Business Extra: What does the new Jebel Ali gas find mean for the UAE?



A new source of energy discovered in the UAE on 5,000 square kilometres of land on the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi will support the country's aim to be totally self-sufficient and also provide additional power capacity to boost broader economic diversification efforts.  This week, host Mustafa Alrawi, assistant editor in chief, and Kelsey Warner, future editor of The National, talk to energy correspondent Jennifer Gnana about the new discovery and the factors weighing on oil prices. Joining them in studio is cofounder and principal at Changeosity, Suzanne Gandy, and an expert in culture and leadership transformation, social behaviour and the future of work.

The panel discuss energy markets as oil prices faced further losses, with Brent trading at its lowest in more than a year as fears over the economic impact of the coronavirus rattles markets. In this episode: UAE's new energy source (0m 52s) Coronavirus shocks the market (7m 24s) New social behaviours at work (13m 42s) Headlines (17m 35s) Read more on our website:

• Abu Dhabi and Dubai to develop new gas reservoir in Jebel Ali area

• Jebel Ali gas reservoir discovery the 'largest in 15 years'

• Oil slides further over coronavirus as Opec+ convenes to stabilise markets

• Regulatory disagreement on Boeing 737 Max wiring complicates jet's return

• UAE banks to maintain 'stable' credit profiles in 2020, S&P says

• Aramco-like IPO proposed for Indian insurer

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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows

Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.

Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.

The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.

After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.

The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.

The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.

But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

How it works

Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.

Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.

As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.

A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.

Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.

The biog:

From: Wimbledon, London, UK

Education: Medical doctor

Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures 

Favourite animals: All of them 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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