Business

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Business Officials from the General Organization for Social Insurance at an earlier meeting with businessmen and businesswomen at the Riyadh Chamber (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has made businesses that have ceased operations and exited the Saudi market eligible for a 100%…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province (AFP)

From Aramco's Profits to State Budget Revenue: How Do Oil Proceeds Reach Government Coffers?

Saudi Aramco's financial results and Saudi Arabia's third-quarter budget performance report, released on the same day, revealed a divergence between the…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Representation of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken September 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Crypto Dips on Democrat Midterm Wins, Binance Hack Dents Optimism

Cryptocurrencies briefly dipped on Wednesday as Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and House in the US midterm elections, a potential blow to an…

Business A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images file)

Saudi Non-Oil Sector Expands for Seventh Straight Month

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to expand in October, with business activity and output growth accelerating despite a decline in the Riyad Bank…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business  A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Growth in Non-Oil Revenue Bolsters Saudi Budget Resilience

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenue surpassed oil revenue in the third quarter of 2026 for the first time since 2020, highlighting progress in diversifying…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)

Business King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Trade Surplus Soars 329% as Exports Drive Gains

Saudi Arabia’s merchandise trade surplus surged nearly 329 percent year on year in May, driven by robust export growth, particularly in oil shipments,…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi poses next to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not pictured) in Athens, Greece, May 7, 2025. (Reuters)

Egypt to Restructure Military-Linked ‘Future of Egypt’ Economic Body

Egypt will restructure a military-linked body focused on agricultural and industrial development and commodities imports into an overarching economic authority…

Business Villagers fetch water from a makeshift borehole in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP)

Africa Facing $20 Billion Economic Hit From 'Super' El Nino

An impending “super” El Nino is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Russian-flagged bulk carrier SV Nikolay is unloaded at Izmir port in Türkiye June 25, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File Photo 

Turkish Exports to Syria Up 26% in 6 Months

Turkish exports to Syria reached $1.28 billion in the first half of 2026, up 26.4% compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Ankara)
Business FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: FILE PHOTO - Gold bars and coins lie on the table at the Precious metal dealership Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Gold Gains on Pause in US-Iran Fighting; Fed Decision Looms

Gold rose on Monday as a pause in Middle East hostilities sent oil prices sharply lower and eased some inflation concerns, while investors waited for the US…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Saudia Cargo airplane (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Cargo Launches New Route Between Riyadh and Melbourne

Saudia Cargo on Saturday launched a new scheduled route linking Riyadh and Melbourne, Australia, as part of the expansion of its international network to boost…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources building (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Processes 1,274 Customs Exemption Requests in June to Support Local Industry

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources processed 1,274 applications for industrial customs exemptions in June 2026 as part of its efforts to support…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Badawi inspects Alexandria Petroleum Company refinery projects (Egypt cabinet Facebook page)

Egyptian Oil Surge Boosts Energy Security Amid Regional Turmoil

As oil prices fluctuate due to ongoing regional instability since February, Egypt has managed to achieve a nearly 20 percent increase in crude oil production,…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Business  Oil tankers outside the Port of Long Beach, California, US July 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Oil Slips 4% After US, Iran Pause Fighting Over Weekend

Oil prices tumbled 4% on Monday after the US and Iran paused strikes over the weekend after two weeks of attacks, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution that…

Business Brazilian President Luiz Inacio 'Lula' da Silva speaks during a meeting with leaders of Brazil's science and technology community at the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SBPC) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 24 July 2026.  EPA/ISAAC FONTANA

Lula Calls New US Tariffs a Mistake in Washington Post Op-ed

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called new US tariffs unfair and a strategic mistake in a Sunday opinion column for The Washington Post, warning…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A customer holds shopping bags with a Shein logo in the first physical space of online fast-fashion retailer Shein on the day of its opening inside the Le BHV Marais department store, the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville, in Paris, France, November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo

Shein Swings to Quarterly Loss Ahead of Hong Kong IPO

Shein swung to a $99 million net loss in the first quarter of this year, the draft Hong Kong listing prospectus of the online fast-fashion retailer showed, as…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi Tadawul Group tower in Riyadh’s financial district. (Hamah Holding)

What Saudi Stocks Need to Regain Momentum After Years Near 11,000 Points

Saudi Arabia’s economy is changing rapidly. Its stock market is not. Despite years of sweeping reforms, strong non-oil growth and heavy investment under…

Abeer Hommadi (Riyadh)
Business An aerial view shows Shibushi National Petroleum Stockpiling Base in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan January 18, 2019, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS

Japan Secures Enough Crude Oil Supplies as US-Iran War Spirals

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday reiterated that enough crude oil supplies have been secured in the country for the time being. In response…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tokyo)
Business The APL Sentosa container ship departs from Port Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey on July 24, 2026. (AFP)

India to Keep Engaging with US on Trade Deal After New Tariff Measures

India said on Saturday it would continue engaging with the United States to conclude a bilateral trade agreement, after Washington imposed a 10% tariff on…

Business A view of Kuwait City on June 2, 2026. (AFP)

Kuwait’s KPC Signs $16 Billion Lease and Leaseback Deal for Oil Pipeline Network

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has signed a $16 billion deal to lease and lease back its crude oil pipeline network with a consortium comprising global…

Business A customer withdraws cash from an Al Rajhi Bank ATM in Saudi Arabia (Al Rajhi Bank)

Saudi Banks’ Q2 Profit Rises 12.5% to $6.63 Bn

Saudi Arabia’s banking sector maintained its strong performance in recent years, posting another set of record results as the 10 banks listed on the Saudi…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business A man refuels his motorbike at the petrol station in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 24 July 2026. (EPA)

Physical Oil Prices Jump with Some Nearing $110 as Iran, Ukraine Wars Hit Supply

The price of physical crude oil cargoes in the Middle East, Europe and Africa jumped this week to two-month highs with some nearing $110 a barrel, as supply…

Business Skyscrapers in Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) and the Forbidden City are seen through haze in Beijing, China, July 24, 2026. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

China Restricts Exports to 14 EU Entities

China banned exports of products with the potential for dual civilian and military uses to 14 EU companies on Friday, citing national security concerns. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An aerial photograph taken with a drone shows high-rise towers behind social housing blocks in Manchester, Britain, 23 July 2026.  EPA/ADAM VAUGHAN

UK Retail Sales Unexpectedly Rise 1.0% in June

British retail sales volumes unexpectedly rose by 1.0% in monthly terms in June, according to official figures published on Friday. Economists polled by…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business  European Union (EU) Vice President Kaja Kallas gestures during an interview with the media on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila on July 24, 2026. (AFP)

EU’s Kallas Questions US Rationale for Tariffs on Bloc, Seeks Clarification

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned Washington's rationale for imposing new tariffs on European goods, saying on Friday that allegations…

Business A shop attendant displays pairs of gold bracelets for Chinese weddings during a media preview of the Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group flagship store soft opening, in Hong Kong, China, February 11, 2026. (Reuters)

Gold Softens on Prospects of Fed Rate Hikes as Brent Tops $100

Gold extended losses on Friday after falling 2% in the previous session, as Brent crude's move back above $100 a barrel stoked inflation concerns and…

Business A US Dollar note is seen in this June 22, 2017 illustration photo. (Reuters)

Dollar Gets Yields Boost as Middle East and Trade Wars Raise Inflation Stakes

The dollar was underpinned by higher US Treasury yields on Friday and hovered near a 40-year peak against the yen, as a spike in oil prices and a renewed…

Business 21 July 2026, Taiwan, Taichung: A hand holds a smartphone displaying the term 50 percent tariffs backdropped by cropped flags of the United States and Canada. Photo: Andre M. Chang/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

US Imposes New Tariffs on 60 Partners as Trump Rebuilds Trade Agenda

A new wave of US tariffs targeting 60 trading partners took effect Friday, replacing an expiring global duty rolled out by President Donald Trump earlier this…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Chris Wright at KAPSARC (Saudi Energy Ministry)

Saudi-US Nuclear Cooperation Anchors Kingdom’s Economic, Industrial Transformation

Saudi-US relations have entered a new phase of strategic cooperation with the signing of a peaceful nuclear energy agreement, known as a 123 Agreement, and a…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)