Business

IMF: Any Slowdown in AI-driven Growth Would be Factor for Central Banks

Business IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during the Annual Meetings Plenary at the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 16, 2026. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

IMF: Any Slowdown in AI-driven Growth Would be Factor for Central Banks

Central bankers around the world would need to consider any slowdown in AI-driven growth as they assess steps in their fight against inflation, International…

Asharq Al Awsat
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 Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan attends the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 15 July 2022. Made Nagi/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Saudi Finance Minister Participates in Berlin Global Dialogue 2023

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan participated in the Berlin Global Dialogue 2023 hosted by the European School of Management and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Berlin)
Business The CEO of the SFD signed two development loan agreements with Seychelles Minister of Finance, National Planning and Trade. SPA

Saudi Fund for Development, Seychelles Sign $25 Million Development Loans

CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad signed on Friday two development loan agreements with Seychelles Minister of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Gas prices are seen at a gas station in Los Angeles on September 28, 2023. California gas prices are nearing USD $7 per gallon in some locations as oil prices surge toward $100 a barrel. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP)

Oil Up $1 on Tight US Supply, China Demand

Oil prices rose on Friday and were headed for a gain of about 3% for the week, driven by tight US supply and expectations of strong fuel demand in China during…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The International Monetary Fund says that non-oil exports reached a record high of $84.4 billion in 2022 (SPA)

IMF: Saudi Economy Grows as it Diversifies

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has affirmed that the Saudi economy is undergoing a transformation, as reforms are being implemented to reduce dependence…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of the sessions on the second day of World Tourism Day with the participation of the Saudi Minister of Investment (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Calls for Global Sustainability, Tourism Sector Advancement

Pre-pandemic tourism has transformed into something distinct in the post-global health crisis era, according to Saudi Investment Minister Eng. Khalid Al-Falih…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Photo by SPA

Mobily Signs Agreement with Huawei to Enhance its Cloud, Digital Services

Mobily has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Huawei to collaborate on cloud services and enhance its digital and Internet of Things (IoT) B2B…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of the job fairs in Saudi Arabia that brings job seekers together with companies (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Unemployment Declines, Approaching Government Targets

The unemployment rate among Saudis, during Q2 of 2023, decreased to 8.3%, marking a notable decline from the 9.7% recorded in the corresponding period in 2022…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business SPA

Industry Minister: Saudi Arabia Aims to Become Global Player in EV Industry

Saudi Arabia aims to become a global player in manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) and related products, including electric batteries, said Minister of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. (Reuters)

Aramco to Enter Global LNG Business by Acquiring Stake in MidOcean Energy

Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has signed definitive agreements to acquire a strategic minority stake in…

Business Saudi Exports Development Authority Organizes Commercial Mission to Iraq

Saudi Exports Development Authority Organizes Commercial Mission to Iraq

The Saudi Exports Development Authority has organized a commercial mission under the identity "Made in Saudi" to Iraq, which held a meeting in Basra on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business SPA

Saudi Arabia, Singapore Announce Launch of Joint Business Council

The Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Singapore Business Federation have announced the launch of the Saudi-Singaporean Business Council during the Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Modon Signs Agreement to Establish Industrial Complex for Pharmaceuticals, Research in Sudair

Modon Signs Agreement to Establish Industrial Complex for Pharmaceuticals, Research in Sudair

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) has signed an agreement with Eva Pharma, one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GASTAT: Saudi Population’s Unemployment Rate Decreases to 4.9% in Q2 2023

GASTAT: Saudi Population’s Unemployment Rate Decreases to 4.9% in Q2 2023

Estimates of the Labor Force Survey issued in the Labor Market Statistics report by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) showed a 4.9% decrease in the…

Business The survey by YouGov revealed that 90% of tourists from Middle Eastern countries perceive familiarity with the destination as a key factor in making travel decisions. (AFP)

Global Survey Highlights Travel Focus on Specific Destinations, Leaving Others Undiscovered

An international survey, commissioned by the Saudi Tourism Authority, has unveiled that nearly two-thirds of individuals worldwide prioritize traveling to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The global impact of tourism is growing in bridging cultures and providing business and employment opportunities. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Opens Doors to Int’l Investment on ‘World Tourism Day’

As the world emerges from the shadows of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia unveiled its true potential as a global tourist destination. The Kingdom…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The manufacturing unit extends over an area of more than 1.35 million square meters, SPA

Lucid Group Opens Saudi Arabia’s First-ever Car Manufacturing Facility

Lucid Group, which is partially owned by the Public Investment Fund, launched Wednesday its first international factory in Jeddah-based King Abdullah Economic…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business At the signing ceremony, front row, from left: Chairman of Shenghong Holding Group Miao Hangen and Aramco Executive Vice President of Products and Customers Yasser M. Mufti. Back row, from left: Jiangsu Provincial Development and Reform Commission Deputy Director General Wang Rongfei, Jiangsu Province Executive Vice Governor Ma Xin, Aramco President & CEO Amin H. Nasser and Aramco Downstream President Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani. (Aramco)

Aramco and Eastern Shenghong Sign Cooperation Framework Agreement 

Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, and Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Co., Ltd. (“Eastern Shenghong”) signed on…

Business World Tourism Day 2023 kicked off in Riyadh on Wednesday. (SPA)

Riyadh Kicks off World Tourism Day with Participation of 120 Countries

Riyadh kicked off on Wednesday the proceedings of World Tourism Day 2023, reported the Saudi Press Agency. Held under the theme "Tourism and Green…

Business Visitors are seen at a previous edition of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS). (FHS)

Diriyah Company Successfully Concludes Participation in the Future Hospitality Summit in Abu Dhabi

The Diriyah Company has highlighted several hotel, hospitality, and tourism projects during its participation in the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) 2023,…

Business The logo of World Tourism Day in Riyadh that will kick off on September 27. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Hosts Ministers, Officials on World Tourism Day

Leaders from across the global tourism sector flocked to Riyadh for the most significant event in the tourism sector in 43 years, World Tourism Day (WTD). …

Business Handing over awards to "Mawani" at the recent transportation and logistics ceremony (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Jeddah Islamic Port Sets Record with 495,000 TEUs

Jeddah Islamic Port has set a new record for the biggest volume ever processed across its facilities over 30 days, handling 495,000 TEUs during July. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business A picture taken on February 4, 2016 shows an aerial view of the solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant, some 20km (12.5 miles) outside the central Moroccan town of Ouarzazate, ahead of its inauguration. (AFP)

Morocco Aims to Become Key Player in Green Hydrogen

Morocco has voiced ambitious plans to become North Africa's top player in the emerging "green hydrogen" sector, with plans to export the clean-burning fuel to…

Business Workers rehabilitate a road as part of public works on the outskirts of Baghdad on September 15, 2023. (AFP)

‘Fertile Ground’: Baghdad Sees Timid Revival with Investment Drive

On a summer evening, Iraqis smoke shisha and go bowling at a sprawling riverside complex in Baghdad, one of the many new investments reviving the capital after…

Business Flames shoot out of a chimney at Petroleum and Natural Gas company factories by a salt lake at the Wadi al-Qamar (Moon Valley) along a highway of Alexandria, Egypt December 6, 2020. (Reuters)

Eni Wins 2 Blocks Outright in Egypt Oil and Gas Exploration Round

Italy's Eni was the big winner in an Egyptian auction for oil and gas exploration rights on Tuesday, securing concessions for two of the four blocks outright,…