The Inside Brief
The Inside Brief is a video podcast from The National in Abu Dhabi, hosted by Manus Cranny. It features in-depth conversations with leaders who shape the region and the global business world.
Episodes
Investcorp's Mohammed Alardhi on why anyone who bet against the Gulf has lost and the road to $100bn
Mohammed Alardhi joined the Royal Air Force of Oman as a cadet in 1978, trained as a fighter pilot at RAF Cranwell and rose to command the entire Omani Air Force with the rank of Air Vice Marshal, before leaving for Harvard.
He is now executive chairman of Investcorp. The alternative asset manager founded in 1982 made its name buying and selling Tiffany and Gucci, and has since grown from $10 bill
IEA chief Fatih Birol on the Strait of Hormuz, Gulf supply trust and the future of oil
The International Energy Agency was founded in 1974, in the wake of the Arab oil embargo, with a clear mandate: co-ordinate emergency stock releases in a crisis. In 2026, that mandate has been tested like never before.
On March 11, the IEA authorised the release of 400 million barrels of oil, the largest co-ordinated stock release in the agency's history, after the Strait of Hormuz closure sent th
Orbitworks acting CEO on designing and manufacturing the UAE's first satellite for commercial export
Next month marks a turning point for the UAE's space industry. Abu Dhabi-based satellite company Orbitworks will ship Altair-1, the first satellite designed and built in the country for commercial export, to California to launch.
Leading that effort is Dr Hamdullah Mohib, acting chief executive of Orbitworks. His path to the role is unlike almost any other in the industry. An engineer by training,
Omniyat Group's Mahdi Amjad: Building through war, Dh200 billion by 2030 and doubling down on the UAE
When the US-Iran conflict was at its peak, most developers were waiting, but Mahdi Amjad was accelerating.
The founder and executive chairman of Omniyat Group, which encompasses the UAE's leading ultra-luxury developer Omniyat, sat down with Manus Cranny on location at The Opus building in Dubai Business Bay for a conversation about building through conflict, the numbers behind his confidence, and
Billionaire John Caudwell on Labour, AI and his fears for the younger generation
Billionaire John Caudwell built Phones4u into one of Britain's biggest mobile phone retailers before selling it for almost £1.5 billion in 2006. He has since committed to giving 70 per cent of his wealth to charity.
In a special edition of The Inside Brief recorded at his estate in the South of France, Mr Caudwell speaks to Manus Cranny with characteristic directness about British politics, the ec
Former NSA chief Tim Haugh on Iran, UAE targets and future of AI warfare
In this special episode of The Inside Brief with Manus Cranny, former US National Security Agency chief Tim Haugh joins us in London to talk about the cyber dimensions of the Iran war and regional escalation, including an attack on the UAE's nuclear power plant.
Mr Haugh argues that the US is seeking conditions for a political settlement focused on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and
Mervyn King warns UK leadership hopefuls: Bond markets cannot be ignored
Bond markets are sending signals that politicians are struggling to read. Former Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King joins The Inside Brief with Manus Cranny from London to make sense of them, drawing on a 22-year career at the institution and a decade as governor during some of the most turbulent periods in modern financial history.
On the current state of UK gilt markets and rising long-ter
Veon chief on the Iran war, frontier markets and why AI will create superheroes
The Iran war has put pressure on businesses headquartered in the UAE, but Kaan Terzioglu, chief executive of Dubai-based multinational telecommunication and digital services company Veon is not among those pulling back.
Speaking to The Inside Brief with Manus Cranny from the company's Dubai offices, Mr Terzioglu says he is a hundred per cent sure Dubai will come out of this even stronger, and that
First global banker back in Abu Dhabi: Goldman Sachs on what's really happening
Goldman Sachs has just reported one of its strongest and most profitable quarters on record, with more than $17 billion in revenue.
But with the Iran war reshaping the region and global recession risk rising, what are the world's leading investment banks actually thinking?
Anthony Gutman, co-chief executive of Goldman Sachs International and co-head of investment banking, joins Manus Cranny on The
What the Middle East escalation means for the global economy with Adam Posen and Bob McNally
In this live edition of The Inside Brief, host Manus Cranny is joined by Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group, to assess the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East and its implications for oil markets, global growth and geopolitical stability.
Mr McNally warns that the world is adjusting to a major d
Mohamed El-Erian calls for Fed 'reboot' and reflects on AI, his career and regrets
In this episode of The Inside Brief with Manus Cranny, Allianz chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian shares his insights on monetary policy, market volatility and the challenges facing central banks in a rapidly changing global economy.
Mr El-Erian discusses expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, arguing that markets continue to respond primarily to economic data rather than political narra
UBS global CIO on the new rules of investing and how markets work now
In this episode of The Inside Brief, Mark Haefele, global chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, joins host Manus Cranny for a deep dive on how investors should navigate a world shaped increasingly by power, policy, and long term structural forces rather than short term market headlines.
Mr Haefele reflects on the idea that geopolitical shocks often dominate news cycles but tend
Mubadala's Waleed Al Muhairi on investing through global fragmentation
In this special edition of The Inside Brief from Davos 2026, Waleed Al Muhairi, deputy group chief executive of Mubadala, joins host Manus Cranny to discuss how global investors are navigating a world defined by fragmentation rather than chaos.
With more than $375 billion in assets under management, Mubadala sits at the centre of global capital flows and Mr Al Muhairi explains why long-term convic
DP World's chief executive on why trade never stops in an uncertain world, plus leadership lessons
In this episode of The Inside Brief, chairman and group chief executive of DP World Sultan bin Sulayem sits down with host Manus Cranny to share his views on global trade and shipping at a time of geopolitical shocks, tariff wars and market volatility.
The head of the global ports operator explains why, from his perspective, physical cargo flows are far more resilient than market sentiment, and wh
Anthony Scaramucci unfiltered on power, markets and America's reputation
In this re-run episode of The Inside Brief, Manus Cranny revisits a candid and often humorous conversation with Anthony Scaramucci, financier, media personality, and former White House communications director. Scaramucci speaks openly about how power really works, how reputations are built and damaged on the world stage, and why credibility matters to investors, allies, and institutions alike.
Dmitry Balyasny on Abu Dhabi expansion, AI agents and 2026 outlook
In this special edition of The Inside Brief recorded live on stage at the Abu Dhabi Finance Week, host Manus Cranny sits down with Dmitry Balyasny, managing partner and chief investment officer Balyasny Asset Management, which oversees more than $30 billion across multi-strategy portfolios.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Mr Balyasny discusses why his firm is expanding in Abu Dhabi and what makes
Helima Croft on oil markets, sanctions, next year's scenarios and personal lessons
In this episode of The Inside Brief, Manus Cranny sits down with Helima Croft, RBC Capital Markets' managing director and global head of commodity strategy, and a former CIA economic analyst, for a rare, deeply informed conversation on geopolitics, oil markets and leadership.
Ms Croft decodes the Opec+ pause and Saudi oil strategy, offering a grounded forecast for 2026 oil prices under different p
Inside Emirates: Boeing delays, Airbus talks and leadership tips with Sir Tim Clark
In this episode of The Inside Brief, Manus Cranny sits down at Emirates headquarters with company president Sir Tim Clark for a candid conversation about growth, negotiation, and the future of global aviation.
Sir Tim traces Emirates from its 1985 regional beginnings to a 270-aircraft super-connector that now contributes meaningfully to Dubai’s economy and identity.
The conversation turns to suppl
CEO of All3Media on the future of TV, streaming, content
In this episode of The Inside Brief, host Manus Cranny sits down with Jane Turton, CEO of All3Media, one of the UK’s largest independent TV, film, and distribution groups.
Acquired by RedBird IMI in 2024, All3Media has become a creative powerhouse behind global successes including The Traitors, Life on Our Planet, and Squid Game: The Challenge.
From the company’s London headquarters to its global
Anthony Scaramucci on money, politics and the US's image
In this episode of The Inside Brief, host Manus Cranny welcomes Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital, former White House communications director, and now the host of The Rest Is Politics US.
Known for his unfiltered views on markets, politics and the US's reputation on the global stage, Scaramucci calls Bitcoin a “phenomenal asset” and unpacks the correction he attributes to “whale
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on vision, ambition and the future of aviation
In the opening episode of The National's video-first podcast The Inside Brief, host Manus Cranny sits down with Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, to discuss the emirate’s ambition to create the world’s most advanced aviation hub.
From managing 95 million passengers a year to planning a move to a new airport capable of handling 260 million a year by 2050, Griffiths shares how visio
The Inside Brief: A new video-first podcast with Manus Cranny
As global capital flows intensify across the Middle East and transformative sectors take shape, The National introduces The Inside Brief, a video-first podcast hosted by Manus Cranny to explore the people driving this dynamic growth.
In this new podcast, Manus sits down with regional and global CEOs, risk takers and policymakers, and the people who shape industries, move markets and define investm
