Dubai's flying taxis are taking off. Georgia Tolley was there for the test flights.

But down on the ground? The traffic is worse than ever. A new survey shows 9 in 10 drivers face daily congestion.

Plus, Abu Dhabi’s population has doubled in a decade. We ask the experts what’s being done to cope.
Meanwhile, a new online scam is hitting sellers in the UAE involving fake Careem links and stolen card details.

And finally—would you holiday in North Korea?

Dubai's flying taxis are taking off. Georgia Tolley was there for the test flights.
But down on the ground? The traffic is worse than ever. A new survey shows 9 in 10 drivers face daily congestion.
Plus, Abu Dhabi&rsquo;s population has doubled in a decade. We ask the experts what&rsquo;s being done to cope. Meanwhile, a new online scam is hitting sellers in the UAE involving fake Careem links and stolen card details.
And finally&mdash;would you holiday in North Korea?

The Agenda is your go-to programme for news, analysis and comment - a daily digest of local and international stories that matter to you. Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.
From Covid-19, to climate change and community issues, The Agenda covers stories from every walk of life, so get in touch with us and tell us your news.

The Agenda is your go-to programme for news, analysis and comment - a daily digest of local and international stories that matter to you. Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE. From Covid-19, to climate change and community issues, The Agenda covers stories from every walk of life, so get in touch with us and tell us your news.

The Agenda

Flying taxis and traffic jams

The RTA has just completed a major phase of its Hessa Street Development Project. This latest upgrade is designed to help ease congestion for the more than 630,000 vehicles that use that stretch of road every day. So what exactly has been delivered? How long is the upgraded section? And which junctions are now fully operational? We get the details straight from Hamad Al Shehhi, Director of Roads at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency. 

We also ask transport expert Martin Tillman if it's enough to solve the long-term congestion problems in that part of the city.

We turn our attention too to kids bank accounts and financial literacy for children after receiving a flurry of messages from our listeners wanting to know how they can teach their kids financial independence.

We look at how local genetic data are being used to develop treatments and diagnostics that are tailored to this region’s population. 

A new eye injection in the UK uses a simple gel injected into the eye to restore pressure and improve vision in patients with dangerously low eye pressure.

We also speak with the Dubai Civil Defence about their Billion Readiness initiative that has already helped reduce fire incidents worldwide by 18%.

And check the details about Dubai's attempt to host the world’s largest virtual sign language class this month.

 

The RTA has just completed a major phase of its Hessa Street Development Project. This latest upgrade is designed to help ease congestion for the more than 630,000 vehicles that use that stretch of road every day. So what exactly has been delivered? How long is the upgraded section? And which junctions are now fully operational? We get the details straight from Hamad Al Shehhi, Director of Roads at RTA&rsquo;s Traffic and Roads Agency.&nbsp;
We also ask transport expert Martin Tillman if it's enough to solve the long-term congestion problems in that part of the city.
We turn our attention too to kids bank accounts and financial literacy for children after receiving a flurry of messages from our listeners wanting to know how they can teach their kids financial independence.
We look at how local genetic data are being used to develop treatments and diagnostics that are tailored to this region&rsquo;s population.&nbsp;
A new eye injection in the UK uses a simple gel injected into the eye to restore pressure and improve vision in patients with dangerously low eye pressure.
We also speak with the Dubai Civil Defence about their Billion Readiness initiative that has already helped reduce fire incidents worldwide by 18%.
And check the details about Dubai's attempt to host the world&rsquo;s largest virtual sign language class this month.
&nbsp;

How does Hessa Street expansion impact our community?

The Roads and Transport Authority is beginning a school bus pooling pilot programme next week and they’re doing it in partnership with a private transport company and a bus provider. We get the details from Adel Shakri, Director of Planning and Business Development at RTA's Public Transport Agency, Yango and Urban Express.

If you’re thinking of buying property in Dubai or even just keeping an eye on where the city is expanding next, there's a growing number of tools now available to help buyers make smarter, more strategic decisions. We found one through property consultant Divya Wadhwa.

But who decides what gets built and where? What makes a plot of land become a residential community, a park, a business hub, or even a cultural district? We get the take of 

Fatma Al Khayat from Arkat Urban Planning + Design

Tech journalist Kevin Sebastian updates us with all the changes Google is doing to Gmail.

A group of chemists and environmental scientists say many of the most alarming microplastics studies may be based on flawed detection methods. Some particles believed to be plastic could actually be natural fat, and key safety claims may not stand up to scrutiny. 

And is ube the new matcha?

 

The Roads and Transport Authority is beginning a school bus pooling pilot programme next week and they&rsquo;re doing it in partnership with a private transport company and a bus provider. We get the details from Adel Shakri, Director of Planning and Business Development at RTA's Public Transport Agency, Yango and Urban Express.
If you&rsquo;re thinking of buying property in Dubai or even just keeping an eye on where the city is expanding next, there's a growing number of tools now available to help buyers make smarter, more strategic decisions. We found one through property consultant Divya Wadhwa.
But who decides what gets built and where? What makes a plot of land become a residential community, a park, a business hub, or even a cultural district? We get the take of&nbsp;
Fatma Al Khayat from Arkat Urban Planning + Design
Tech journalist Kevin Sebastian updates us with all the changes Google is doing to Gmail.
A group of chemists and environmental scientists say many of the most alarming microplastics studies may be based on flawed detection methods. Some particles believed to be plastic could actually be natural fat, and key safety claims may not stand up to scrutiny.&nbsp;
And is ube the new matcha?
&nbsp;

Bus pooling for students

Just today, a major new report was released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts  and the headline is hard to ignore: 2025 was officially the third warmest year on record. So what does this mean for governments, for businesses, and for all of us as individuals?

A powerful new documentary, titled simply Ocean, and presented by Sir David Attenborough, is being screened right here at WFES, and it’s designed to hit home with the people who have the power to act: climate policymakers and global investors.

Coral reefs are dying but one company is working to reverse that trend.
We also look at how AI is making a difference on the global energy system not just to decarbonise, but to become smarter, faster, and more resilient.

We speak to a company unveiling the world’s highest-capacity hard drive.
As the UAE continues to push its sustainability agenda forward, new partnerships are forming right here at WFES to tackle waste management and circular economy goals. BEEAH has signed a new joint venture with KEZAD Group, aimed at boosting waste management and circular economy services across Abu Dhabi’s industrial zones.

And we meet the man behind Jade, that uses AI-powered educational games to detect and support children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.

Just today, a major new report was released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts &nbsp;and the headline is hard to ignore: 2025 was officially the third warmest year on record. So what does this mean for governments, for businesses, and for all of us as individuals?
A powerful new documentary, titled simply Ocean, and presented by Sir David Attenborough, is being screened right here at WFES, and it&rsquo;s designed to hit home with the people who have the power to act: climate policymakers and global investors.
Coral reefs are dying but one company is working to reverse that trend. We also look at how AI is making a difference on the global energy system not just to decarbonise, but to become smarter, faster, and more resilient.
We speak to a company unveiling the world&rsquo;s highest-capacity hard drive. As the UAE continues to push its sustainability agenda forward, new partnerships are forming right here at WFES to tackle waste management and circular economy goals. BEEAH has signed a new joint venture with KEZAD Group, aimed at boosting waste management and circular economy services across Abu Dhabi&rsquo;s industrial zones.
And we meet the man behind Jade, that uses AI-powered educational games to detect and support children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.

Flying taxis and traffic jams

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