The business behind the UAE's biggest pop-culture event

04 August 2026. Middle East Film & Comic Con returns to Abu Dhabi in September with an expanded programme and ambitions to surpass last year’s attendance of more than 46,000. Show Director Loy Pinheiro discusses the move from its traditional April slot, the business of staging a major event amid regional uncertainty, and the new attractions aimed at drawing record crowds. Also, the Business Breakfast can reveal that Thrifty Car Rental UAE has secured an exclusive five-year partnership with Etihad Rail, investing more than AED 10 million in first and last mile transport across all 11 stations. General Manager Amit Kumar discusses the initial fleet of 500 vehicles, digital integration with Etihad Rail’s booking platform and how the service will scale as the national passenger network expands. Plus, Alpha Dhabi Holding reported its strongest half-year performance yet, with net profit surging 48% to AED 9.8 billion. CFO Derek Nicholson discusses the AED 3.7 billion boost from investments including SpaceX, Cerebras and Anthropic.  Finally, our Summer Strategy series continues with a look at how sport can help Dubai businesses overcome the traditionally quieter summer period. Stuart Gibb, General Manager of JA Sports & Shooting Club, discusses the growing sports-tourism economy and how combining training facilities, hospitality and lifestyle experiences can attract professional teams, corporate groups and families throughout the year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.