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 Oil rig pumpjacks, also known as thirsty birds, extract crude from the Wilmington Field oil deposits area near Long Beach, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew/File Photo/ Purchase Licensing Rights

Oil Prices up as World's Top Consumers Boost Demand

Oil prices rose on Friday, driven by growing demand in the world's biggest consumers, the United States and China, while the US Federal Reserve gave a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are processed 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 Scales New Record Peaks as Rate Cut Bets Burnish Appeal

Gold raced to an all-time high on Thursday, extending its record run this week as increasing bets for US monetary easing added to sustained tailwinds for…

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Business An ODEG train arrives at the main train station during a nationwide strike called by Germany's train drivers union GDL over wage increases, in Berlin, Germany. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse Purchase Licensing Rights

Strikes Hobble German Railways, Airports

Germany faced strikes on several fronts on Thursday, as train drivers and airport workers walked off the job, causing chaos for millions of travellers and…

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Business [1/2]European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters building is seen during sunset in Frankfurt, Germany, January 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

ECB Lays Ground for June Rate Cut as Inflation Falls

The European Central Bank kept borrowing costs at record highs on Thursday while cautiously laying the ground to lower them later this year, saying it had…

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Business The transfer of part of the State’s shares in Saudi Aramco is a continuation of the Kingdom's long-term initiatives to boost and diversify the national economy and expand investment opportunities in line with Saudi Vision 2030. (Aramco)

Saudi Crown Prince Announces Completion of Transfer of 8% of Aramco’s Shares to PIF’s Fully Owned Companies

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and Chairman of the…

Business A deliveryman balances a tray of freshly baked bread while riding his bicycle along the al-Darb al-Ahmar district in the old quarters of Cairo on March 6, 2024. (AFP)

Egyptian Pound Stable After Devaluation, IMF Deal 

Egypt's currency was stable at around 49.5 pounds to the dollar as the market opened on Thursday, a day after the central bank let the currency plunge and…

Business ROSHN announced MARAFY, a mixed-use development located in the north of Jeddah that will accommodate more than 130,000 residents with a manmade canal at its heart – the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia. (PIF)

ROSHN: MARAFY Will Become Trade Hub to Attract Investments in Jeddah

Real estate developer and Public Investment Fund (PIF) giga-project ROSHN underscored the economic impact of the MARAFY project that will be implemented in…

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

Gold Extends Rally to Record as Powell Hints at Rate Cut in 2024

Gold prices surged to a record high on Thursday, poised for their seventh consecutive daily rise, led by sluggish US economic data and Federal Reserve Chair…

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Business TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy have longstanding agreements to partner on exploration and production in Namibia, Guyana and Kenya. (QatarEnergy)

TotalEnergies, Qatar Expand Orange Basin Holdings to South Africa 

TotalEnergies and Qatar's oil company on Wednesday said they would buy a stake in a license to seek oil and gas off South Africa as part of their plans to…

Business  People walk past a currency exchange point, displaying an image of the US dollar, in Cairo, Egypt, March 6, 2024. (Reuters)

Egypt Signs Expanded $8 Billion Loan Deal with IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will increase its current loan program with Egypt by $5 billion, the country's prime minister said on Wednesday, as the…

Business With ambitious architecture that blends with the dramatic natural landscape, Gidori hosts luxury hospitality, premium residences, and a range of sports and leisure amenities that offer an unmatched living experience. (SPA)

Gidori: Residential Golf Community in NEOM

The Board of Directors of NEOM announced Gidori – an exclusive private golf community set amidst the breathtaking coastal hills of the Gulf of Aqaba – as the…

Business Buildings are seen at Sowwah Square on Marayah Island in Abu Dhabi's new central business district May 7, 2013. REUTERS/Ben Job Acquire Licensing Rights

Abu Dhabi's Financial Center Posts 32% Growth in Company Registrations in 2023

Abu Dhabi's financial center, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), said on Wednesday that the number of companies that set up base there grew 32% in 2023 from…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A flare burns excess natural gas in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US November 23, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Oil Rebounds as OPEC+ Output Cuts Override China, US Demand Concerns

Oil prices rebounded slightly on Wednesday after extended declines as signs of supply tightness amid output cuts by major producers overrode demand growth…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business File photo: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold 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 Near All-time-high Levels Ahead of Fed Testimony

Gold stood tall near previous session's record highs on Wednesday as markets expect Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's testimony later in the day to reveal…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The company reported operating revenues of SAR75.3 billion, a 4.5% increase over the SAR72.0 billion in the previous year. (SEC)

Saudi Electricity Company Announces 2023 Financial Results 

The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) issued on Wednesday the financial results for 2023. The company reported operating revenues of SAR75.3 billion, a 4.5%…

Business Traditional "Fanous" lanterns are displayed in a market in Cairo, Egypt, 04 March 2024. (EPA)

Egypt Raises Interest Rates by 600 Bps, Pound Tumbles 

Egypt's central bank said on Wednesday that it had hiked interest rates by 600 basis points at an unscheduled meeting and that it would allow the exchange rate…

Business The National Development Fund (NDF), in collaboration with the Social Development Bank (SDB), announced on Tuesday the signing of two agreements to establish two venture funds with a total size of SAR450 million ($120 million) to bolster the gaming and Esports industry in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

NDF Partners with SDB to Establish $120 Mln Venture Funds for Gaming, Esports Industry in Saudi Arabia

In an innovative move to bolster the gaming and Esports industry in Saudi Arabia, the National Development Fund (NDF), in collaboration with the Social…

Business The MoU provides multiple benefits to PIF and its portfolio companies by providing investment opportunities aimed at boosting PIF’s investments in Bahrain. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's PIF, Bahrain's Mumtalakat Sign MoU to Promote Cooperation, Investment in Strategic Sectors 

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain, signed on Tuesday a memorandum of…

Business Saudi Arabia further advanced its position as a regional tech and investment hub during LEAP 24, with the announcement on Tuesday of $888 million in investment funds and funding rounds backing innovation and tech entrepreneurship in the Kingdom and across the region. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Advances Tech Hub Leadership Position with $888 Mln in Deals at LEAP 24 

Saudi Arabia further advanced its position as a regional tech and investment hub during LEAP 24, with the announcement on Tuesday of $888 million in investment…

Business Saudi Arabia's flag.

Saudi-Turkish Business Forum Helps Boost Economic Ties

The Saudi-Turkish Business Forum and Turkish Products Fair was held on March 4, 2024 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, SPA said on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)

ADNOC Says AI Added $500 Mln of Extra Value in 2023

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) generated $500 million of additional value in 2023 by using artificial intelligence, the company said on Tuesday. …

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

Gold Hovers Near 3-month Peak

Gold prices steadied near a three-month peak on Tuesday, supported by subdued US manufacturing and construction spending, as investors awaited testimony from…

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Business China's Premier Li Qiang delivers his work report at the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2024. (AFP)

China Vows to ‘Transform’ Economy, Sets Ambitious Growth Target 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced an ambitious 2024 economic growth target of around 5% on Tuesday, promising steps to transform the country's development…

Business The new AWS Region will give developers, startups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises, as well as healthcare, education, gaming, and nonprofit organizations, greater choice for running their applications and serving end users from data centers located in the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Amazon Web Services to Launch Infrastructure Region in Saudi Arabia 

Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced on Monday that it will launch an AWS infrastructure Region in Saudi Arabia in 2026. The new…