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 FILE PHOTO: The sun sets behind a crude oil pump jack on a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US November 24, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant/File Photo

Oil Steady as Market Weighs US Demand Concerns, Mideast Conflict Risks

Oil prices steadied on Thursday after settling lower in the previous day, as signs of retreating fuel demand in the US, the world's biggest oil user, contended…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning speaks at the conference organized by the IMF, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

IMF Opens Regional Office in Riyadh to Strengthen Partnership with Middle Eastern Countries

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has inaugurated its regional office in Riyadh with the aim to strengthen partnership with countries in the Middle East…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business General view of the Saudi capital Riyadh. Reuters file photo

Saudi Trade Balance Records Monthly Surplus of 13% in February

Data from the Saudi General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed that the trade balance surplus rose by 13 percent, in February, to SAR32 billion ($8.5…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi Communications, Space and Technology Commission building in Riyadh (the Commission’s website)

Saudi Communications, Tech Market Valued at $44 Billion in 2023

The size of the communications and technology market in Saudi Arabia reached SAR166 billion ($44.2 billion) during 2023, which is equivalent to a compound…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The UAE and Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding, setting the stage for investment collaboration in mining and technology sectors. WAM

UAE, Kenya Sign Investment MoU on Mining, Technology Sectors

UAE’s Ministry of Investment and the Kenyan Ministry of Finance and National Treasury have signed a memorandum of understanding, setting the stage for…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Bahrain-based Investcorp said CIC's commitment "comes at a time when the GCC's appeal to institutional investors is gathering pace.” Asharq Al-Awsat

Bahrain's Investcorp Sets Up $1 Bln Fund with China's CIC

Alternative investment company Investcorp has launched a $1 billion fund backed by China's sovereign wealth fund CIC to invest in companies across Saudi Arabia…

Asharq Al Awsat (Manama)
Business A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on National Day in 2021. (SPA)

IMF Launches Regional Office in Saudi Capital Riyadh

The International Monetary Fund will open a new regional office in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, it said in a statement on Wednesday, to strengthen…

Business An employee of the Ministry of Commerce during a visit to monitor violations (SPA)

Saudi Finance Ministry to Ask Government Agencies to Issue Fines through National Platform

The Saudi Ministry of Finance will ask all government agencies to use a unified national platform to issue fines and penalties, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. …

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The Egyptian capital, Cairo (Getty)

Egypt Expects to Achieve Primary Surplus of 5.75% of GDP in Current Fiscal Year

Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said on Tuesday that the state’s general budget was likely to achieve a primary surplus of 5.75 percent of the gross…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business General view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 21 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Saudi Investment Opportunities on US Business Radar

Saudi Commerce Minister Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi has discussed Vision 2030 achievements and investment opportunities with US business leaders in Washington. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business FILE PHOTO: A motorist fills a car with fuel at a petrol station in Sydney August 18, 2004. REUTERS

Oil Prices Climb amid US Stocks Decline, Mideast Conflict

Oil prices extended gains on Wednesday after industry data showed a surprise drop in US crude stocks last week, a positive sign for demand, though markets were…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Encouraged by US licenses allowing sales, oil exports reached some 900,000 barrels per day in March, the highest in four years. Reuters

Venezuela to Accelerate Cryptocurrency Shift as US Sanctions Return

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA plans to increase digital currency usage in its crude and fuel exports as the US reimposes oil sanctions on the country…

Asharq Al Awsat (Caracas)
Business FILE PHOTO: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman attend a state visit reception at Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates April 22, 2024. Ryan Carter/UAE Presidential Court/Handout via REUTERS

UAE, Oman Establish $35 Bln Investment Partnerships

UAE and Omani companies have signed deals worth 129 billion dirhams ($35.12 billion) in sectors including energy and transport during the Omani ruler's visit…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Mawani added a new shipping service to East Africa to King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam.

Mawani Adds East Africa Shipping Service to King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has added a new shipping service, East Africa Express, by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), to King Abdul Aziz Port…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Roberta Gatti, Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the World Bank (Asharq Al-Awsat)

World Bank Explains to Asharq Al-Awsat Saudi Growth Forecast Surge for 2025

The World Bank is forecasting a 5.9% growth for Saudi Arabia’s economy in 2025, surpassing previous estimates. This surge is fueled by heightened non-oil…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A maze of crude oil pipes and valves is pictured during a tour by the Department of Energy at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, US June 9, 2016.  REUTERS/Richard Carson/File Photo

Oil Prices Stabilize, Middle East Tensions Remain in Focus

Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday, after falling in the previous session, as investors continued to assess the risk from geopolitical concerns in the Middle…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Upon completion, the project will feature two low-rise office buildings, offering a combined leasable area of approximately 6,000 square meters, alongside 12 mixed retail and F&B outlets spanning around 8,000 square meters. (SPA)

Saudi Diriyah Company Announces 'Zallal' in the Bujairi District

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company unveiled on Monday details of Zallal, its inaugural major versatile commercial office and retail project, slated to debut in the…

Business The new merged entity will boast approximately 30,000 mobile tower sites and will become one of the largest tower companies globally with estimated annual revenues of approximately $1.3 billion. (SPA)

Saudi PIF, stc Group Sign Agreements to Form Region’s Largest Telecom Tower Company

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Saudi Telecommunications Company (stc Group) announced on Monday the signing of definitive agreements whereby…

Business Saudi Aramco entered into discussions with China’s Hengli Group Co., Ltd. regarding the potential acquisition of a 10% stake in Hengli Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (SPA)

Saudi Aramco in Talks to Acquire 10% Stake in China's Hengli Petrochemical

Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, said on Monday that it has entered into discussions with China’s Hengli…

Business Tech companies will continue to see their profits grow thanks to their efforts to raise their operational efficiency. (SPA)

Digital Transformation, Technical Development Boost Profitability of Saudi Tech Firms in 2023

Financial analysts have linked the growth of net profits of Saudi application and technology services companies by 22 percent during 2023 with the Kingdom’s…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business The World Energy Council announcing Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as the official host of the 27th World Energy Congress to be held 26-29 October 2026 (Saudi Ministry of Energy)

World Energy Congress Convenes in Rotterdam, Saudi Arabia to Host 27th Edition

More than 7,000 international energy stakeholders will gather in Rotterdam on Monday to attend the 26th edition of the World Energy Congress, the world’s most…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rotterdam)
Business Saudi Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel during the opening of one of the new branches of Magrabi Hospitals in Makkah. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Offers Attractive Digital Infrastructure for Health Companies

Saudi Arabia’s health system has become an attractive investment environment for the private sector at the local and international levels, thanks to the…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The easing of tensions in the Middle East has seen oil prices slip. Frederic J. BROWN / AFP

Markets Bounce as MidEast Fears Ease, US Inflation in View

Asian markets rose Monday, clawing back some of last week's losses, as Middle East worries subsided while traders look ahead to the release of key US inflation…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia participates in the 26th edition of the World Energy Congress taking place from April 22 to 25, 2024, in the Netherlands. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Showcases Its National Programs, Global Contributions at World Energy Congress

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by its energy system, is actively engaging in the 26th edition of the World Energy Congress, taking place from April…

Asharq Al Awsat