In this segment of The Morning Drive on Mira Business FM, James Thomas breaks down the recent interest rate rise and its direct financial impact on UAE residents. Following the US Federal Reserve’s 25-basis-point increase, the Central Bank of the UAE raised its base rate from 3.65% to 3.90%.

In this episode, David MacKenzie and Tim Elliott take a deep dive into the current state of hiring. From the rise of AI-driven resume screening and ghosting to the shifting power dynamics between employers and job seekers, they explore why the recruitment process feels more fragmented than ever — and what both companies and candidates can do to navigate it.

A new Fortis survey of more than 130 UAE merchants reveals a surprising digital gap: 64% of SMEs still run core operations on Excel, even as businesses invest heavily in digital transformation. Many already have a powerful tool sitting at the checkout: their POS system. But are they actually using it to run the business? Joining us is Ahmed Sameh, CMO at Fortis, to look at why UAE SMEs may be leaving valuable business intelligence untapped.

Tim Elliott speaks with EVA Real Estate Senior Manager Mario Volpi to discuss a major friction point for Dubai tenants: unexpected lease renewal charges. Volpi clarifies Land Department guidelines regarding administrative fees and assesses whether real estate agents deserve compensation when managing commercial transactions, tenancy agreements, or Ejari contracts.

Billions of dollars are being committed to Gulf energy projects, but renewed US-Iran tensions are raising fresh questions about the region’s investment outlook. With oil prices above $100 and continued risks around regional energy infrastructure, how could the latest escalation affect the Gulf’s major investment plans?Frank Kane, Editor-at-large at Arabian Gulf Business Insight, joins us to look at the outlook for Gulf energy investment and what businesses and investors should be watching.

Abu Dhabi is reshaping its property market to target multi-generational family wealth, high-net-worth end users, and family offices rather than yield-seeking speculators. Highlighting a distinct strategy from neighbouring Dubai, government-backed developers are launching premium villa projects priced from AED 8.5 million upwards, positioning the capital as a prime regional safe haven. Tim Elliott speaks to Ajay Menon, CEO of Luxe Vista Properties, to unpack this.

AI is rapidly changing food marketing, giving restaurants and brands new ways to create images, menus and promotional campaigns without traditional production costs. But what does this mean for the creative industry behind food advertising?And as AI-generated food becomes harder to distinguish from the real thing, businesses face a new question: how far can they go without losing customer trust?On Morning Drive, Tim Elliott speaks with Lucy Bradley, Founder of Plug, about how AI is reshaping food marketing.

Regional tensions are putting financial systems across the region under pressure, but Islamic banks are showing resilience. Strong capital and liquidity buffers are helping the sector absorb shocks. So, what is keeping Islamic banks stable, and can that resilience hold if tensions persist? Tim Elliott is joined by Islamic economics and finance expert Dr. Adnan Aziz to break it down.