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 An aerial view shows little traffic on the roads of Kuwait City after the country entered virtual lockdown, following the outbreak of coronavirus, in Kuwait City, Kuwait March 16, 2020. (Reuters)

Kuwait Says Govt. Spending Must be Fixed to Control Budget Growth

Kuwait's budget is projected to show a deficit of 5.6 billion dinars ($18.33 billion) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with expenses estimated at 24.5 billion…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The High-Level Political Forum of the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations in New York (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Green Building Forum Launches Roadmap to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Saudi Green Building Forum launched a roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, on the sidelines of the High-Level Political Forum of the United Nations…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Officials of the Saudi Aviation Group and the Ministry of Investment after signing a joint MoU (SPA)

Saudi Arabia: Additional Benefits for Major Investors, CEOs of Local and Int’l Companies

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with national carrier Saudia Group to enhance services and support for…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: Electric cars of Zeekr, a premium brand owned by Chinese automaker Geely, are on display at the Frank-Auto dealership in Moscow, Russia June 14, 2024. REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/File Photo

China’s Chance to Rein in its Surplus — or Double Down

Two clashing narratives have emerged over China’s heady manufacturing expansion led by electric vehicles, renewable energy and high-tech goods. One says it’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business Argentina's President Javier Milei attends an event commemorating the 208th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain in 1816, in Buenos Aires, Argentina July 9, 2024. REUTERS/Matias Baglietto

Argentina to Sell Dollars on Parallel Market as Part of Anti-inflation Drive

Argentina's central bank will start selling US dollars in the country's parallel foreign exchange markets in an effort to combat inflation and freeze the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Men reach out to buy subsidized flour sacks from a truck in Karachi, Pakistan. (January 10, 2023). (Photo/Reuters)

Pakistan Pledges $7 Billion IMF Aid Deal Will Be Its Last

The International Monetary Fund has agreed to loan Pakistan $7 billion to bolster its faltering economy, with Islamabad pledging Saturday it would be the last…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Taiwan looks to increase cooperation with Saudi Arabia in several economic fields. In the photo, Taipei 101, one of the tallest towers in the world at 508 meters, is shown in the capital city of Taipei (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Taiwan Seeks to Expand Tech Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

A Taiwanese diplomat has emphasized the strategic relations between Saudi Arabia and Taiwan as the latter aims to expand bilateral cooperation in new value…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business A case of meat is pictured at a butcher shop at Reading Terminal Market after the inflation rate hit a 40-year high in January, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, February 19, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah Beier/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

IMF Sees US Fed in Position to Cut Interest Rates Later this Year

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday it continues to believe that the Federal Reserve could start cutting interest rates later this year and should…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People display merchandise for pedestrians around Times Square, in New York, U.S., December 25, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

US Producer Price Data Points to Subsiding Inflation Pressures

US producer prices increased slightly more than expected in June amid a rise in the cost of services, but that did not change expectations that the Federal…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Cars to be exported sit at a terminal in the port of Yantai, Shandong province, China January 10, 2024. China Daily via REUTERS//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

China's Exports Top forecasts, but Falling Imports Point to More Stimulus

China's exports grew at their fastest in fifteen months in June, suggesting manufacturers are front-loading orders ahead of tariffs expected from a growing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GACA Reports Significant Growth in Air Travel in Saudi Arabia

GACA Reports Significant Growth in Air Travel in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) released air-traffic statistics showing significant growth in the number of passengers and flights in…

Business The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Energy and Economy Ministries Launch Carbon Capture, Utilization Challenge with UpLink

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP) and Ministry of Energy (MoEnergy), in collaboration with UpLink, have launched the Carbon Capture and…

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

Oil Rises as US Inflation Eases

Oil prices rose on Friday amid signs of easing inflationary pressures in the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer, with Brent crude peaking above …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An offshore oil rig is seen in the Caspian Sea near Baku, Azerbaijan, October 5, 2017. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor/File Photo

OPEC, IEA Again Forecast Different Oil Demand Growth

OPEC and the International Energy Agency (IEA) again forecasted different short and medium-term global oil demand growth, reports issued by both organizations…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Photo by SPA

Saudi Energy Minister, German State Secretary Discuss Climate Action, Clean Energy

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met Wednesday in Riyadh with State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An electric car displayed during the Global EV & Mobility Technology Forum 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia: Global Strategic Partnerships Accelerate Electric Vehicle Industry

Saudi Arabia has forged strategic partnerships with major international companies to exceed the production capacity of 600,000 electric cars annually,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Eiffel Tower and the financial and commercial district of La Defense, west of Paris (Reuters)

Saudi-European Investment Relations Enhance Global Economic Stability

External financial bonds, including Eurobonds, constitute an important aspect of Saudi investments, experts told Asharq Al-Awsat. This came after the Ministry…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The joint venture contractors include Saudi Arabia-based El Seif Engineering Contracting (ESEC) and China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). (Photo: Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company Signs $2 Billion Development Contract

The Diriyah Company, which is affiliated with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced on Wednesday the signing of the largest construction contracts…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business File photo: A person puts gas in a vehicle at a gas station in Manhattan, New York City, US, August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File photo Purchase Licensing Rights

OPEC Sticks to 2024 Oil Demand View, Sees Strong Travel Season

OPEC stuck to its forecast for relatively strong growth in global oil demand in 2024 and next year, saying on Wednesday that resilient economic growth and air…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Egyptian street vendors carrying breads, drive past a currency exchange point, displaying images of the US dollar, in Cairo, Egypt May 9, 2024. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh Purchase Licensing Rights

Egypt's Inflation Rate Eases for Fourth Month Running in June

Egypt's annual urban inflation rate slowed for a fourth consecutive month in June, to 27.5% from 28.1% in May, data from the country's statistics agency…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business General view of Aramco's oil field in the Empty Quarter, Shaybah, Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Saudi Aramco Share Sale Rises to $12.35 Bn

Saudi Aramco netted $12.35 billion from a secondary share sale, the deal's stabilizing manager said on Wednesday. An additional 154.5 million shares were…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Marked ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a cart at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold Holds Ground as Traders Brace for US Inflation Data

Gold prices held steady on Thursday, with investors awaiting US inflation data due later in the day for more insights on the Federal Reserve's interest rate…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Wind turbines dot the coast line along a giant solar farm near Weifang in eastern China's Shandong province on March 22, 2024. China's Commerce Ministry has announced it will launch an investigation into whether unfair trade practices were adopted by the European Union in its probe of Chinese companies. It said Wednesday, July 10, 2024 the investigation will focus on wind power, photovoltaics, security equipment and others. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China Launches Investigation in Response to EU Probes of Solar, Wind Power

China announced an investigation Wednesday into whether the European Union has adopted unfair trade practices in its probes of Chinese companies bidding on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Albudaiwi meets with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds in London. (SPA)

GCC, UK Agree to Proceed with Free Trade Agreement This Year

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said on Wednesday the GCC and United Kingdom are in agreement over the importance of…