Juniors to Barcelona for a world-record $7.6 million fee. During his two years at Camp Nou, Maradona was a constant thorn in the side of arch-rivals Real Madrid, even helping Barcelona defeat the old enemy in the 1983 Copa del Rey final. He would spend two spells at Boca, returning in 1995 following an ignominious exit from the World Cup the previous summer. Two years later, he brought down the curtain on his professional career with a 2-1 victory away to bitter rivals River Plate. That wasn't technically when Maradona hung up his boots, though. In 2011, he arrived in the UAE to manage Al Wasl, and was a regular on the 5-aside or 7-aside pitch. Apparently, he treated those games as anything but recreational. In Episode 3 of our podcast series looking at the Maradona's time in the country, hosts Paul Radley and John McAuley speak to a former opponent at Real Madrid, an ex-teammate at Boca, and even a close friend who was tasked with organising the weekly “friendly” matches in Dubai. True to form, they attest to the fact the World Cup winner could be a handful on and off the pitch. Subscribe to this five-part special to hear the story in full. Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson.

Diego Maradona was a magnet for news throughout his career, and his relationship with the media rarely ran smooth. When he came to Dubai a decade ago to manage Al Wasl, the glare of the limelight might have been less harsh than it had been for him in Buenos Aires, Barcelona or Naples. And yet he still managed to find his way into scrapes. From kicking supporters of his own team, wading into the stands to remonstrate with opposition fans, and fostering fierce rivalries both near and far, Maradona frequently vented his fury. In Episode 2 of our podcast series looking at his time in the country, hosts Paul Radley and John McAuley speak to those tasked with trying to keep track of El Diego's escapades in Emirates. Subscribe to this five-part special to hear the story in full. Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson.

It marks one of the most extraordinary developments in UAE sport, a moment that carried Emirati football beyond its borders and to the world. Ten years ago, in May 2011, Diego Maradona was announced as the new manager of Al Wasl, a Dubai-based club fourth in the nascent UAE Pro League. The previous summer, Maradona had coached Argentina at the World Cup in South Africa, aiming to lead his country to football's greatest prize, just as he did most famously as a player in 1986. Now he was appointed head coach at Wasl, a decorated club in the UAE top flight but without a trophy in four seasons. Maradona signed a two-year contract, promising to restore his new employers to former glory. It did not quite work out that way, but Fifa's joint player of the century would go on to make Dubai his home for the best part of the next decade. To commemorate that remarkable period, The National has created a podcast series entitled “Diego Maradona: The Dubai Years”, with insight from some of the people who knew best the colourful Argentine during his time here. In Episode 1, hosts Paul Radley and John McAuley detail the whirlwind moment Maradona was considered as Wasl manager, what it meant for UAE football, his arrival in the Emirates, and that first press conference in which the World Cup winner set the stage for what became a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Subscribe to this five-part special to hear the story in full. Produced by Ayesha Khan and Arthur Eddyson.

Sir Nigel Shadbolt, chairman of the Open Data Institute which he co-founded with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, talks about the ethics of AI. 

When plans were revealed for a new European Super League, featuring the biggest football clubs in Europe, initially 12 teams signed up. Six of them were from the English Premier League - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. There was to be no relegation for the 15 founder members. Dominic Hart, sports editor at The National, talks to Andy Mittin, The National's European football correspondent, about the reaction to the announcement and the clubs withdrawing.

Hadal Ahbek, by singer-songwriter Issam Alnajjar, is one of Spotify's most streamed songs right now. The National's Saeed Saeed talked to the singer, who even caught the ear of the The Weeknd's manager, about his viral hit and how he came up with the song.

Nothing underscores how we do not live in the future as much as the daily commute. If travelling by car, then chances are the vehicle is running on a combustion engine – around since 1886 – that is emitting carbon and hastening climate change. The morning headlines blaring from your speakers are transmitted through radio waves, a form of communication that alerted people on land that the Titanic was sinking back in 1912. Elsewhere, the insult of public transportation is fairly universal. Timely, clean and reliable buses and trams are not the norm, but still the hallmark of a well-managed, well-funded city. And for those lucky enough to catch the breeze in their hair by walking or biking to work, well, those simple pleasures are more timeless than they are ultra-modern. Whichever mode of transport you use, the daily commute today does not look all that different from how our grandparents got to work. The pandemic has changed that, however, all at once but not for all. Now, more attention is being paid to places that make the commute more sustainable, safer and, in some cases, more fun. The National spoke to more than a dozen experts in urban planning, economics, transportation and real estate to understand the changing shape of this global necessity, which has been around since Ancient Greece.

Gaming colleagues Faisal Salah and Michael Coetzee rate the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X based on how well they did since their release.

On March 2, Dubai resident Sean Burgess set off on an epic journey in his quest to claim a Guinness World Record for crossing all seven emirates of the UAE in as many days on foot, in a bid to support disadvantaged children in Uganda in collaboration with Adidas and Gulf for Good. Burgess shares his rather harrowing experiences, and what he learned from them, with The National. 

The art exhibition is called not in, of, along or relating to a line. Its name suggests the beginning of something vast, beyond the linear and potentially multidimensional. Or maybe the opposite, something lacking a physical dimension altogether. Maya Allison, executive director of NYUAD Art Gallery, and curator and artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg, began the task of collating the virtual exhibition. As parts of the world went into lockdown, so did NYUAD Art Gallery. There was no longer a physical space in which to interact with the work.  While the world's biggest museums and galleries began offering online tours and walkthroughs, NYUAD Art Gallery took a different approach. Its exhibition would not be one in which people could enter the gallery space virtually and tour it in 3D. Instead, it would show works that are “born digital”, made specifically for the online world and tailored for the smartphone screen. Host Alexandra Chavez looks at the ideas culminating in this exhibition. We hear from curator Heather Dewey-Hagborg and artists Maryam Al Hamra and Lee Blalock.

The National's Ramola Talwar Badam speaks to three scientists who have been granted the golden visa about their research in the UAE and what Emirati citizenship means to them.

When Maya Allison first came to the UAE as the founding executive director of the NYUAD art gallery, she was excited to see what type of art she would find here. Having studied at the prestigious Columbia University School of the Arts in Manhattan, the idea of stories and narratives that existed outside the vast and powerful New York art world always interested her. She discovered a depth of creativity and history in the capital that helped her build a community around the university gallery. 

As NYUAD Arts Centre's 2019-2020 season came to a close, Bill Bragin, its executive art director, and his team began thinking about next season. Coronavirus shut down industries with a brutality that reverberated through the art world. The arts centre was fully aware of the economic impact the pandemic had on artists everywhere. There was the uncertainty about whether there would be in-person performances, but also the potential of working with the newly enforced online medium. The challenges for the art world were vast and varied. But as the world looked for outlets from the pandemic - to watch TV and films, read books, listen to music and much more - it was obvious that creative content was vital in this time of crisis Host Alexandra Chavez looks at how some of the artists from the NYUAD Arts Centre programme tackled the challenges. We hear from 600 Highwaymen, Martha Redbone and Boom.Diwan.

In March 2020, most of the world was waking up to the idea that life would change in ways we couldn't have imagined. As the pandemic brought much of the planet to a halt, Bill Bragin, executive artistic director of The Arts Centre at NYUAD, had to rethink ways to bring cutting-edge art to the world. How could film screenings and live performance thrive at a time when people were struggling, isolated and unable to gather in public?  

Salem Muqattash, who tested negative for Covid-19 several times between bouts of illness, may have caught the virus twice in 35 days.

Gene Simmons of Kiss talked to Saeed Saeed, music journalist at The National, about what people can expect from their New Year's Eve concert at The Atlantis in Dubai. He also tells us about what he learned during the pandemic and what his relationship with Paul Stanley is like.

Saeed Saeed, music journalist at The National, talks to Paul Stanley of Kiss about the challenges facing the live music industry and how the band's New Year's Eve concert in Dubai could set a new standard for producing safe gigs in the future.

Alice Albright, the chief executive of the Global Partnership for Education talks to The National about the GPE calling on the international community to not take children's education for granted. Alice also spoke about the impact that the pandemic has had on education.

Saeed Saeed talks to Gene Simmons of Kiss about their upcoming New Year's Eve concert in Dubai and why they are taking no chances when it comes to safety and will fly to the emirate on a custom jet.

Haider Hussain, a partner at Fragomen, an immigration services company, spoke to The National for an overview of the rules. 

In this episode of Recorded, we hear from the three artists participating in this year's Beyond programme – who they are, why they create and the ideas behind their work for Abu Dhabi Art.

Wrestling legend The Undertaker sits down with Evelyn Lau of The National to talk about his 30-year career, his favourite wrestling moments - and unfinished business in the ring.

People with Type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke and despite advances in care, cardiovascular diseases are the top causes of death. Added to this, is that the relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular diseases is not always well understood. To help people know more, for World Diabetes Day 2020 on Saturday November 14, The National and leading pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, hosted an expert discussion exploring the link between Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. For World Diabetes Day our expert panel includes:Dr Mohamed Hassanein, a senior consultant in endocrinology Dr Abdallah Shehab, a consultant cardiologist Ousama Al Haj, general manager and head of human pharma, at Boehringer Ingelheim, Gulf. The discussion is hosted by The National's assistant editor-in-chief Mustafa Alrawi. In this episode: What is T2 diabetes? (1m 14s) Why is the ME region more affected? (7m 25s) Can you cure T2 diabetes? (9m 39s) How does Covid-19 affect you if you are diabetic? (12m 54s) The link between diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (14m 42s) Raising awareness (18m 34s)