The Business

Can Dubai’s $35 billion Al Maktoum International Airport expansion survive growing Middle East conflict, or will regional tensions stall the world's biggest aviation megaproject?

In this episode of The Business, Dominic O’Connell is joined by Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, to discuss the ambitious expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. Designed to handle 260 million passengers across five runways, the airport represents a massive investment in the future of global travel and trade. Griffiths reflects on navigating regional instability, missile threats, and managing airport security during heightened tensions.

“I think there are some things that we are considering which could harden some of the infrastructure against possible threats, but I think most of this is going to be technology that actually stops the impact of any conflict being felt by the infrastructure, that’s the most important thing,” Griffiths says on the show.

Following Houthi missile attacks on Saudi’s Riyadh airport, the UK Foreign Office has now advised against all but essential travel to a large portion of Saudi Arabia. Griffiths tells the program Dubai’s airspace is so far unaffected. “The attacks on civilian infrastructure that are happening in Saudi are very regrettable and abhorrent in so many ways,” he says. “We have to remember that the Middle East is a pretty big place - and Riyadh and Jeddah are as far away as Italy is from the UK, so it is a war between two countries that are not fortunately touching the UAE. Obviously we are maintaining vigilance.”

From his early career alongside Sir Richard Branson at Virgin Atlantic to running Gatwick and leading Dubai Airports, Griffiths outlines his corporate strategy for connecting world markets. He also discusses how international aviation disruptions impact passenger recovery, supply chains, and the wider UK economy - as well as how he has balanced his other career as a pipe organ musician.

Guest:
Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports

Presenter:
Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
Picture: Getty

More from the Business:
EasyJet vs Wall Street: The £5.7bn Battle for a British Budget Airline
Inside the Multi-Billion-Pound Resurgence of Marks & Spencer
Wealth and inheritance tax driving away the UK’s super rich?

More from the Times:
Saudi Arabia airport hit by second Houthi strike after 13 killed in attack — as it happened
Dubai airport prepares for take-off amid US-Iran conflict
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This series is sponsored by PwC.

What should business leaders expect from the chancellor's first Budget? President of the British Chambers of Commerce and former Bank of England Chief Economist Andy Haldane joins The Business to discuss.

Hannah Prevett and Dominic O’Connell explore what John Healey will be weighing up before heading to the despatch box. Joined by Andy Haldane and Claire Blackburn (PwC’s UK Tax Leader), they examine the economic pressures facing the UK economy, the politics behind the potential fiscal policy choices, and potential changes to capital gains tax.

They discuss what British business and industry leaders need from this Budget to drive economic growth, manage corporate strategy, and restore commercial confidence.
You can also watch this episode on Times Business channel on YouTube.

Guests:
Andy Haldane, President of the British Chamber of Commerce and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England
Claire Blackburn, PwC’s UK Tax Leader

Presenter:
Hannah Prevett, associate business editor, The Sunday Times
Dominic O’Connell, business correspondent, Times Radio

Producer: Shabnam Grewal
Executive Producer: Emily Leahy
Video Producer: Super Llama

Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will a re-imagined version of Help to Buy solve Britain's housing crisis? Dominic O’Connell examines whether government mortgage subsidies can rescue Labour's ambitious homebuilding targets.

In this episode of The Business, we explore "Your First Home" - the government's proposed scheme to resurrect Help to Buy and subsidise mortgages for first-time buyers without the bank of mum and dad. With construction stalling across the UK economy, we ask whether restarting Help to Buy will stimulate homebuilding or simply inflate property prices.

Dominic is joined by Jennie Daly, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey - one of Britain's largest house builders - and Carol Lewis, property editor at The Times. Together, they discuss planning delays, red tape, and how changing government fiscal policy impacts British business confidence. They analyse whether mortgage subsidies and supply chain reform can overcome material costs, unlock land development, and deliver long-term economic growth.

“We have to step back and think: what does housebuilding deliver? It’s a fundamental human right,” Jennie Daly said on the show. “New home building is the only route to increasing the housing stock. So there's a fundamental economic and social case for intervention at times in the economic cycle where house building is particularly in danger of contracting.”

Guests:
Jennie Daly, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey
Carol Lewis, property editor at The Times

Presenter:
Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producer: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy
Video Producer: Bronwen Latham
Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

Hear more from The Business:
Why are the super rich leaving Britain?
Does Andy Burnham’s government have the guts to deliver growth?
The rise of the corporate landlord - with Grainger’s Helen Gordon

Read more from The Times:
New home approvals sink to 13-year low as PM revives Help to Buy
How housebuilders won argument to revive help for first-time buyers
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This series is sponsored by PwC.

What can business learn from the high-stakes of Formula 1® racing?

In the fourth and final episode of a special series, host Andy Jaye speaks to 2009 F1® World Champion Jenson Button and Amish Patel, PwC’s UK Transport Lead, about how elite drivers and teams perform under pressure.

Jenson Button shares unique insights from his career in Formula 1® about how to manage talent in high-stress environments, build resilient teams, foster supportive workplace cultures, and allow room to experiment and sometimes fail.

They explore what British business and industry leaders can learn from Formula 1® about execution under pressure, corporate strategy, and driving economic growth when stakes are high.

You can also watch this episode on Times Business channel on YouTube.

Presenter:

Andy Jaye, Broadcaster

Guests:

Jenson Button, 2009 F1® World Champion
Amish Patel, PwC’s UK Transport Lead

Producer: Robert Wallace and Shabnam Grewal

Executive Producer: Emily Leahy

Video Producer: Super Llama

Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Labour’s promise of reindustrialisation realistic for the UK economy? Dominic O’Connell explores the future of British manufacturing.

In his speech to the Labour Party conference, Chancellor John Healey promised "a new age of industrialisation". But with UK manufacturing output stagnant and England losing over 6,000 manufacturing businesses in the past five years according to the Office for National Statistics, can government fiscal policy turn the tide?

In this episode of The Business, Dominic O’Connell considers whether genuine reindustrialisation is possible, as well as the obstacles in the way including the impact of high energy costs, skills shortages and the global impact of Chinese manufacturing competition.

Joined by David Smith, economics editor at The Sunday Times, and Liam Sides, director of regional analysis at Oxford Economics, we examine the structural shifts that transformed Britain into a service-based economy over the last 50 years and evaluate what a realistic reindustrialisation strategy looks like for British business, from growing advanced manufacturing sectors like aerospace and pharmaceuticals to regional investment and planning reform.

Guests:
David Smith, Economics Editor at The Sunday Times
Liam Sides, Director of Regional Analysis at Oxford Economics

Presenter:
Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business correspondent

Producer: Hope Federico
Executive Producers: Emily Leahy and Miriam Hall

Picture: Getty
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.