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Türkiye to Ink 33 bcm Natural Gas Import Deal with Azerbaijan, Minister Says

Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar talks during a meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, September 14, 2023. (Turkish Energy Ministry Press Office/PPO/Handout via Reuters)
Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar talks during a meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, September 14, 2023. (Turkish Energy Ministry Press Office/PPO/Handout via Reuters)
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Türkiye to Ink 33 bcm Natural Gas Import Deal with Azerbaijan, Minister Says

Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar talks during a meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, September 14, 2023. (Turkish Energy Ministry Press Office/PPO/Handout via Reuters)
Türkiye's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar talks during a meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, September 14, 2023. (Turkish Energy Ministry Press Office/PPO/Handout via Reuters)

Türkiye has reached a new long-term agreement to import a total of 33 bcm natural gas from Azerbaijan, Energy ‌Minister Alparslan ‌Bayraktar ‌said ⁠on Sunday in ‌a televised interview.

Under the deal, Türkiye will receive 2.25 billion cubic meters of ⁠gas per year ‌for 15 ‍years ‍from Azerbaijan's Absheron field, ‍totaling 33 billion cubic meters, Bayraktar said. Deliveries via pipeline are set to begin in ⁠2029.

He added that final negotiations were concluded on Friday and that the agreement was expected to be signed shortly.

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Business

Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership
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Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

The Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC) announced on Sunday that Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem achieved two historic leaps in 2025, in terms of total investment value and number of transactions, further reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as the leading venture capital market in the Middle East for the third consecutive year.

This performance reflects the tangible impact of Saudi Vision 2030 and the structural economic transformation taking place across the Kingdom.

In a statement, the SVC said that the Saudi market recorded its highest-ever number of venture capital transactions, reaching 254 deals in 2025, alongside a record investment value of $1.66 billion during the year.

This compares to approximately $60 million in 2018, representing a 25-fold increase in venture capital investment since the establishment of SVC and the emergence of its role as a market maker within the ecosystem.

CEO and Board Member of SVC Dr. Nabeel Koshak said: “What we are witnessing today in Saudi Arabia’s venture capital sector is the direct result of the unlimited support provided by the Kingdom’s wise leadership across all sectors.”

“This support has been translated into a deliberate and well-calibrated economic transformation, moving private capital into a more mature and impactful phase. These figures reflect the strength of the Saudi economy, the clarity of national vision, and the growing confidence of investors, confirming that venture capital has become a core pillar of growth and economic diversification,” he added.

He stressed that the 25-fold growth in investment since 2018, together with the record-breaking figures for both investment value and deal volume, underscores the maturity of the Saudi venture capital market.

“Venture capital today is enabling the creation of scalable companies, generating high-quality jobs, and transforming innovation into sustainable economic value, fully aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” he said.

Business

Saudi Arabia Approves Annual Borrowing Plan with $58 Billion Financing Needs

The logo of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The logo of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Approves Annual Borrowing Plan with $58 Billion Financing Needs

The logo of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The logo of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has approved its annual borrowing plan for the 2026 fiscal year, setting projected financing needs at about $58 billion as the Kingdom seeks to fund its budget deficit while maintaining long-term debt sustainability.

The plan was endorsed by Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, who also chairs the board of the National Debt Management Center, following approval by the center’s board. It outlines key developments in public debt during 2025, initiatives to deepen the domestic debt market, and the financing strategy and guiding principles for 2026. It also includes the issuance calendar for the kingdom’s local riyal-denominated sukuk program for 2026.

According to the plan, total financing requirements for 2026 are estimated at around SAR 217 billion ($57.9 billion). These will be used to cover the projected budget deficit of about SAR 165 billion ($44 billion), as set out in the Ministry of Finance’s budget statement for the year, as well as the repayment of maturing debt principal amounting to roughly SAR 52 billion ($13.9 billion).

In a statement, the National Debt Management Center said the strategy prioritizes preserving public debt sustainability, expanding the investor base, and diversifying funding sources at home and abroad. This will be pursued through a combination of public and private channels, including the issuance of bonds and sukuk and the use of loans at competitive and reasonable costs.

The plan also points to an expanded use of alternative government financing tools, including project and infrastructure financing, and greater reliance on export credit agencies in 2026 and over the medium term. These measures will be implemented within carefully structured risk-management frameworks to support the Kingdom’s broader economic and fiscal objectives.

 

 

Business

Syria Begins Circulating New Post-Assad Currency Bills

Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bill (The Associated Press)
Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bill (The Associated Press)
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Syria Begins Circulating New Post-Assad Currency Bills

Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bill (The Associated Press)
Syria begins circulating new post-Assad currency bill (The Associated Press)

Syria started the process of circulating new currency bills on Saturday as the crisis-hit nation seeks to stabilize the economy as it recovers from the fall of Bashar Assad’s government.

A decree issued earlier this week by President Ahmad al-Sharaa said that “old Syrian currency” will be gradually withdrawn from circulation according to a timetable set by the central bank and through designated exchange centers.

Central Bank Governor Mokhles Nazer posted on X that after months of preparations, the exchange of old Syrian pounds with new banknotes officially began Saturday morning.

The presidential decree posted on the SANA state news agency stipulates that "new Syrian currency” will be issued by removing two zeros from the nominal value of the old currency. It means every 100 Syrian pounds of the old currency will now equate to one Syrian pound.

The largest denomination of the old currency was 5,000 Syrian pound, while under the new currency it is 500 pounds.

The US dollar was selling at exchange shops in Damascus on Saturday for 11,800 pounds for the old banknotes, some of which bear the images of Assad and his late father and predecessor, Hafez Assad.

At the start of Syria’s conflict in mid-March 2011, the US dollar was worth 47 Syrian pounds.

Since insurgent groups led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched into Damascus in December 2024 to end the Assad family's 54-year rule, work has been ongoing by the country’s new authorities to improve the economy battered by years of war and Western sanctions.

The US and the European Union have removed most of the sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad’s rule.