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 Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, left, and France President Emmanuel Macron attend a joint statement ahead of a working lunch at the Elysee Palace Monday, March 11, 2024 in Paris. (Teresa Suarez/Pool via AP)

PM: Thailand Expects to Complete Free Trade Talks with EU Next Year

Thailand expects to complete negotiations over a free trade agreement with the European Union in 2025, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Tuesday, as the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi Aramco announced on Sunday its full-year 2023 financial results, reporting a net income of $121.3 billion, its second-highest ever net income. (Aramco)

Saudi Aramco Aims to Increase Gas Production by More Than 60% by 2030 

The Saudi Aramco announced on Sunday its full-year 2023 financial results, reporting a net income of $121.3 billion, its second-highest ever net income. …

Business New Murabba Leads Saudi Urban Development Investment Drive at MIPIM 2024 France

New Murabba Leads Saudi Urban Development Investment Drive at MIPIM 2024 France

New Murabba Development Company, a leading urban development destination in Saudi Arabia, is showcasing its transformative vision at the 2024 MIPIM, a…

Business Iraqi flag in front of an oil field (AFP)

Iraq to Build New Offshore Oil Export Pipeline in the South

Iraq intends to build a new offshore pipeline at a cost exceeding $416 million, to support crude oil exports from the southern ports between 2025 and 2024. In…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business People shop for beef in a butchery in Algiers, Algeria, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024. (AP)

Excitement and Skepticism Meet Algeria’s Decision to Import Beef to Meet High Demand During Ramadan 

Algeria is importing massive amounts of beef and lamb to confront an explosion in demand for meat expected throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, hoping…

Business People look at traditional decorative Ramadan lanterns called "Fanous" displayed for sale at stalls, ahead of the holy month of Ramadan at Sayyidah Zaynab district in Cairo, Egypt March 10, 2024. (Reuters)

Egyptian Economy Awaits Dollar Inflows after Currency Liberalization

The Egyptian Central Bank’s move to liberalize the exchange rate of the local currency against the US dollar and raise interest rates by 6 percent is expected…

Business The Boulevard World is one of the most important zones that attract visitors during the Riyadh Season. (Media Center of the General Entertainment Authority)

Riyadh Season Attracts 20 Million Visitors with 100% Qualitative Leap

The fourth edition of the Riyadh Season, which falls within the initiatives of the General Entertainment Authority, saw a qualitative leap in the number of…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Non-oil Activities Grow by 4.4% in 2023

The Saudi non-oil economy continues to grow at a rapid pace, achieving an increase of 4.4 percent in 2023, amid expectations that it will accelerate to more…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP) and China Eastern Airlines entered a strategic partnership to launch a new air route connecting the two countries. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, China Boost Air Connectivity Through Airline Partnership

The Saudi Air Connectivity Program (ACP) and China Eastern Airlines have entered a strategic partnership to launch a new air route connecting the two countries…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak. Reuters

Gold Rally Hits Pause ahead of US Inflation Data

Gold prices took a breather from a record-breaking rally on Monday, which was fueled by a cooling US labor market and remarks from the Federal Reserve, with…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business SAR CEO Bashar Khalid Al-Malik and Maersk Saudi Arabia CEO Mohammad Shihab signed the three-year contract

SAR Signs Agreement with Maersk to Increase Number of Containers Transported between Dammam, Riyadh

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has signed a contract with the sea shipping company Maersk to increase the number of containers transported on SAR trains between…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat. Asharq Al-Awsat

Turkish Trade Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Development of Joint Projects with Saudi Arabia Important for Cooperation in Africa

Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has said Ankara attaches great importance to the bilateral economic relations with Saudi Arabia. In an interview with Asharq…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Ankara)
Business Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during his speech at the Martyr’s Day celebration (Egyptian Presidency)

Sisi Defends Decision to Float Currency

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi pledged that economic conditions in the country would improve soon, defending a decision to liberalize the exchange rate…

Fathiya al-Dakhakhni (Cairo)
Business Flags of Türkiye adorn a commercial street in Ankara (Reuters)

Fitch Commends Türkiye’s Economic Policy, Warns of Reversal

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Türkiye’s rating to ‘B+’ from ‘B’ and changed its outlook from ‘stable’ to ‘positive.’ This is because Türkiye has tightened…

Saeed Abdulrazek (Ankara)
Business FILE PHOTO: The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Saudi Aramco Announces $121 Billion Profit Last Year

Saudi Aramco reported Sunday a $121.27 billion profit last year, down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices. Aramco made the announcement in a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A man counts Indian currency notes inside a shop in Mumbai, India, August 13, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo

India Says Europe Trade Group Commits to $100 Bln 15-year Deal

India and a trade group of four European nations signed an economic agreement on Sunday aimed at increasing trade and investment, capping nearly 16 years of…

Asharq Al Awsat (New Delhi)
Business flynas has required the applicants to pass the English language proficiency test, have a minimum total flight time of 240 hours  - SPA

flynas Begins ‘Future Pilots’ Program Exams to Accept 100 Co-Pilots

flynas, the Saudi air carrier and the leading low-cost airline in the world and Middle East, announced the beginning of the “Future Pilots” program exams to…

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

Saudi Aramco First Marine Station in the Kingdom Supplies Yachts and Boats with Fuel

Saudi Aramco, one of the world's leading companies in the fields of energy and chemicals, announced on Saturday the opening of "Aramco Marina", its first…

Business An employee counts Egyptian pounds at a foreign exchange office in central Cairo, Egypt, March 20, 2019. (Reuters)

Egypt’s Sisi Says Flexible Currency Is Possible with New Financing

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that with tens of billions of dollars in new financing from the United Arab Emirates and the…

Business  A Tunisian vendor sells olives at a market in Tunis, Tunisia, 08 March 2024. (EPA)

Tunisian Economic Crisis Mutes Build-up to Ramadan

Tunisians are bracing themselves for more subdued celebrations during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as an economic crisis grips the North African country. …

Business General view of Riyadh city, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 7, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Saudi Commerce Ministry Reports 476,000 Commercial Records Owned by Women

The number of commercial records for women-owned institutions and companies stood at 476,040 by the end of 2023, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A woman shopping in a store around Europe (Reuters)

FAO: World Food Price Index Falls in February for Seventh Straight Month

The United Nations food agency's world price index fell in February for a seventh consecutive month as lower prices for all major cereals more than offset the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The agreement was signed at the NDF headquarters by Chief of Staff Khalid bin Ibrahim Shareef and WEF Head of Global Partner Development and Executive Committee member Alexandre Raffoul. SPA

Saudi National Development Fund Partners with World Economic Forum

Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF) has concluded a partnership agreement with the World Economic Forum (WEF), with the goal of accession to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan Sign Cooperation Deal in Renewable Energy

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and his Kazakh counterpart, Almasadam Satkaliyev, have signed an executive program for…