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 The US last week announced a 10-nation coalition to counter the attacks in the Red Sea. - File Photo

Oil Prices Set to End Week Higher after US Rate Cut

Oil prices eased on Friday, but were on track to register gains for a second straight week following a large cut in US interest rates and declining global…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and gold coins of different sizes lie in a safe on a table at the precious metal dealer Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Gold Hits Record High on Weak Dollar, Middle East Tensions

Spot gold prices hit a record high on Friday as a weak dollar, expectations of more U.S. interest rate cuts and tensions in the Middle East more than offset…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People walk past a booth with the Communist Party emblem next to a business center in Yiwu, China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 20, 2024. (AFP)

China Unexpectedly Leaves Lending Rates Steady; Markets Expect Cuts Soon 

China unexpectedly left benchmark lending rates unchanged at the monthly fixing on Friday, confounding market expectations that were primed for a move after…

Business The Qatari flag is seen at a park near Doha Corniche, in Doha, Qatar February 17, 2018. (Reuters)

Qatar Sovereign Fund Plans to Expand Activities in Asia

Head of Asia-Pacific Advisory at the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Abdullah Al-Kuwari announced that the country's sovereign wealth fund is currently…

Asharq Al Awsat (Singapore)
Business Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks at the press conference. (Egyptian government)

Egypt Designates Coastal Areas for Major Investment Deals

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced on Thursday that his country has earmarked 5 spots on the Red Sea, including Ras Banas peninsula, to attract…

Business A factory in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Industrial Investments Rise by 54% Following Exemption from Financial Fees

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced that industrial investments in the Kingdom have increased by 54%, reaching around SAR 1.5 trillion. This surge…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, speaks during the World Governments Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 12, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Egypt Aims to Restore Normal Output at Gas Fields by Summer 2025

Egypt aims to restore normal production at its natural gas fields by next summer, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Thursday. Madbouly told a news…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Qatari flag flutters in Doha - AAWSAT/File

Qatar Investment Authority Expands into Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia

The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country's sovereign wealth fund, is in the middle of expanding into Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia, its top…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A pumpjack brings oil to the surface in the Monterey Shale, California, US April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

Oil Prices Rise after US Interest Rate Cut

Oil prices rose on Thursday after a large interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve, but Brent was still hovering around its lowest levels of the year,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority (DGA) Ahmed Alsuwaiyan

Saudi Arabia Sets Digital Innovation Benchmark, Says DGA Chief

Saudi Arabia is leading the way in digital technology for citizens, residents, visitors, and businesses, according to Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, Governor of the Kingdom…

Ayat Nur (Riyadh)
Business Meeting of the Trade Minister and Chair of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council with the UK Minister of State for Business and Trade in Riyadh (SPA)

UK Officials to Asharq Al-Awsat: Talks Underway to Speed Up Gulf Trade Deal

British officials have highlighted that recent Saudi reforms have boosted trade and investment between the two countries, opening new opportunities for…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business The kingdom aims to achieve an annual foreign direct investment inflow of over $100 billion (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Expected to Become More Attractive after Interest Rate Cuts

The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the first time in over four years at its meeting on Wednesday, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high…

Musaid Zeyani (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold Holds Ground after Fed's Oversized Rate Cut

Gold prices held steady on Thursday after hitting a record high in the previous session, after the US Federal Reserve delivered a super-sized interest rate cut…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business File photo: The risk of a resurgence in inflation and the July 4 election are seen as keeping the Bank of England from starting to cut rates at its Thursday meeting ( AFP)

Bank of England Widely Expected to Hold Interest Rates

The Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Thursday, a day after official figures showed inflation in the UK holding steady at…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business News screens display the Federal Reserve rate announcement on the trading floor at The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, September 18, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Federal Reserve Cuts Key Rate by Sizable Half-point

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by an unusually large half-point, a dramatic shift after more than two years of high rates…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

Saudi Market Prepares for Recovery

Investors and financial markets are closely watching the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates, which will be announced after the Federal…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business This handout picture provided by the UAE Presidential Court shows UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed  Al Nahyan bidding farewell to the Egyptian foreign minister after their meeting during the latter's visit, at Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi on September 8, 2024. (Photo by Ryan CARTER / UAE PRESIDENTIAL COURT / AFP)

UAE, Japan Launch Talks to Reach Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Wednesday that relations between the UAE and Japan are built on a long history of strategic cooperation…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business The headquarters of the Digital Government Authority (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Ranks 4th Globally in Digital Services

Saudi Arabia has excelled in the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) and its related sub-indices, rising 25 positions in 2024 to join the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Pedestrians walk across Oxford Street in London, Britain, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

UK Inflation Holds at 2.2% in August as BoE Considers Rates

British inflation stood at an annual rate of 2.2% in August, unchanged from July, but price growth in the services sector - closely watched by the Bank of…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business The Ma'aden headquarters in Riyadh. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia’s Ma'aden Agrees to Acquire SABIC Stake in Aluminium Bahrain

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden), the region's largest multi-commodity metals and mining company, has agreed to acquire SABIC's 20.62% share in Aluminium…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The negotiations built on the growing economic relations between the UAE and Australia. WAM

UAE, Australia Conclude Negotiations on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The UAE and Australia have finalized negotiations on a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries that will, once…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met in Riyadh with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds. SPA

Saudi Arabia, UK Discuss Ways to Boost Industrial and Mining Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef and visiting UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds discussed on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 

Saudi Arabia Approves First ETFs Tracking Hong Kong-listed Equities 

Saudi Arabia has granted approval for its first exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tracking equities listed in Hong Kong on Tuesday, the Capital Market Authority …

Business This photoraph shows an oil well in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on July 23, 2024. (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV / AFP)

Oil Prices Slide as Tepid Chinese Demand Counters US Output Concerns

Oil prices edged lower on Tuesday, as fears of weaker demand in China weighed on market sentiment, while focus turned to the US Federal Reserve's policy…

Asharq Al Awsat