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 The Saudi Crown Prince, during his participation in the bidding ceremony to host Expo 2030 in the capital Paris (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Forges Economic Alliances with Global Powers

Since the beginning of 2023, Saudi Arabia has achieved significant economic milestones and successfully hosted several international conferences and events. …

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef during his visit to a factory in the Aseer region, southwest of the Kingdom (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Industrial System Expands Partnerships to Achieve Strategic Goals

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef has said the Kingdom’s industry system was seeking to achieve national goals by…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abha)
Business A Juneyao Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane prepares to land at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on December 22, 2023. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

Boeing's First Dreamliner Delivery to China since 2019 Arrives

Boeing's first direct delivery of a 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019 landed in Shanghai on Friday, a step that could hasten the end of China's freeze on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business 10 January 2023, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Horb am Neckar: A container with the logo of A. P. Moller-Maersk Group stands at the Black Forest Terminal (BFT) site. (dpa)

Shipping Firms Impose Extra Fees as Red Sea Attacks Hit Global Trade

Some of the world's largest shipping firms, including Maersk and CMA CGM, will impose extra charges after they re-routed ships in response to attacks on…

Business  People visit Masdar City near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as Dubai hosts the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. (AP)

UAE Reaches Comprehensive Economic Agreement with Mauritius

The United Arab Emirates completed talks on Friday on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Mauritius, its first with an African country, state…

Business A Norwegian cargo ship was attacked in the Red Sea on December 12. (AFP)

Global Trade Explores Options amid Red Sea Turmoil

Exporters are scrambling to find alternative ways, whether by air, land or sea, to deliver key consumer goods to retailers, as a series of attacks in the Red…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business The Saudi private sector witnesses positive performance, reflecting on non-oil activities (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Non-Oil Sector Thrives with 3.5% Growth, Private Sector’s Positive Performance

A recent report has highlighted Saudi Arabia’s economic growth, with non-oil activities rising by 3.5% in Q3 of 2023. The positive performance is mainly due to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)  - AAWSAT

UAE Central Bank Raises 2024 Economy's Growth Forecast to 5.7%

The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has raised its forecast for the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for the UAE in the coming year, 2024, to 5.7 percent,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Dates are considered of great importance in nutritional value (SPA)

PIF's Al-Madinah Heritage Co. Inks Deal to Establish Specialist Date Factory

Al-Madinah Heritage Co., a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund specializing in dates, has signed an agreement with the Saudi Authority for Industrial…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An aerial view shows people dressed with Santa Claus outfits riding on standup paddles in the Mediterranean Sea, in Lebanon's northern coastal city of Batroun on December 21, 2023. (Photo by Ibrahim CHALHOUB / AFP)

World Bank Projects Gaza War Could Push Lebanon Back Into Recession

The ripple effects of the war in Gaza are likely to knock Lebanon’s fragile economy, which had begun making a tepid recovery after years of crisis, back into…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business PIF and Saudia Group will transform Saudia Technic into a national MRO champion by investing in infrastructure, boosting efficiency and capturing market growth in Saudi Arabia over the next decade. SPA

PIF Invests in Saudia Technic to Establish National MRO Champion in Aviation Sector

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) said on Thursday that it signed an agreement to invest in Saudia Technic, a subsidiary of Saudia Group. Formerly known…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Jordan reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a four-year reform program worth $1.2 billion (Petra)

Jordan's 2024 Budget Predicts a $1 Bn Deficit

Jordan's government expected the 2024 budget to achieve revenues worth $13.50 billion and current expenditures worth $15 billion, with about a $1 billion…

Asharq Al Awsat (Amman)
Business Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman at the Digital Government Forum in Riyadh

Saudi Energy Minister: Providing Competitive Energy Prices for Companies

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman has revealed a new initiative led by the Kingdom aimed at providing sustainable energy to businesses at a…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business During a dialogue session within the "Digital Government Forum" (Middle East)

97% of Saudi Public Services are Digitized

Several Saudi ministers disclosed the future projects of their ministries benefiting from modern technologies aiming to reach advanced stages of providing…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP)

Small and Medium Enterprises in Saudi Arabia Grow by 3.5% during 3Q of 2023

The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Kingdom increased by 3.5% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2023, reaching 1.27 million…

Business Officials during the signing ceremony. (SPA)

‘Sports Boulevard’ Establishes Private Real Estate Investment Fund for Riyadh’s Arts District

In its inaugural private sector partnership, the Sports Boulevard Foundation (SBF) signed an agreement with Ajdan real estate development company, and Albilad…

Business Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, 20 December 2023. (EPA)

At Least 66% of Jobs Lost in Gaza, More Losses Possible, ILO Says 

At least 66% of jobs have been lost in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October, the International Labor (ILO) said on Wednesday, warning that…

Business AlUla is one of the top tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia. (Royal Commission for AlUla)

Saudi Arabia: Inbound Tourism Achieves 142% Growth during First Half of 2023

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism said the total number of tourists during the first half of 2023, reached 53.6 million, including 14.6 million inbound travelers…

Business An IMF team, led by Jean-Guillaume Poulain, met with the Iraqi authorities in Amman. (Photo: Reuters)

IMF Expects Decline in Iraq’s GDP Due to Oil Production Cuts

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday that it expects a decline in Iraq’s GDP in 2023 and 2024, as a result of lower oil production, due to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington )
Business The Governor of the Digital Government Authority, Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, addresses the Digital Government Forum in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Launches Unified Visa Platform, Announces Full Digital Transformation in 2024

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday the launch of a unified visa platform called “Saudi Visa,” with the aim of facilitating visa application procedures, as part…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Gold prices edged up and held above the key $2,000 level on Wednesday. Reuters

Gold Prices Hold Firm Above $2,000 Mark

Gold prices edged up and held above the key $2,000 level on Wednesday, supported by prospects of interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve next year, while…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha meets with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua in Riyadh on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Communications Discusses Digital Economy with UN, IsDB Officials

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha held talks with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic…

Business The Makken program aims to provide technical services in the fields of cyber-security, cloud computing, and shared workspaces. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

SAMA, CMA Launch Program to Support 150 Fintech Startups

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA) launched a new financial technology program, Makken, which aims to empower entrepreneurs…

Business An employee of the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority at a Saudi port. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Approves Controls Pertaining to GCC Common Customs Law

The Saudi government has agreed to new controls regulating customs procedures, with the aim of aligning with the provisions of the GCC Common Customs Law…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)