Business

Saudi Arabia Expands Tourist E-Visa Eligibility to Four More Countries

Business The tourist visa allows visitors to attend events, perform Umrah, and visit exhibitions and conferences (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Expands Tourist E-Visa Eligibility to Four More Countries

Saudi Arabia has expanded its electronic tourist visa program by adding four countries to the list of eligible nationalities: Mexico, North Macedonia, Serbia,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A neighborhood in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)

50-Year Contracts Open New Horizons for Real Estate Investment in Saudi Arabia

Long-term real estate investment models are opening new opportunities for Saudi Arabia's private sector, as the Kingdom seeks to expand partnerships with…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
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 The report aims to highlight the latest developments and growth in local and global space market sizes

CST: Saudi Space Economy Reached $8.7 Billion in 2024

The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) announced that the Saudi space economy reached $8.7 billion last year, including all value-added…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski/File Photo

China No Longer Welcome in UK Steel Sector, Minister Says

China is no longer welcome in Britain's steel sector after the government had to pass emergency legislation on Saturday to ensure control of Chinese-owned…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business French Minister for Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Security Eric Lombard looks on during the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

France's 2026 Deficit Target Implies 40 billion Euros of Savings, Minister Says

France's plan to lower its budget deficit to 4.6% of economic output in 2026 from 5.4% this year implies finding 40 billion euros ($45.4 billion) of savings,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business AL PAKISTAN GULF Shipping Service Added to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam

AL PAKISTAN GULF Shipping Service Added to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced the addition of a new shipping service, AP Line's AL PAKISTAN GULF, to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. The new…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People walk past the headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, in Beijing, China September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

China March New Bank Loans Rise to 3.64 trln yuan, Beating Expectations

Chinese banks extended 3.64 trillion yuan ($500 billion) in new yuan loans in March, up from February and outpacing analysts' forecasts, according to Reuters…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

Report: Syrian Officials Plan to Attend IMF, World Bank Meetings in Washington

Syria's finance minister, foreign minister and central bank chief are planning to attend the annual spring meetings held by the International Monetary Fund and…

Business Apple iPhone 16 are on display during the launch September 20, 2024, at the Apple Store in New York. (AFP)

US Excludes Smartphones, Computers from Trump’s Reciprocal Tariffs

The Trump administration has granted tariff exclusions for smartphones, computers and other electronics imports supplied largely by China, sparing them from…

Business  Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni waits for the arrival of Queen Rania of Jordan at Villa Doria Pamphili in Rome, Italy, 09 April 2025. (EPA)

S&P Upgrades Italy in Surprise Boost for PM Meloni

Credit ratings agency S&P Global upgraded Italy on Friday in a surprise move just days after Rome halved its economic growth forecast amid global market…

Business A plane takes off above the skyline including Taipei 101 (C) in Taipei on April 11, 2025. (AFP)

Taiwan Holds First Tariff Talks with United States

Taiwan officials held their first tariff talks with US officials on Friday, with both sides looking forward to further discussions soon, the island's…

Business Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's President Javier Milei talk ahead of a session on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Energy, Africa and Mediterranean on the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy, June 14, 2024. (Reuters)

Argentina Seals $20 Billion IMF Deal, Tears Down Currency Controls

Argentina sealed a $20 billion, 48-month Extended Fund Facility deal with the International Monetary Fund on Friday and, in a major policy move ahead of the…

Business An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices as people walk on a pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods from 84% to 125%

China announced Friday that it will raise tariffs on US goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world's two largest…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A gold bullion is displayed in The Reserve vault, operated by Silver Bullion Pte Ltd, in Singapore April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Gold Bolts Past Key $3,200 Mark on Dollar Slide, Safe-haven Flows

Gold prices breached the crucial $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fueled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looks on in Brussels, Belgium, 10 April 2025. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS

EU Says it Agreed with UAE to Launch Free Trade Talks

The European Union said on Thursday it agreed with the United Arab Emirates to launch free trade talks, amid the upheaval and uncertainties created by US…

Asharq Al Awsat (Brussels)
Business Commuters walk as the sun rises behind Tower Bridge and the Canary Wharf financial district, in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

UK Economy Grows 0.5% in February, Official Figures Show

Britain's economy grew at a monthly pace of 0.5% in February, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed on Friday, well above economists'…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Trucks drive to unload cargo shipping containers as cranes and the Vincent Thomas Bridge stand on the horizon at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Despite Trump Pause, Overall US Tariff Rate at Highest in a Century

US President Donald Trump's delay of steeper tariffs may have won brief respite on Wall Street, but analysts say his actions -- which hit China especially hard…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Representation photo: Arley Perez pumps diesel fuel into his truck at a Shell station on April 10, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

Egypt Raises Fuel Prices for First Time in 2025

Egypt hiked prices on fuel products on Friday by up to almost 15%, state media reported, marking the first increase in 2025 as the government seeks to reduce…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Al Fayoum Governorate, southwest of Cairo, Egypt March 21, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt Targets 10 mln Ton Wheat Harvest

Egypt expects to harvest 10 million tonnes of wheat this year, up from 9 million in 2023, driven by improved crop yields and ambitious land reclamation efforts…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Ports See 13.61% Growth in Container Volume in March 2025

Saudi Ports See 13.61% Growth in Container Volume in March 2025

Ports overseen by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported a 13.61% increase in handled containers in March 2025, reaching 699,928 TEUs, compared to 616,079…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Saudi man checks the flight timings at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 16, 2021. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

King Khalid International Airport Ranks 24th Globally in Skytrax 2025 List

Riyadh Airports Company (RAC), which manages and operates King Khalid International Airport, announced that the airport achieved 24th place in Skytrax's 2025…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Gold bars are displayed at a gold jewelry shop in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh May 8, 2012. REUTERS/Ajay Verma/File Photo

Gold Prices Extend Gains as US-China Trade War Escalates

Gold prices extended gains on Thursday, driven by an escalating trade war between the United States and China, even after President Donald Trump announced a 90…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A screen displays a trading chart on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City after the White House announced a 90-day pause & lowered 10% reciprocal tariff for other countries, US, April 9, 2025.  REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Asia Shares Jump after US Stocks Soared to Historic Gains When Trump Paused Most of His Tariffs

World markets soared on Thursday, with Japan’s benchmark jumping more than 9%, as investors welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision to put his sharp…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Chinese Yuan banknote, US and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken, April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

China's Yuan Hits Post Financial Crisis Low as Trade War Ramps Up

China's yuan hit its lowest against the dollar since the global financial crisis on Thursday, with the central bank cutting guidance for the sixth successive…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A general view shows the Huangpu River and the financial district in Shanghai on April 9, 2025. (AFP)

Trump Hits Back with Tariffs of 125%, after China Raises Its Tariff on US Goods to 84%

President Donald Trump on Wednesday raised tariffs on China to 125%, hours after China boosted taxes on American imports to 84% and vowed to "fight to the end"…

Business Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani receives the American business delegation. (Iraqi government)

Iraq, US Sign Preliminary Deal on Projects Including 24,000 MW of Power Plants

Iraq and the United States signed on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding for projects in the country, including 24,000 megawatts of power plants, the Iraqi…