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 Gold bars are pictured at the plant of gold and silver refiner and bar manufacturer Argor-Heraeus in Mendrisio, Switzerland, July 13, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

Gold Climbs as US Inflation Data Takes Center Stage this Week

Gold prices rose on Monday, supported by a retreat in the dollar as investors look forward to US inflation data that could sway the Federal Reserve to raise…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. GCC

Al-Budaiwi: GCC Private Sector Has Important Role in Achieving Economic Integration

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, has highlighted the important role of the private sector in achieving economic…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Price inspection campaigns in supermarkets failed in controlling price increases (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Fitch Revises Türkiye's Outlook to Stable

Fitch revised Türkiye's outlook to Stable, saying it reflects the return to a more conventional and consistent policy mix that reduces near-term macro…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The International Association of Exhibitions and Events holds Expo! Expo! MENA in Riyadh

Expo! Expo! MENA Opens in Riyadh

Riyadh International Exhibition and Conference Center, in partnership with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), hosts on Sunday the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Italian bank “UniCredit,” one of the largest European banks (Getty Images)

Italian Banks Contemplate Market Entry into Saudi Arabia

Some Italian banks are considering entering the Saudi market in the near future, in conjunction with the expansion of economic relations between Riyadh and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour

Economy Minister: Saudi Arabia is a Promising Powerhouse in Achieving Global Sustainable Economy

Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal bin Fadhil Alibrahim underlined that the Kingdom, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Lumi’s Final Offer Price has been set at SAR 66 per share, implying a total offering size of SAR 1.089 billion. (Photo: SPA)

Lumi Set to Raise $290 Million after Announcing Final IPO Offer Price

Lumi, a Saudi car rental and leasing company, has announced the conclusion of the institutional book-building process and the determination of the final offer…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Farm workers are seen at a paddy field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India. (Reuters)

Prices of Rice Reach 15-Year High

The FAO All Rice Price Index rose by 9.8 percent in August from July to reach a 15-year nominal high, reflecting trade disruptions in the aftermath of a ban on…

Business The Israeli plane upon its arrival at the Essaouira-Mogador International Airport. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

New Flight Inaugurated between Israel, Morocco’s Essaouira

A plane from Israel’s Arkia Airlines landed at Morocco’s Essaouira-Mogador International Airport on Thursday, inaugurating a new route between Essaouira and…

Business A woman shops at a shoes shop in Beijing, China, 07 September 2023. (EPA)

China’s Deflation Pressures Ease, More Steps Expected to Spur Demand

China's consumer prices returned to positive territory in August while factory-gate price declines slowed, data showed on Saturday, as deflation pressures ease…

Business Saudi Fund for Development signs agreement with Oman Development Bank

Saudi Fund for Development Signs Agreement in Oman

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) signed in Oman on Thursday a development finance agreement with the Oman Development Bank worth $53.33 million. This…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business During the presentation of hydrogen investment opportunities in Oman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Hydrogen Oman Seeks Saudi Private Sector Participation in Energy Projects

Eng Abdulaziz Al Shidhani, the General Manager of Hydrogen Oman, said that the company aims to invest in roughly 30 percent of the lands allocated by Oman for…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business Non-oil activities achieved a positive growth of 6.1% during the second quarter of 2023. (SPA)

Non-oil Sector Leads Saudi Arabia’s GDP Growth in Second Quarter

The surge of the non-oil economy in Saudi Arabia at a rate of 6.1 percent, during the second quarter of 2023, led the Kingdom to raise its estimates of GDP…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A man walks beside an Apple store at a mall in Beijing, China, 07 September 2023. EPA/WU HAO

Apple Tumbles as Fears Grow over China iPhone Curbs

Apple fell nearly 4% on Thursday and sparked a selloff in tech stocks after reports that China has widened curbs on iPhone use by government staff in one of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Riyadh currently accounts for 18% of all ongoing real estate and development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Value of Saudi Construction Projects Since 2016 Reaches $1.25 Trillion

The total value of real estate and infrastructure projects launched since the announcement of Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan in 2016 has reached …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Kingdom was the fastest-growing G20 economy in 2022. (SPA)

IMF Says Saudi Economic, Fiscal Position 'Strong'

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a report stating that the Saudi economy has been witnessing growth and prosperity and that the Kingdom's fiscal…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Meeting of the Preparatory Committee of the GCC Economic and Development Affairs Authority in Salalah, Sultanate of Oman (Omani News)

Gulf Meeting Reviews Challenges of Economic Integration

An economic gathering held in Salalah, in the Sultanate of Oman on Wednesday, discussed key challenges and opportunities in economic integration between the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia's Economy Grows 1.2% in Q2

Saudi Arabia's Economy Grows 1.2% in Q2

Saudi Arabia's economy grew 1.2% in the second quarter, year-on-year, government data showed on Thursday. Oil sector activities declined by 4.3% in the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi Crown Prince and Russian president emphasized continuing efforts to stabilize global energy markets. Reuters

Mohammed bin Salman, Putin Hold Onto Efforts to Stabilize Global Energy Markets

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Russian President Vladimir Putin have stressed continued efforts to stabilize global energy…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh) Asharq Al Awsat (Moscow)
Business Roaa Al-Issawi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Commercial Franchising Sector Valued at $1 billion

Finance Specialist at the Social Development Bank, Roaa Al-Issawi, said that the value of the franchise market in Saudi Arabia has reached one billion dollars,…

Ali al-Qattan
Business Under the terms of the agreement, a revolving loan facility of $100 million has been established, with the primary aim of supporting transactions involving UAE exports to Egypt. WAM

ADEX Signs $100M Line of Credit Agreement with National Bank of Egypt

Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX), the export-financing arm of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), has signed a financing agreement with the National Bank of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Logos of ADNOC are seen at Gastech, the world's biggest expo for the gas industry, in Chiba, Japan, April 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

UAE's ADNOC to Proceed with Habshan Carbon Capture Project

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Wednesday it had reached a final investment decision to develop the Habshan carbon capture project. The carbon…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business stc Group’s growth strategy has resulted in a number of investments in the Information, Communication and Technology sector inside Saudi Arabia and globally

Saudi Arabia's stc Group Acquires 9.9% Stake in Telefonica

stc Group has announced that it had acquired a 9.9% stake in Telefonica, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world with a significant…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The convention seeks to ensure legal certainty as to the title that the purchaser acquires in the ship as it navigates internationally - SPA

Saudi Arabia Signs UN Convention on International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has signed the draft UN Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships, also known as the Beijing Convention on…

Asharq Al Awsat