Business & EconomyGulf capital markets enter a new cycle of disciplined growth
Listings, sovereign capital and private credit are reshaping how regional companies fund expansion, and how boards communicate with investors.
AI & InnovationBusiness & EconomyAI & Innovation
Strategic CommunicationsExecutive visibility has become a board-level asset
Executive interviews
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Filmed interviewViktoria Soltesz in conversationFounder & Chief Executive, PSP Angels22 minFeatured interview · 17 Sep 2026
Viktoria Soltesz
Founder & Chief Executive · PSP Angels
A specialist in payments, banking and financial infrastructure, Viktoria Soltesz advises international companies on how money actually moves, and where it gets stuck. She speaks to Smart Media about banking access in the Gulf, the gap between fintech promise and operational reality, and what regional founders consistently underestimate.
“Most companies do not have a payment problem. They have a structure problem that only becomes visible when the money stops.”
Operational excellence is quiet work. It only becomes visible when you stop doing it.
Layla Al HashimiGroup Chief Operating Officer, Emirates Industrial Holding
Governance is not the brake on AI. It is the thing that lets you accelerate without crashing.
Omar bin TariqChief Technology Officer, Gulf Digital Authority
Luxury in this region is no longer about what a property has. It is about what only that property can offer.
Nadia KassemManaging Director, Middle East, Meridian Hospitality Group
UAE events & conferences
Event calendar Event coverage
Post-event reportLeadership & Executive Interviews
Emirates Leadership Conference
11–12 Sep 2026Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
Key takeaways
- Succession planning is moving from private family discussion to documented governance.
- Boards are adding independent directors faster than at any point in the last decade.
- Bilingual executive communication is now treated as a leadership competency.
Post-event report · Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Culture Summit
Cultural districts are being measured on resident engagement, not visitor numbers. Long-term brand partnership is displacing single-event sponsorship.
Articles & analysis
All articlesBusiness & Leadership
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Hana-chan: The Social Robot Redefining Emotional Care – A Special Showcase from the Abu Dhabi Health Summit
Discover how Peter Julius and Public Intelligence are using GROOVE X's LOVOT ("Hana-chan") as an advanced low-arousal therapeutic tool in Danish primary care.
Luxury & Lifestyle
More
فادي عماش: أبوظبي نحو جيل جديد من الفنادق… ذكية في تقنياتها وإنسانية في ضيافتها
يتحدث فادي عماش، المدير العام لفندق «جراند ميلينيوم الوحدة»، عن التحولات الجذرية في قطاع الضيافة بعاصمة الإمارات أبوظبي. يكشف عماش عن معادلة الجمع بين الذكاء الاصطناعي والدفء الإنساني، متطرقاً إلى متطلبات الضيف الحديث، وأهمية الكواليس التشغيلية، ومبادرات التسجيل الذكي (Smart Check-In)، بجانب محطات من رحلته الشخصية التي قادته من حلم الطيران إلى قيادة واحد من أبرز صروح الضيافة في المنطقة.
Communications & Media
More
صعود وكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي المستقلين في إدارة الأعمال اليومية
تعرف على كيفية انتقال الشركات من استخدام برامج الدردشة الآلية البسيطة إلى اعتماد وكلاء ذكاء اصطناعي مستقلين قادرين على إدارة مسارات العمل المعقدة وخدمة العملاء وتحليل البيانات.
Video
All videosEvent coverage10:00Events & ConferencesEmirates Leadership Conference: highlights
Three days of succession and governance debate condensed into ten minutes.
Podcasts
All episodesEpisode 18The structure behind the money
Viktoria Soltesz · Founder & CEO, PSP Angels
Listen · 42 minEpisode 17Governing AI in production
Omar bin Tariq · CTO, Gulf Digital Authority
Listen · 38 minEpisode 16Succession without drama
Layla Al Hashimi · Group COO, Emirates Industrial Holding
Listen · 45 minThe newsroom
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Featured project · UAE family group · 2025
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