Abdulnasser Alshaali, Special to Gulf News

Articles from the author

No easy answers for global trade of onions

What happened with onions shows the challenges global food trade has to pass through

The COVID-19 phase showed up the many challenges food exporters and importers had to go through. Some of those issues are still unresolved.

Easing UAE Nationals into private sector jobs

UAE government has set a 10% target and backing it up with hefty financial muscle

Raise UAE Nationals' presence to 10% in five years - that's the target. And the government is putting a lot of thought and resources behind it.

Food security hinges on trade these days

means of control of production need no longer give same sense of supremacy

How easily can foodstuffs be traded across borders? That determines food security hierarchy more than anything else.

Government staff can be potential entrepreneurs

UAE Government could provide support schemes to smooth such a switch

The public sector can be a reservoir of talent and wannabe entrepreneurs. Creating those support systems where these individuals can transition into SME owners would be a major gain for any country.

Euro 2020 holds some lessons for us all

Each team and the way they performed eventually have an experience to pass on

Italy won, but each of the teams and their eventual performances provide insights that can be applied off-the-pitch as well.

Weeks without meetings too can be productive

It is time to move past some time-tested concepts of an ideal working ways

One less meeting will not take a heavy toll on productivity or any of the other parameters. In fact, results can surprise.

Keeping checks on food price inflation will not be easy

Some food exporters could soon impose limits and add to price spiral

For food import dependent economies, the upcoming phase of food prices getting out of control will be a tough one to manage.

Inflationary price rises will not happen at same time

First, supply chains all over need to be reinstated somewhere approaching normalcy

Will all products and categories face a similar lift in global demand? Quite unlikely, and much will depend on the sentiments of businesses and of individuals.

Need to get a firm grip on meetings and time

Any time overrun is a cost that businesses have to factor in, but don't

There's no getting away from meetings, but can businesses get smart about hosting them?

Imports have a clear role in securing food security

But best solution lies in widening sourcing options than stick with few

Imports will keep playing a role for nations that have limitations on localised farming. But the strategy going forward is to get smart with imports.

Guessing game continues on next 'peak oil'

There are ways oil producing countries can try and delay such a peak

Storing for the future or for the now? As economies recover from the pandemic, demand should surge, which will dent all the stored up oil sloshing around.

Fluffy economics can show up in many ways

When policies are framed without data as backup, trouble usually follows

Any field within economics needs specialisation and hard numbers to back up policies and plans. With fluffy economics, all of those requirements get ejected.

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