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 FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows a crude oil tanker at an oil terminal off Waidiao island in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China January 4, 2023. China Daily via REUTERS

China's Iran Oil Imports Surge in June on Rising Shipments, Teapot Demand

China's Iranian oil imports surged in June as shipments accelerated before the recent conflict in the region and demand from independent refineries improved,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An investor walks past a screen displaying information on the Saudi stock market in Riyadh (Reuters)

Saudi Market Closes at Highest Level in a Month at 11,068 Points

Saudi Arabia’s main stock index (TASI) rose on Thursday by about 94.29 points, or 0.86%, closing at 11,068.27 points, its highest level in over a month…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi capital, Riyadh (AFP) 

IMF: Saudi Economy Shows Resilience Amid Global Shocks

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of global disruptions, with…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil Steady as Investors Shift Focus to Demand Signals

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday as investors remained cautious about the Iran-Israel ceasefire and shifted their attention to market fundamentals after a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi arrives for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

World Bank, IAEA to Cooperate on Nuclear Power Development, Safety

The World Bank and the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Thursday launched a new agreement to cooperate on the safe development and financing of nuclear power…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE -This is the Shell Oil logo in front of a Shell gas station in Pittsburgh, June 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Shell Denies Reports that the Energy Giant is in Talks to Take Over BP

British oil giant Shell on Thursday denied media reports that it is in talks to buy rival BP. The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday said Shell was holding …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILED - 04 April 2025, Bavaria, Munich: A man places a gold bar in a safe deposit box in a vault at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Gold Rises as Weaker Dollar, Trump's Criticism of Powell Fuel Uncertainty

Gold edged higher on Thursday, supported by a weaker dollar and growing uncertainty after reports suggested US President Donald Trump was considering replacing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Jonathan Reynolds speaks during Britain's Labour Party annual conference, in Brighton, Britain, September 27, 2021. (Reuters)

Britain Vows to Toughen Its Trade Defenses Under New Strategy

Britain said it would toughen up its trade defenses to better protect industries amid a turbulent global outlook of trade wars and tariffs that has shaped its…

Business A Saudia aircraft (Company’s website)

Saudia Soars to 17th in Global Airline Rankings Amid Bold Transformation

In a remarkable leap forward, Saudia has climbed to 17th place in the 2025 Skytrax ranking of the world’s best airlines, marking a significant improvement…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A general view of the Nile River from the Egyptian capital, Cairo (Reuters)

Egypt's EGAS Awards 6 Blocks in Mediterranean, Nile Delta, N. Sinai to Int’l Companies

Egypt's EGAS has awarded four blocks in the Mediterranean, one in the Nile delta, and one in North Sinai to international companies, according to a petroleum…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: An Israeli military ship sails next to the production platform of Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Haifa, northern Israel December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo

Israel's Leviathan Gas Field to Resume Operations

Israel's NewMed said on Wednesday the Leviathan natural gas field that supplies gas to Egypt and Jordan, shut down nearly two weeks ago due to the Iran-Israel…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Syrians walk in a dark street in Douma. Reuters file photo

World Bank to Finance Syria with $146 Million to Restore Electricity

The World Bank approved a $146 million grant to help Syria restore reliable, affordable electricity and support the country's economic recovery, it said in a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business The Moroccan Central Bank in Rabat (Reuters)

Morocco’s Central Bank Keeps Interest Rate Steady at 2.25%

Morocco’s Central Bank (Bank Al-Maghrib) has maintained its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.25%, stating that current borrowing cost levels remain…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business  Investors in the Dubai Financial Market (Reuters)

Strong Rebound in Gulf Financial Markets Following Ceasefire Announcement

Gulf financial markets recorded significant gains on Tuesday, driven by improved investor sentiment following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between…

Abeer Hommadi (Riyadh)
Business Cars and motorbikes drive near damaged buildings in Beirut southern suburbs, Lebanon June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

World Bank: New $250 Million Project to Kickstart Reconstruction in Lebanon

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved $250 million in financing for Lebanon to aid in the reconstruction of critical public infrastructure…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business President Donald Trump poses for photographers as he arrives for a formal dinner at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Trump Says China Can Buy Iranian Oil, but Urges it to Purchase US Crude

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that China can continue to purchase Iranian oil after Israel and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, a move that the White…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Acting President of Mawani Mazen Al-Turki (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Arabia Signs New Port Contracts Worth Over $586 Million

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Ports (Mawani) has signed a series of new build-operate-transfer (BOT) contracts worth more than SAR 2.2 billion ($586.6…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi flags along a street in the capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Industrial Sector Grows 5.3% in 2024

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil industrial sector recorded a strong 5.3% growth in 2024, underlining the Kingdom’s ongoing progress in diversifying its economy in line…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business  The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA) 

Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Launches First Global Commercial Paper Program

The Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has launched its first-ever global commercial paper program, marking a significant step…

Ayat Nour (Riyadh)
Business A goldsmith displays gold ornaments during a gold trade at Hua Seng Heng gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 23 June 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

Gold at Near 2-week Low after Trump Announces Israel-Iran Ceasefire

Gold prices fell to a near two-week low on Tuesday as risk appetite improved after US President Donald Trump said Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A meter shows the gas pressure in pipelines at oil and gas group MOL's gas transmission subsidiary in Vecses January 2, 2009.  REUTERS/Karoly Arvai (HUNGARY)/File Photo

Oil Falls Nearly 4% as Iran's Retaliation Focuses on Regional US Military Bases

Oil prices slipped more than $3, or 4%, on Monday after Iran attacked the US military base in Qatar in retaliation for US attacks on its nuclear facilities,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A container ship sails on the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, 23 June 2025. EPA/ALI HAIDER

Escalating Hormuz Tensions Drive Up Middle East War Risk Insurance Costs

War risk insurance premiums for shipments to the Middle East Gulf have jumped to 0.5% from around 0.2-0.3% a week ago after US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A goldsmith displays gold ornaments during a gold trade at Hua Seng Heng gold shop in Bangkok, Thailand, 23 June 2025. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT

China Says Aims to Boost Gold Resources by 5-10% by 2027

China aims to increase its gold resources by 5 to 10% and its gold and silver output by more than 5% by 2027, the industry ministry said on Monday in an…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business File photo: A mining machine is seen at the Bayan Obo mine containing rare earth minerals, in Inner Mongolia, China July 16, 2011. Picture taken July 16, 2011. (Reuters)

EU Needs Rare Earths Strategic Reserves against China Threat

European Union countries should create joint reserves of rare earths to prevent supply chain disruptions and economic blackmail from China, the EU's…

Asharq Al Awsat