Business

World Food Prices Dip in October, but Remain Higher Than a Year Ago

Business A worker carries loaves of bread for sale at a bakery in the capital city of Cairo, Egypt November 4, 2026. (Reuters)

World Food Prices Dip in October, but Remain Higher Than a Year Ago

World food prices edged lower in October as weaker import demand contributed to monthly declines in cereal, dairy and meat prices, but were still nearly 6%…

Business Copper at the Aurubis copper smelting and refining plant in Hamburg, Germany. (Reuters)

Copper Falls, Set for Worst Week Since March on AI Rout

Copper dropped on Friday and was set for its biggest weekly drop in London since March, as a rout in technology stocks battered markets. Benchmark three…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Türkiye, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP)

Emerging Economies Set to Match Advanced Nations’ Renewable Capacity Additions, IEA Says

Emerging ‌and developing economies outside China are expected to add as much new renewable energy capacity as advanced economies for the first time over…

Business Gold bracelets displayed in a shop window on Green Street, east London, UK, April 30, 2024. (AFP)

Gold Drops Over 1% on Higher Oil Prices; US Payrolls Data in Focus

Gold prices slipped on Friday as oil prices rebounded, fanning inflation worries and higher-for-longer interest rate expectations, while investors awaited key…

Business A pumpjack operates near Bakersfield, California, on Oct. 16. (AFP)

Oil Set for Sharp Weekly Drop but Middle East Supply Concerns Provide Floor

Oil prices are set for a sharp weekly drop on expectations of a de-escalation of the Iran war after US President Donald Trump's party suffered election losses,…


Business 
A glimpse of the visit by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his accompanying delegation to the UNWTO office in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt’s Tourism Minister: We’ve Agreed on Future Initiatives with Saudi Arabia

Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy told Asharq Al-Awsat that he and Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb have agreed to collaborate on several tourism…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. Photo: Energy Ministry account on X

Saudi Energy Minister Emphasizes Importance of Balancing Growth, Energy Security

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz participated in the Energy Transitions Working Group meetings, the 15th Clean Energy…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Ministry of Environment Issues First License for Aeroponics Agriculture in the Middle East

Saudi Ministry of Environment Issues First License for Aeroponics Agriculture in the Middle East

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture issued the first operational license for a commercial agricultural project utilizing aeroponics in the…

Business A woman enters a store next to a sign advertising job openings at Times Square in New York City, New York, US, August 6, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo

US Job Growth Surges in September, Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.1%

US job growth accelerated in September and the unemployment slipped to 4.1%, further reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to maintain large interest rate…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business Saudi airports will participate under the theme "Saudi Arabia the Global Hub" at Routes World 2024 in Bahrain. (SPA)

Saudi Airports to Expand Global Reach at Routes World 2024 in Bahrain

Saudi airports will participate under the theme "Saudi Arabia the Global Hub" at Routes World 2024, which will take place in Bahrain from October 6-8, 2024,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The 1.5-point increase in the PMI reflects a larger expansion in both output and new orders. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Sees Highest Level of Non-oil Private Sector Activity in 4 Months

Business activity in Saudi Arabia's non-oil sector accelerated to a four-month high in September, driven by strong demand, which led to faster growth in new…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

China Eyes Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Opportunities in Saudi Arabia

China’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Chang Hua, expressed Beijing’s hopes to strengthen its partnership with the kingdom, especially in electric vehicle…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Gold Prices Climb on Safe-Haven Demand; US Payrolls Data in Focus

Gold prices climbed on Friday, supported by safe-haven demand arising from the Middle East conflict, while spotlight shifted towards US payrolls report to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan and Qatari Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari signed an MoU to cooperate in the finance sector. SPA

Saudi and Qatari Finance Ministers Sign Cooperation MoU

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan and Qatari Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari have signed an MoU to cooperate in the finance sector. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Business Flames rise from Israeli airstrikes in Dahiyeh, Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

World Bank Redirects Funds Towards Lebanon Emergency Aid

The World Bank announced on Thursday that it was redirecting funds originally earmarked for development programs in Lebanon towards emergency aid for people…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business The meetings held by the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources with Canadian ministers are aimed at strengthening industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries. SPA

Saudi Arabia, Canada Discuss Smart Industrial Cities

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef has discussed with Canadian government ministers ways to bolster industrial and mining…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Displaced families, mainly from Syria, gather at Beirut's central Martyrs' Square, where they spent the night fleeing the overnight Israeli strikes in Beirut, Lebanon September 28, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki

IMF: Middle East Conflict Escalation Could Have Significant Economic Consequences

The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could have significant economic ramifications for the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business MAWANI Expands Jeddah Port’s Reach with FEM1 Shipping Service

MAWANI Expands Jeddah Port’s Reach with FEM1 Shipping Service

The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI), in partnership with CStar Shipping Company and United Global Logistics (UGL), has announced the addition of the new…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Türkiye Inflation Exceeds Forecasts, Tempering Rate Cut Expectations

Türkiye Inflation Exceeds Forecasts, Tempering Rate Cut Expectations

Turkish annual inflation fell to 49.38% in September while the monthly rate was much higher than expected at nearly 3%, setting the stage for later than…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Libya's eastern-based government said on Thursday that oilfields and facilities would reopen (File photo by AFP)

Libya's Eastern-based Gov't Announces Reopening of Oilfields

Libya's eastern-based government said on Thursday that oilfields and facilities would reopen after a dispute over the leadership of the central bank was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Emirates airliners are seen on the tarmac in a general view of Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Abdel Hadi Ramahi

Emirates Halts Iran, Iraq, Jordan Flights over Regional Unrest

Dubai-based Emirates Thursday said it has cancelled flights to Iraq, Iran and Jordan for three days over "regional unrest", after an Iranian missile strike on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Gold Retreats as Dollar Firms ahead of Key US Economic Data

Gold extended declines on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar, while investors were cautious ahead of key US economic data that might provide clues about…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi Business Center (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Government Considers Establishing Comprehensive Economic Platform for Business Sector

The Saudi government has instructed the Saudi Business Center to collaborate with the Ministries of Commerce and Investment and the Saudi Authority for…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia establishes principles for combating desertification and drought (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Leads Global Efforts Against Desertification at COP16

Saudi Arabia is leading international efforts to address desertification and its negative impacts on economies, societies, and environments worldwide. This…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business A pumpjack extracts oil in the Inglewood Oil Field in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Oil Rises on Prospects of Wider Middle East War, Firmer Global Supply Caps Gains

Oil prices rose on Thursday as the prospect of a widening Middle East conflict that could disrupt crude oil flows from the key exporting region overshadowed a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A model of oil rigs in front of the OPEC logo (Reuters)

OPEC+ Keeps Current Oil Output Policy Unchanged

A meeting of top OPEC+ ministers has kept oil output policy unchanged including a plan to start raising output from December. On Wednesday, the Joint…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince: 2025 Budget Underscores Continued Spending on Basic Services

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, said on Tuesday the preliminary statement for the 2025 state budget emphasized the continued…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA)

Qatar Wealth Fund to Merge Domestic Fiber Network with Cable Business

Qatar's sovereign wealth fund said on Wednesday it plans to merge the telecommunications businesses of Qatar National Broadband Network (QNBN) and Gulf Bridge…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed oil pump jack is placed on dollar banknotes in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

World Shares Are Mixed as Tensions Escalate in Middle East

World shares were mixed on Wednesday, with European benchmarks mostly higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng soared more than 6% while other Asian markets retreated as…

Asharq Al Awsat