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 Mawani Announces New Shipping Service to Boost Saudi Arabia's Connection to China, India 

Mawani Announces New Shipping Service to Boost Saudi Arabia's Connection to China, India 

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced on Sunday the addition of the "Milaha Gulf Express 2" (MGX-2), affiliated with the Qatari Navigation Company …

Business The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Aramco Plans $100 Million Funding for KAUST to Support Cutting-Edge R&D 

Saudi Aramco announced on Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to support…

Business  Qiddiya project in Saudi Arabia (Vision 2030 website)

Saudi Arabia Updates Investment Law to Attract Foreigners

Saudi Arabia announced the approval of an updated investment law, which is expected to enter into force in early 2025, with the aim of attracting foreign…

Ayat Nur (Riyadh)
Business The Maaden Aluminum Station in Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

Saudi Maaden Doubles Profits in Second Quarter of 2024

The net profits of the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) doubled by approximately 192 percent to one billion riyals ($266 million) during the second…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business People walk in the lobby of the Saudi Stock Exchange. (AP)

Revenue Growth, New Projects Boost Profitability of Saudi Public Utility Companies

Public utility companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) achieved a 15.76 percent growth in their net profits by the end of the first half of 2024…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business An employee at a gold shop in Khan El Khalili, Cairo (Reuters)

Gold Subdued as Investors Focus on US Inflation Data

Gold prices struggled for momentum on Monday as investors looked forward to a key inflation report that could shed more light on the US central bank's next…

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 Holds on to Last Week’s Gains Buoyed by Mideast Tensions

Oil prices were little changed in early Asian trading on Monday, holding on to most of last week's more than 3% gains, supported by geopolitical tensions and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Spectators take home Olympic signage as the route for the women's marathon is broken down following its conclusion at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Minister: French Hotels, Restaurants, Museums Boosted by Olympics

The Paris Olympics, which draws to a close on Sunday, has given a much-needed boost to the French economy thanks to business from greater numbers of visitors…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris)
Business An employee at a gold shop in Khan El Khalili, Cairo (Reuters)

What’s Driving Egypt’s Gold Market?

Gold prices in Egypt have risen more sharply than global prices recently, which could affect buying and selling in a country where many use gold as a safeguard…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business HALO Space is set to launch its sixth space tourism test flight from Saudi Arabia in September. (HALO Space)

Space Tourism Boosts Investments in Innovative Sectors, Advanced Technology in Saudi Arabia

HALO Space, a Spanish startup in space tourism, is set to launch its sixth space tourism test flight from Saudi Arabia in September. The announcement…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, US, March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Phot

Fed Policymakers Signal Rate Cuts Ahead, But Not Because of Market Rout

Federal Reserve policymakers are increasingly confident that inflation is cooling enough to allow interest-rate cuts ahead, and they will take their cues on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A woman holding a Chinese flag walks along a street in Beijing, China, 19 July 2024. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES

China’s Inflation Rose More than Expected Due to Extreme Weather

China’s consumer prices rose more than expected in July, largely due to seasonal factors like weather, leaving intact concern over sluggish domestic demand and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business The National Commercial Bank (NCB) continued to hold the largest share of the total net profits among banks listed on the Tadawul (AFP)

Three Factors Drive Record Profits for Saudi Banks

Saudi banks posted their highest-ever quarterly profits in Q2 2024, with net earnings up 13% from the same period last year. Analysts attribute this…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business One of the employment forums in the Jazan region, located in southern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Tops 67 Countries in Global Employment Growth Index

Saudi Arabia’s labor market continues to set records and lead global rankings. The Kingdom, which was at the top of G20 workforce participation from 2016 to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant

Oil Set for 3% Weekly Gain on Rising Mideast Tension, Better US Outlook

Oil prices edged up in Asian trade on Friday, heading for a weekly gain of more than 3%, as US jobs data calmed demand concerns and fears of a widening Middle…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Electric vehicle (EV) models are displayed at the booths of Denza, a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Group AG and BYD Auto, and Chinese EV maker Voyah, at a shopping mall in Beijing, China November 3, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

China Auto Market Hits Milestone as EVs, Hybrids Make up Half of July Sales

Half of all vehicles sold in China in July were either new pure electric vehicles (EV) or plug-in hybrids, industry data showed, a milestone that underscores…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An aerial view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia June 13, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Western Insurers Provide Cover for Russian Oil despite Price Cap Concerns

A group of Western insurers have provided cover for tankers carrying Russian crude, keeping its oil flowing after many in the trade sector withdrew for fear of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/FILE PHOTO Purchase Licensing Rights

Gold Holds Ground on Safe-haven Demand, US Rate Optimism

Gold prices were steady on Friday, after rising more than 1% in the previous session, as persistent geopolitical tensions and optimism surrounding US interest…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi flag

Saudi Communications Ministry Unveils 2nd Phase of Source Tech Initiative to Boost Digital Economy

The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has announced the start of the second phase of the Source Tech initiative, which is part of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows Egypt's Nile river and the the University bridge in the capital Cairo on November 11, 2022. (AFP)

Egypt Aims to Reduce Inflation to Less than 10% by End of 2025

Egypt aims to reduce inflation to less than 10% by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said on Thursday. This came as…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Business and residential buildings are seen in Sisli district, in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 26, 2024. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

Turkish Cenbank Inflation Forecasts Unchanged, Vows Tight Policy

The Turkish Central Bank has left its mid-point inflation forecasts for end-2024 and end-2025 unchanged at 38% and 14% respectively, Governor Fatih Karahan…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Aramco signed agreements to acquire a 10% equity interest in HORSE Powertrain Limited, the new global powertrain solutions company, alongside Renault Group, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, and Geely Automobile Holdings Limited (“Geely”). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Oil Giant Expands Investments Through Local, International Acquisitions

Saudi Aramco has made a series of local and international acquisitions to expand its business and fulfill its commitment to its partners to achieve its long…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The Qatari flag is seen at a park near Doha Corniche, in Doha, Qatar February 17, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem al Omari/File Photo

Qatar Investment Authority Invests $180 million in TechMet

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) announced on Wednesday an initial $180 million investment in TechMet, a company focused on building businesses across the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Business The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant

Oil Prices Tick Up on Sharp Fall in US Crude Inventories

Oil prices edged higher on Thursday for the third straight session after government data showed a steep draw in US crude stockpiles, rebounding from multi…

Asharq Al Awsat