Business

From Davos: The World Looks to Saudi Vision, from Reform to Delivery

Business The logo of the World Economic Forum at the Davos Conference Center (AFP)

From Davos: The World Looks to Saudi Vision, from Reform to Delivery

At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Saudi Arabia offered a compelling account of how long-term ambition can be translated into measurable results. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Davos)
Business The CEO of Saudi Aramco, Engineer Amin Nasser (World Economic Forum)

Nasser from Davos: AI Has Generated $6 Billion for Aramco

The CEO of Saudi Aramco, Engineer Amin Nasser, on Tuesday revealed fundamental transformations in the company's financial and operational performance thanks to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A boat makes its way past the Doha skyline in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Qatar Central Bank Says AI Operational Risks Need Prudential Focus

The governor of Qatar's central bank said on Tuesday that operational risks emerging from technologies like Artificial Intelligence should ‌be treated as …

Asharq Al Awsat (Davos)
Business Croatian Central Bank Governor Boris Vujcic pictured during an interview with Reuters in Zagreb (Reuters file photo)

Croatia's Vujcic Nominated as ECB's Next Vice President

Croatia's Boris Vujcic was formally nominated on Monday as the European Central Bank's next vice president, putting him on track to become the first person…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business 16 January 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump attends a rural health investment roundtable in the East Room of the White House. Photo: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

In His Second Year, Trump Imposes a New Global Economic Reality

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump completes his first year in the White House - a year marked by the adoption of a strict protectionist approach and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)

Business The Saudi-Canadian Business and Investment Forum was held on Sunday. (SPA)

Saudi-Canadian Business Forum Explores Opportunities to Strengthen Investment

The Saudi-Canadian Business and Investment Forum was held on Sunday in Riyadh under the “Invest Saudi” umbrella, with the participation of Minister of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabian Airlines plane, is seen at the airport of the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, August 9, 2021. Picture taken through a window. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Saudia to Launch Riyadh-Kozhikode Flights in February

Saudia Airlines has added Kozhikode, India, to its network of scheduled international destinations, marking its seventh destination in the country alongside…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Wolf Moon, the first supermoon of 2026, lights up the night sky in Cairo, Egypt, January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

Egypt Signs Renewable Energy Deals Worth $1.8 Billion

Egypt has signed renewable energy deals worth a combined $1.8 billion, state TV reported on Sunday. Among the deals were contracts with Norwegian renewable…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani inspects the electricity ministry pavilion at the Iraq Energy Exhibition and Conference

Iraq Says Gas Flaring to Reach Zero by End-2028

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated on Saturday that the government is moving forward with the development of clean and renewable energy…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)

IMF: Saudi Transformation on Track Supported by Deeper Reforms

Saudi Arabia enters a new phase described as one of the most sensitive and influential in the course of its economic transformation, according to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A Chevron logo at the Chevron building in Houston, Texas, US August 19, 2025. (Reuters)

Iraq’s Oil Minister Says Talks Ongoing with Chevron on West Qurna 2 Oilfield

Iraq's oil minister said on Saturday that talks were ‌ongoing ‌with ‌US ⁠major Chevron regarding ‌the Lukoil-operated West Qurna-2 field,…

Business  Chinese girls dressed in Qing Dynasty attire take pictures outside the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP)

China’s Consumer Inflation Scales 3-Year High but Deflation Battle Far from Over

China's annual consumer price inflation accelerated to a 34-month high in December, but the full-year rate slumped to the lowest in 16 years while producer…

Business  Employees at the Saudi Business Center (SPA). 

Business-Friendly Climate Draws 123,000 New Commercial Registrations in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s business environment attracted 123,000 new commercial registrations in the fourth quarter of 2025, pushing the total number of active…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A SABIC employee (company website) 

SABIC Reshapes Global Footprint With $950m Divestment Deals

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has announced a major overhaul of its global portfolio, accelerating its exit from petrochemical and engineering…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business In this photo released by the Lebanese Government press office, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, right background, attends the signing of an international consortium deal for gas exploration in the cost of southern Lebanon between the Lebanese government and representing officials from the international consortium consisting of France's Total, Italy's ENI, and state-owned oil and gas company Qatar Energy, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Lebanese Government press office via AP)

Lebanon Signs Gas Exploration Deal with International Consortium Amid Economic Crisis

Lebanon ’s government on Friday signed a deal with an international consortium to explore gas in an offshore area bordering Israel. The deal for exploration…

Business A shopkeeper arranges food oil bottles at his grocery store in northern Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP)

World Food Prices Dip in December but Still up in 2025, UN’s FAO Says

World food prices declined for a fourth consecutive month in December, mostly pressured by dairy, ​meat and vegetable oil prices, marking the lowest average…

Business (FILES) A worker polishes gold bullion bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney on August 5, 2020. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Gold Price Surge Helps Swiss National Bank Make $33 Billion Profit

The Swiss National Bank made a profit of around 26 billion Swiss francs ($32.52 billion) in 2025, the central bank said on Friday, thanks to big increases in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business New Aramco Digital Network to Enable Secure Industrial Connectivity across Saudi Arabia

New Aramco Digital Network to Enable Secure Industrial Connectivity across Saudi Arabia

Aramco Digital, the technology subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, is set to launch the Kingdom’s national industrial communications network operating in the 450 MHz…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev

Oil Rises as Market Focuses on Venezuela and US Sanctions Plans

Oil prices rose on Thursday after two days of declines as investors assessed Venezuela developments and reports on progress of proposed US sanctions…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola//File Photo

Gold Falls as Commodity Index Rebalancing Sparks Selling Pressure

Gold prices fell on Thursday as investors braced for futures selling tied to a commodity index reshuffle, with a stronger US dollar adding pressure by making…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Commerce Ministry Announces 123,000 New Commercial Registers in Q4 2025

Saudi Commerce Ministry Announces 123,000 New Commercial Registers in Q4 2025

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has released its business sector bulletin for the fourth quarter of 2025, highlighting performance trends and key developments…

Business This image from video provided by the US Department of Defense, shows the US Coast Guard cutter Munro shadowing the MV Bella 1 in the North Atlantic Ocean during the maritime interdiction operation Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Department of Defense via AP)

US Seeks to Assert Control over Venezuelan Oil with Tanker Seizures and Sales Worldwide

President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday sought to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Delegation from the Saudi Fund for Development meets Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh (Syrian Finance Ministry)

Saudi Fund to Speed Syria Recovery with Up to $1.5 Bln Financing

A delegation from the Saudi Fund for Development, headed by its chief executive Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, discussed proposed priority projects in…

Muwafaq Mohammed (Damascus )
Business Saudi Arabia maps mining exploration zones (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minerals Program Accelerates Unlocking Trillions Beneath the Desert

Economic experts said the Saudi Cabinet’s approval of the draft rules and procedures governing the National Minerals Program marks a decisive step that will…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters file)

Saudi Arabia Continues to Excel, Achieves Second-Highest Growth Rate in Tonnage in G20

Saudi Arabia marked a significant milestone in the maritime transport sector in 2025, with its national fleet recording a 32% growth rate compared to 2024. …

Business An oil field in Iraq. (AFP)

Iraq to Nationalize West Qurna 2 Oil Field Operations, Government Says

The Iraqi cabinet has approved nationalizing the petroleum operations in the West Qurna 2 oil field, in accordance with the provisions of a service contract…

Business A view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. (Reuters)

Saudi Tadawul to Open Fully to Direct Foreign Investment from Feb. 1

Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced a landmark reform allowing all categories of foreign investors to invest directly in the Kingdom’s main…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivers a speech at the ministerial conference of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, China September 3, 2024. (Reuters)

China’s Top Diplomat Tours Africa with Focus on Strategic Trade Routes

China’s top diplomat began his annual New Year tour of Africa on Wednesday, focusing on strategic trade access across eastern and southern Africa as Beijing…

Business Passengers walk in front of Fes Railway Station, decorated with Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) theme colors and flags, in the Moroccan city of Fes, January 5, 2026. (Reuters)

Morocco to Ban Frozen Sardine Exports from February

Morocco will halt exports of frozen sardines from February ​1 to protect domestic supplies and contain prices, the cabinet member in charge of fisheries, Zakia…