Marketplace Middle East

We speak with Tony Habre, who opened three restaurants mid-crisis, food consultant Samantha Wood on how the industry adapted, and Natasha Sideris of the Tashas Tashas Group on what sustainable growth looks like from here.

Across the Gulf, companies are learning that resilience isn't just about weathering instability, it's also becoming a competitive advantage.

As uncertainty rattles economies around the world, the UAE is still pushing ahead with growth plans. In Abu Dhabi, that means everything from mega entertainment bets like Sphere to retailers like Spinneys, quietly reworking supply chains behind the scenes. For businesses operating here, the challenge is no longer whether disruption will happen, it's how quickly they can adapt to it.

The host provides unique insights into the Middle Eastern financial markets, observing critical events and developments that impact the global business landscape.

At FII's Rome summit, we sit down with industry leaders to explore how Gulf capital and European infrastructure are becoming increasingly intertwined and what that means for both regions' long-term economic growth. But while capital flows between continents, the UAE's $9.5 billion restaurant industry was put to the test, forcing operators to cut menus, renegotiate contracts, and in some cases, close entirely. But some saw opportunity.