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 British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves looks on during the 11th China - UK Economy and Finance Dialogue in Beijing, China, 11 January 2025. (EPA)

Facing Market Pain, UK’s Reeves Says ‘Pragmatic’ China Ties Will Help Growth

British finance minister Rachel Reeves, facing criticism for travelling to China during financial market turmoil at home, said on Saturday that "pragmatic and…

Business  People visit the lantern festival at the Beijing's Wenyuhe Park in Beijing on January 4, 2025, to welcome the upcoming Chinese New Year on January 29, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. (AFP)

IMF Chief Sees Steady World Growth in 2025, Continuing Disinflation

The International Monetary Fund will forecast steady global growth and continuing disinflation when it releases an updated World Economic Outlook on Jan. 17,…

Business A chip is pictured at the Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institute (TSRI) at Hsinchu Science Park in Hsinchu, Taiwan, September 16, 2022. Reuters/Ann Wang/ File Photo

Taiwan Expects Small Impact from Trump Tariffs on Chip Exports

Taiwan only expects a small impact from any tariffs imposed by the incoming government of US President-elect Donald Trump on semiconductor exports given their…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business An explosion of a drone after it hit an apartment building is seen in the sky during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

Ukraine Receives First 3 Bln Euro Tranche of G7 Loan from EU

Ukraine received its first 3 billion euro ($3.09 billion) tranche of the European Union's portion of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan agreed…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Chancellor Rachel Reeves speaks to the media after a tour of Maidstone Hospital on December 10, 2024 in Maidstone, Britain. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

UK Treasury Chief Heading to China to Revive Suspended Economic, Financial Talks

Britain's Treasury chief is travelling to China this weekend to discuss economic and financial cooperation between the countries, as the UK's Labour government…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
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

Gold on Track for Weekly Gain on Trump Uncertainty; US Jobs Report Awaited

Gold prices inched higher on Friday as uncertainty around US President-elect Donald Trump's policies firmed demand for bullion, while investors awaited a key…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business General view of Riyadh. SPA

Oman’s Commerce Minister: Omani-Saudi Trade, Economic Ties Witness Significant Growth

Omani Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion Qais bin Mohammad Al-Yousef has said that trade and economic relations between Oman and Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business A vegetable vendor sits beside a bonfire on his handcart on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 6, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

UN Predicts World Economic Growth to Remain at 2.8% in 2025

Global economic growth is projected to remain at 2.8% in 2025, unchanged from 2024, held back by the top two economies, the US and China, according to a United…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Cinema Museum of Ouarzazate, Morocco, October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo

Morocco Receives 17.4 Million Tourists in 2024, Up 20% on 2023

Morocco received a record 17.4 million tourists in 2024, up 20% compared with previous year, with Moroccans living abroad accounting for nearly half the total,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun after he is elected as the country’s president at the parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir

Lebanon's Bonds Rally as Parliament Elects 1st President since 2022

Lebanese government bonds extended their three-month-long rally on Thursday as the crisis-ravaged country's parliament voted in a new head of state for the…

Asharq Al Awsat
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

Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

Gold prices rose to a near four-week high on Thursday, supported by safe-haven demand, while investors weighed how US President-elect Donald Trump's policies…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business US Dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this illustration taken July 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo

Firm Dollar Keeps Pound, Euro and Yen Under Pressure

The US dollar charged ahead on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields, putting the yen, sterling and euro under pressure near multi-month lows amid…

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

Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GASTAT publishes the IPI monthly. SPA

GASTAT: Saudi Industrial Production Index Increases by 3.4% in November 2024

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) said Thursday that the Industrial Production Index (IPI) statistics for November 2024 showed a 3.4%…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The fund is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia to focus on fixed-income exchange-traded funds (ETFs). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi PIF Invests $200 Million in ETF Bond Fund

State Street Global Advisors, a subsidiary of State Street Corporation, announced that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has invested SAR 750 million…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A woman looks at a gold bangle inside a jewellery showroom at a market in Mumbai January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade//File Photo

Gold Firms; Focus on US Data for Cues on Fed's Policy Path

Gold prices hovered near a four-week peak on Thursday, while focus shifted to jobs report due on Friday for clarity on the Federal Reserve's 2025 interest rate…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The vacant presidential seat at Baabda Palace after President Michel Aoun's term ended (Reuters)

Presidential Election: A Crucial First Step toward Saving Lebanon from Economic Crisis

Since 2019, Lebanon has faced one of its worst economic crises in modern history, affecting all aspects of life. The local currency has lost over 95% of its…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack is seen at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo

Oil Trims Gains on Dollar Strength, Tight Supplies Provide Support

Oil prices trimmed earlier gains on Wednesday as the dollar strengthened but continued to find support from a tightening of supplies from Russia and other OPEC…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo

Dollar Strengthens on Elevated US Bond Yields, Tariff Talks

The dollar rose for a second day on Wednesday on higher US bond yields, sending other major currencies to multi-month lows, with a report that Donald Trump was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

US Applications for Jobless Claims Fall to 201,000, Lowest Level in Nearly a Year

US applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly a year last week, pointing to a still healthy labor market with historically low…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Skyscrapers are seen in King Abdullah Financial District in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (Reuters).

Saudi Arabia Raises $12 Billion in International Bonds Amid Strong Demand

Saudi Arabia has raised $12 billion from global debt markets in its first international bond issuance of the year, attracting bids worth nearly $37 billion…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business A glimpse of the first LNG shipment delivery to Shell at the industrial complex in Sur, Oman (Oman News Agency)

Oman LNG Delivers First Shipment to Shell

Oman LNG on Tuesday announced the successful loading of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo to Shell under its new long-term agreements, marking a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (Reuters)

Saudi Energy Minister: Petroleum and Petrochemical Law Guarantees Fair Competition for Investors

Shortly after the Saudi Cabinet approved the Petroleum and Petrochemical Law, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday the regulation aims…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi Tourism Forum 2025 kicked off on Tuesday in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Tourism Forum 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh with Over 100 Participants

Riyadh is hosting the third edition of the Saudi Tourism Forum 2025, featuring participation from over 100 organizations. The forum provides a comprehensive…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)