Business

Gold Rallies as Dollar, Treasury Yields Soften after US Midterm Results

Business Gold chips displayed at a state-owned gold retail store in Surabaya, East Java (AFP)

Gold Rallies as Dollar, Treasury Yields Soften after US Midterm Results

Gold climbed to its highest level in over two weeks on Thursday as the fallout from the US midterm election results rippled through the global financial and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Hong Kong stocks rallied more than three percent on a broadly healthy day for Asian markets. Leung Man Hei / AFP

Tech Hit by New AI Worries on Positive Day for Most Markets

Tech firms tumbled Thursday as investors contemplated the outlook for the AI boom after Democrats swept the US midterms, partly on the back of growing anger…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Türkiye is rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity. But as host of COP31, the country faces growing pressure to match its clean energy ambitions with a clear commitment to phase out fossil fuels. Yasin AKGUL / AFP

Türkiye Showcases Renewables Surge, but Leaves Coal Intact

On a windy hillside about an hour's drive northwest of Istanbul, the Catalca power plant was one of Türkiye's first large-scale wind farms and has been feeding…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Officials from the General Organization for Social Insurance at an earlier meeting with businessmen and businesswomen at the Riyadh Chamber (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has made businesses that have ceased operations and exited the Saudi market eligible for a 100%…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province (AFP)

From Aramco's Profits to State Budget Revenue: How Do Oil Proceeds Reach Government Coffers?

Saudi Aramco's financial results and Saudi Arabia's third-quarter budget performance report, released on the same day, revealed a divergence between the…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)

Business A man counts Lebanese pounds at an exchange shop in Beirut, Lebanon, August 20, 2018 (File – AP)

S&P Upgrades Lebanon’s Local Credit Rating, Keeps Foreign Debt in Default

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has raised Lebanon’s long-term local currency credit rating to CCC from CC, maintaining a “stable” outlook. However, the agency…

Asharq Al Awsat (New York)
Business Shipping containers are seen on a ship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai, India, August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

US-India Trade Talks Scheduled for August Called Off, Source Says

A planned visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been called off, a source said, delaying talks on a proposed trade agreement and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital, Cairo (AFP)

Egypt Registers Record Primary Surplus of 629 billion Pounds in 2024-25 Fiscal Year

Egypt registered a record primary surplus of 629 billion Egyptian pounds ($13 billion) in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, equal to 3.6% of the country's gross…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks ahead of a joint press conference by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, US, August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Japan Brushes Aside US Treasury Calls to Raise Interest Rates

Japan's government on Friday brushed aside rare and explicit comments from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who said the Bank of Japan was “behind the curve…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tokyo)
Business HANDOUT - 15 August 2025, US, Alaska: US President Donald Trump (R) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attend a meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Photo: -/Kremlin/dpa

Trump Says No Imminent Plans to Penalize China for Buying Russian Oil

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he did not immediately need to consider retaliatory tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil but…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People ride scooters on a street in Beijing, China, 13 August 2025. (EPA)

China’s Economy Lags in July Under Pressure from Tariffs and a Weak Property Market

China's economy showed signs of slowing in July as factory output and retail sales slowed and housing prices dropped further, according to data released Friday…

Business Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Independence Day celebrations from the Red Fort in Delhi on Friday. Money SHARMA / AFP

Facing US Tariffs, India's Modi Vows Self-reliance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday that India is seeking self-reliance in energy independence and the development of its own powerful defense systems,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Mauritania’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Moktar Ould Dahi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia, Mauritania Partnership Aims to Produce 14 Mln Tons of Iron Annually

Mauritania and Saudi Arabia are working to launch a strategic iron mining partnership as part of efforts to expand economic cooperation and boost mutual…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP)

Saudi Annual Inflation Eases to 2.1% in July, Lowest Since February

Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate slowed to 2.1% in July, down from 2.3% in June and below market expectations of 2.3%, official data showed on Thursday. It…

Ayat Nour (Riyadh)
Business The visit took place from August 12 to 14 as part of an official exchange program between the two countries. SPA

Saudi Arabia, UK Activate Rail Transport MoU

A delegation from Saudi Arabia’s transport sector, led by the Transport General Authority (TGA), has visited the United Kingdom (UK) Department for Transport…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILE PHOTO: The logo of Saudi Aramco is pictured outside Khurais, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

Aramco Signs $11 Billion Jafurah Midstream Deal with International Consortium

Saudi Aramco said Thursday that it signed an $11 billion lease and leaseback deal involving its Jafurah natural-gas processing facilities with a consortium of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dhahran)
Business The two sides discussed efforts to foster an attractive investment environment for Saudi and Belgian ventures - SPA

Saudi Arabia, Belgium Discuss Boosting Investments in Aseer

Abha Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials met with Ambassador of Belgium to Saudi Arabia Pascal Grégoire to discuss ways to develop trade relations and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Skyscrapers are seen in the business and financial district of Levent, which comprises of leading Turkish banks' and companies' headquarters, in Istanbul, Türkiye, May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo

Turkish Central Bank Sets New Interim Targets for Inflation

Türkiye's central bank announced interim targets for inflation in a new communication strategy on Thursday, setting a target of 24% for end-2025 and 16% for…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GASTAT said Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate remained relatively stable at 2.1% in July this year

GASTAT: Saudi Arabia's Inflation Rate Remains Stable at 2.1% in July

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said Saudi Arabia’s annual inflation rate remained relatively stable at 2.1% in July 2025 compared to the same…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Citizens view a model of one of the residential master plans at the Cityscape Global exhibition in Riyadh (SPA)

Saudi Housing Finance Rose 15% in the First Half of 2025 Thanks to Government Incentives

Housing finance for individuals in Saudi Arabia surged by 15% in the first half of 2025, reaching $12.8 billion (SAR48 billion), compared to $11.1 billion …

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 

Saudi Sovereign Fund Grows Assets 19% to $913 Billion

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has continued to cement its role as a driving force behind the Kingdom’s economic transformation, posting record…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A pump jack operates near a crude oil reserve in the Permian Basin oil field near Midland, Texas, US February 18, 2025.  REUTERS/Eli Hartman/File Photo

Oil Regains Ground from 2-month Lows ahead of Trump-Putin Meeting

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday, regaining ground after a sell-off in the previous session, with the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Binghatti Holding Limited is one of the UAE’s fastest-growing real estate development companies. Photo provided by the company

UAE’s Binghatti Holding Celebrates Debut of $500 Million Sukuk on London Stock Exchange

A leading real estate developer in the United Arab Emirates has celebrated the debut of its $500 million 5-year Senior Unsecured Sukuk on the London Stock…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Saudi GAMI, Human Resources Development Fund Partner to Support Employment in Military Sector

Saudi GAMI, Human Resources Development Fund Partner to Support Employment in Military Sector

The Saudi General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), in strategic partnership with the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), announced on Wednesday…

Business This handout picture taken by RIA Novosti on June 17, 2023 shows Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly arriving at Pulkovo airport in Saint Petersburg to attend the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. (Handout / RIA Novosti via AFP)

Egypt to Boost Gas Production After Years of Decline, Prime Minister Says

Egypt's gas production is expected to reach 6.6 billion cubic feet per day by 2027, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Wednesday. Egypt's natural gas…

Business A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold Rises on Increasing Fed Rate-cut Bets, Weaker Dollar

Gold rose on Wednesday as expectations of a US Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September gained traction following mild inflation data, while a weaker…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A view shows oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia June 4, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Oil Falls as IEA Raises Supply Forecast, Investors await US-Russia Meeting

Oil prices fell on Wednesday after the IEA noted supply overtaking demand this year, while investors awaited Friday's meeting between US President Donald Trump…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A general view of Cairo, Egypt. (Getty Images/AFP)

Egypt Signs $1 Bln Deal with China’s Sailun Group for Tire Factory, Cabinet Says 

Egypt has signed a deal with China's Sailun Group to build an automotive tire factory in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, with total investments of $1 billion, a…

Business Allam is the first foundational AI model developed from scratch in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the Arabic language and its dialects

HUMAIN to Launch ‘Allam,’ the First Arabic AI Foundation Model from Saudi Arabia

In a bold move reflecting Saudi Arabia’s rapidly accelerating digital transformation, tech company HUMAIN is preparing to launch “Allam” - a foundational…

Nassim Ramadan (London)