For the first time in history, Saudi Arabia is allowing international buyers to purchase property in Mecca. This regulatory shift has ignited a building boom, raising concerns over affordability and overdevelopment. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Zainab Fattah joins Sarah Holder to discuss what this property gold rush means for the city’s future and Saudi Arabia’s move away from oil.

Read more: Saudi Arabia's MBS Opens Mecca Property Market in Investment Push

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Zainab Fattah; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

For the first time in history, Saudi Arabia is allowing international buyers to purchase property in Mecca. This regulatory shift has ignited a building boom, raising concerns over affordability and overdevelopment.&nbsp;
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg&rsquo;s Zainab Fattah joins Sarah Holder to discuss what this property gold rush means for the city&rsquo;s future and Saudi Arabia&rsquo;s move away from oil.
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-02-13/saudi-arabia-s-mbs-opens-mecca-property-market-in-investment-push">Saudi Arabia's MBS Opens Mecca Property Market in Investment Push</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Zainab Fattah; Edited by Tracey Samuelson.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and David Fox; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Race to Buy Real Estate in Mecca

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/83b8fcdb-0ad8-453e-8cfa-b3f5015bafbf/transcript

Game apps like High 5 Casino and Monopoly GO! are wildly popular. Players pay up for perks and the mobile game industry makes money – a lot of money. But scrutiny on these kinds of games and what some players call addictive, gambling-like qualities could challenge the way they do business.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporter Vernon Silver go inside the world of so-called “social casinos.” Who’s profiting the most from them? And could a slate of ongoing lawsuits change their business model?

Read more: The $11 Billion Casino-Style Economy Built on Players Who Can Never Cash Out

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Vernon Silver and Peter Robison; Edited by Aaron Edwards.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Game apps like High 5 Casino and Monopoly GO! are wildly popular. Players pay up for perks and the mobile game industry makes money &ndash; a lot of money. But scrutiny on these kinds of games and what some players call addictive, gambling-like qualities could challenge the way they do business.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host Sarah Holder and Bloomberg reporter Vernon Silver go inside the world of so-called &ldquo;social casinos.&rdquo; Who&rsquo;s profiting the most from them? And could a slate of ongoing lawsuits change their business model?
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-social-casino-apps-addiction/">The $11 Billion Casino-Style Economy Built on Players Who Can Never Cash Out</a>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by David Fox; Reported by Vernon Silver and Peter Robison; Edited by Aaron Edwards.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Online Games Where the House Always Wins

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dc5519cc-5f11-4c19-8e83-b43d0145dcc1/transcript

The US government is required to pay back $166 billion in revenue it collected as part of sweeping global tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

On today’s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks with Bloomberg economics reporter Laura Curtis and a trade expert in the field about the logistics of that payout, whether any of that money will reach consumers and how political pressure might push some companies to skip a refund altogether.

Read more: 
Oaktree Capital Accuses BJ’s of Breaching Tariff Refund Deal 
In Tariff Refund Process, First Payment Set to Go Out May 11 

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Laura Curtis; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott and Tracey Samuelson.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The US government is required to pay back $166 billion in revenue it collected as part of sweeping global tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, host David Gura talks with Bloomberg economics reporter Laura Curtis and a trade expert in the field about the logistics of that payout, whether any of that money will reach consumers and how political pressure might push some companies to skip a refund altogether.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-28/oaktree-capital-accuses-bj-s-of-reneging-on-tariff-refund-trade">Oaktree Capital Accuses BJ&rsquo;s of Breaching Tariff Refund Deal</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-28/in-tariff-refund-process-us-says-15-of-entries-denied-so-far">In Tariff Refund Process, First Payment Set to Go Out May 11</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by David Gura; Produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Laura Curtis; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott and Tracey Samuelson.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

How the US Government Plans to Refund $166 Billion in Tariffs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/95ec8d94-74b4-4963-b71e-b43c015f2d78/transcript

Amid the nervousness about whether AI will replace human workers, one company has been aggressively seeking professionals. The San Francisco startup, Mercor, isn’t hiring experts to perform their jobs; it’s paying them an hourly rate to teach their daily routines to AI agents. 

On today’s Big Take podcast, reporter Tom Foster takes host Sarah Holder into the world of Mercor — why professionals are signing up to train the AI that could take over parts of their jobs and how the company’s founders want to remake white-collar work.

Read more: 
The $10 Billion Startup Training AI to Replace the White-Collar Workforce
Amazon to Sell OpenAI Tech After Microsoft Cedes Exclusivity

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Tom Foster; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Amid the nervousness about whether AI will replace human workers, one company has been aggressively seeking professionals. The San Francisco startup, Mercor, isn&rsquo;t hiring experts to perform their jobs; it&rsquo;s paying them an hourly rate to teach their daily routines to AI agents.&nbsp;
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, reporter Tom Foster takes host Sarah Holder into the world of Mercor &mdash; why professionals are signing up to train the AI that could take over parts of their jobs and how the company&rsquo;s founders want to remake white-collar work.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-04-16/ai-company-hiring-on-linkedin-wants-to-train-your-replacement-at-work">The $10 Billion Startup Training AI to Replace the White-Collar Workforce</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-28/amazon-set-to-sell-openai-tech-after-microsoft-cedes-exclusivity?srnd=phx-technology">Amazon to Sell OpenAI Tech After Microsoft Cedes Exclusivity</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts"> Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Tom Foster; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Eleanor Harrison-Dengate and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The $10 Billion Startup Training AI to Do Your Job

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5e6c2e40-a4e4-4284-a30a-b43b015114c7/transcript

The Race to Buy Real Estate in Mecca

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