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 New Toyota vehicles are stored at the Toyota Logistics Service Inc., an imports processing facility at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Auto Industry Rocked by Trump's 25% Tariffs on US Imports

US automakers and their global rivals were rocked on Wednesday by President Donald Trump's announcement that he would impose 25% tariffs on all vehicles and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and the BP delegation at the signing ceremony on Wednesday (INA) 

Iraq and BP Finalize Contracts to Develop 4 Fields in Kirkuk

Iraq, on Wednesday, finalized a contract with the London-based oil major, BP, for the development and production of four Kirkuk oil fields. The project is a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business  The sun rises in Cairo, Egypt March 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Egypt Approves $91 Billion Budget for 2025/26

Egypt's cabinet approved a 4.6 trillion Egyptian pound ($91 billion) draft state budget for the financial year that will begin in July, a government statement…

Business Residents of Ezbet Hamada in Cairo's El Matareya district peer from their balconies to celebrate a mass break-fast, "Iftar" during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP)

Egypt's GDP Growth at 4.3% in Second Quarter vs 2.3% a Year Earlier

Egypt's GDP growth rate increased to 4.3% in the second quarter of its 2024/25 year compared with 2.3% in the same period a year earlier, the planning ministry…

Business A man walks past office buildings at the central business district in Beijing on March 17, 2025. (AFP) 

China Has ‘Very Big’ Policy Room to Spur Growth, Central Bank Adviser Says 

China wields significant policy room to stimulate its economy this year while some reform was needed to boost consumption, Huang Yiping, an advisor to China's…

Business US dollar banknotes are seen in this photo illustration taken February 12, 2018. (Reuters)

Dollar Unmoored as Traders Unsure on US Tariffs 

The dollar was adrift on Wednesday, with weak US confidence data and concerns about the effect of sweeping tariffs on US growth putting the brakes on a recent…

Business Shipping containers are stacked in the port city of Keelung, Taiwan, 20 March 2025. (EPA)

Taiwan Defends Trade, Currency Record Ahead of Possible US Tariffs 

Taiwan's central bank on Wednesday defended the island's trade and currency record ahead of possible tariffs from US President Donald Trump, saying the high…

Business People flash mobile phone lights during a protest against the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Türkiye’s Simsek Seeks to Calm Investors, Says Market Strains Will Be Managed, Sources Say

Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek and Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan told international investors on Tuesday that they would do whatever was needed…

Business  President Donald Trump delivers remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP)

Trump to Impose Sharp Tariff on Countries Buying Venezuelan Oil

US President Donald Trump announced Monday steep tariffs on imports from countries buying Venezuelan oil and gas, a punitive measure that could hit China and…

Business The Tesla logo is seen on a car at the Paris Games Week (PGW), a trade fair for video games in Paris, France, October 27, 2024. (Reuters)

Tesla’s February Market Share in Europe Drops Despite EV Pickup

Tesla's market share in Europe continued to shrink year-on-year in February, data showed on Tuesday, as sales of the all-electric car maker dropped for a…

Business Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco. (Aramco)

Aramco CEO: We Continue to Explore Investment Opportunities in China

Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, underscored on Monday the company’s commitment to exploring new and additional investment opportunities in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business An Oil refinery is seen from Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela on March 19, 2025. (AFP)

Oil Steady as Investors Weigh Impact of Trump Tariffs

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as markets weighed the impact of newly announced US tariffs on countries that buy Venezuelan oil and the uncertain…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi//File Photo

Iraq Says Iran Used Forged Iraqi Documents on Oil Tankers, Tehran Denies

Iraq's oil minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani has said told state television that Iranian oil tankers stopped by US forces in the Gulf were using forged Iraqi…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Most lights are out in the European Central Bank during the so-called "Earth Hour" in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Euro Zone Economy Growth Accelerates to 7-month High in March, PMI Shows

Euro zone business activity grew at its fastest pace in seven months in March, supported by an easing in the long-running manufacturing downturn despite slower…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Protesters hold a Turkish national flag as they clash with Turkish anti riot police using tear gas and water cannons during a demonstration in support of Istanbul's arrested mayor, in Ankara on March 23, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Türkiye Spends $12 Billion Defending Lira After Erdogan Rival’s Arrest

Türkiye’s central bank burnt through almost $12 billion defending the lira in a record intervention after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s detention of his…

Asharq Al Awsat (Ankara)
Business The contract is expected to have an estimated value of KD300m ($973m) 

Kuwait Plans to Tender $1 Billion National Rail Road Project this Year

Kuwait’s Public Authority for Roads and Transportation aims to tender the Kuwait National Rail Road project before the end of this year. The MEED magazine…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business Saudi employees working in a local entity (SPA) 

Economic Reforms Drive Saudi Job Market Toward Sustainable Growth

Since the launch of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has implemented sweeping labor market reforms aimed at improving workplace conditions, increasing citizen…

Ayat Nour (Riyadh)
Business A gold seller analyzes gold coins in the gold shop 'Cap Or Numismatique' in Nice, France, 19 March 2025. EPA/SEBASTIEN NOGIER

Gold Edges Lower as Dollar Firms, Traders Await Fresh Catalysts

Gold dipped on Monday as the dollar strengthened, while traders awaited fresh catalysts after a recent rally pushed prices to record highs, fueled by…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Representation photo: The sun sets behind burning gas flares at the Dora (Daura) Oil Refinery Complex in Baghdad on December 22, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Oil Slips as Investors Monitor Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Talks

Oil prices slipped on Monday as investors assessed the outlook for ceasefire talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, which could lead to an increase in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Construction underway to build a new refinery. Photo: Iraq's Oil Ministry

Iraq Plans to Raise Oil Production Capacity Above 6 Million bpd by 2029

Iraq plans to raise oil production capacity to more than 6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2029, the state news agency quoted Iraq's Oil Ministry as saying on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business A police officer looks on from a vehicle, as people gather for a protest in support of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, on the day Imamoglu was jailed as part of a corruption investigation, near the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building, in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 23, 2025. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Turkish Central Bank to Use All Instruments to Maintain Stability, Governor Tells Bank Executives

Türkiye's Central Bank will use all instruments within market rules effectively and decisively to maintain stability, Governor Fatih Karahan told bankers on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A handout picture released by the BBC, taken and received on March 23, 2025, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves appearing on the BBC's "Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg" political television show in London. (Photo by Jeff OVERS / BBC / AFP)

UK Finance Minister Says Govt to Cut Costs by 15 Percent

UK finance minister Rachel Reeves said Sunday she plans to cut the costs of running government by 15 percent within four years, as she grapples with strained…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business The logo of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, is displayed during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo

Sinopec's 2024 Net Profit Plunges 16.8% Due to Falling Oil Prices, NEVs

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp , known as Sinopec, reported a 16.8% decline in 2024 net profit on Sunday, citing lower crude oil prices and the accelerated…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business China's Premier Li Qiang walks after concluding his speech during the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 23, 2025. (Photo by Adek BERRY and ADEK BERRY / POOL / AFP)

China Says to Pursue 'Correct' Path of Globalization as Trade Woes Mount

China's number two leader told a gathering of business executives in Beijing on Sunday that the country would pursue economic globalization despite …

Asharq Al Awsat