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 Pump jacks of Wintershall DEA are pictured in Emlichheim near the northern German city of Meppen, Germany, March 9, 2022. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia and Russia Extend Oil Cuts through December

Saudi Arabia and Russia said on Tuesday they would extend voluntary oil cuts until the end of the year. The Saudi production cut of one million barrels per…

Business The Saudi Minister of Justice speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Real Estate Stock Exchange platform last week. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Real Estate Exchange Figures Reflect Size of Saudi Market

During the first week of its launch, the Real Estate Exchange, which is affiliated with the Saudi Ministry of Justice, witnessed the trading of about 61…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business SAMA Governor Ayman al-Sayari

SAMA Governor: Establishing UAB Regional Office in Saudi Arabia will Support the Union

The Union of Arab Banks (UAB) conference announced on Monday the establishment of a regional office in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) Governor…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser addresses the opening of the Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference (SMIC). (Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services)

Saudi Minister: Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference Discusses Several Investment Opportunities

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said the Sustainable Maritime Industry Conference brings together…

Asma al Ghabri (Jeddah) Saeed al-Abyad (Jeddah)
Business Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih shakes hands with Italian Minister of Industry. (Italian AKI Agency)

Saudi Arabia, Italy Sign 21 Agreements, MoUs during Investment Forum

Saudi Arabia and Italy signed 21 agreements and memorandums of understanding during an investment forum held in Milan, in a step aimed at developing trade and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh) Asharq Al Awsat (Milan)
Business ALFULWA, which is ROSHN’s fourth residential community in the Kingdom, located seven kilometers from the center of Al Ahsaa Governorate. Photo: ROSHN’s website

ROSHN Tops Construction Week’s Best 50 Gulf Developers List of 2023

ROSHN, the leading national real estate developer in Saudi Arabia, has secured the top spot on the list of Top 50 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Developers…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The MoC was co-signed by Eng. Amr AlMadani, CEO of RCU, and John Pagano, CEO of RSG, in AlUla. (SPA)

Royal Commission for AlUla, Red Sea Global Sign MoC in Tourism Sector

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and Red Sea Global (RSG) signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best…

Business Oman's OQ Gas Networks (OQGN) plans to float up to 49% of its shares.

Oman’s OQ Gas Networks Plans Muscat’s Biggest IPO in Almost Two Decades 

Oman's OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), the pipelines business of state oil giant OQ, said on Monday it plans to float up to 49% of its shares, in what is expected to…

Business A teller uses a machine to count Turkish lira banknotes at a foreign exchange office in Ankara on July 20, 2023. (AFP)

Turkish Inflation Jumps to Nearly 59%, More Than Expected 

Türkiye’s annual inflation rate surged to a higher-than-expected 58.94% in August, official data showed on Monday, rising for a second month after a steep fall…

Business The Second Edition Future Minerals Forum in 2022 (SPA)

Riyadh to Host Third Edition of Int’l Future Minerals Forum

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced the third edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) at the King Abdulaziz International…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A map illustrating the proposed location of the Riyadh Expo 2030 exhibition in the northern part of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh Expo 2030 to Introduce Packages Supporting Participation of Developing Nations

The proposed site in the Saudi capital for hosting the Riyadh Expo 2030 has been divided into four zones based on the exhibition’s three sub-themes, sources…

Business Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund acquires full ownership of “Hadeed,” owned by SABIC (SABIC’s website)

PIF’s Acquisition of Two Steel Companies Boosts Saudi Economic Growth

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced the signing of a share purchase agreement worth around $3.3 billion to acquire a 100% shareholding in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business An offshore gas platform of the Italian company Eni. (Getty Images)

Eni to Invest $7.7 Bn in Egypt’s Energy Sector

Eni Energy Company President Claudio Descalzi said the Italian company and its partners intend to inject new investments into Egypt over the coming four years…

Sabry Nageh (Cairo)
Business ACWA Power is developing multiple energy and water desalination projects in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ACWA Power Signs $545 Mn Financing Agreement for Rabigh-4 in Western Saudi Arabia

ACWA Power signed financing and guarantee agreements for Rawabi Water Desalination Company for the Rabigh-4 Independent Water Plant in Yanbu. Under the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  The Central Bank of Egypt in downtown Cairo. (Reuters)

Egypt Net Foreign Asset Deficit Drops in July

Egypt's net foreign assets deficit narrowed by $808 million in July to a negative $26.2 billion, its first decline since March, revealed the central bank. …

Business A rare Super Blue Moon rises over the buildings in Jakarta, Indonesia, 31 August 2023. (EPA)

Indonesia Offers ‘Golden Visa’ to Entice Foreign Investors

Indonesia is introducing a golden visa scheme to attract foreign individual and corporate investors in an attempt to boost its national economy, a statement…

Business Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan has met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lawrence Wong. SPA

Saudi Arabia, Singapore Discuss Economic Cooperation

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Aljadaan has met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lawrence Wong. In the meeting held in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 19, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser/File Photo

SABIC and Sinopec Launch Joint Project in Tianjin

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and China's Sinopec have announced the start of the commercial operation of their new polycarbonate plant,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GCC countries lead merger and acquisition deals (SPA)

Gulf States Spearhead $42.5 Billion in Mergers & Acquisitions

The Middle East and North Africa region has recently witnessed a remarkable boom in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals, as a total of 318 mergers and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Dates recorded the highest rate of self-sufficiency in Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Achieves Surplus in Self-Sufficiency for Top 3 Food Items

The Kingdom has recorded surpluses in its top three food products during the past year as a result of the intensive efforts undertaken by the government to…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Buildings are seen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 18, 2017. Picture taken December 18, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

Saudi Trade Balance Touches SAR 113 Bn Surplus in Q2

Saudi Arabia’s trade balance, representing the difference between the nation’s merchandise exports and imports, reached SAR113 billion ($30.12 billion) in the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Phot

Gold Muted as Investors Focus on US Jobs Data for Fed's Rate Course

Gold prices appeared set on Friday to wrap up their second straight weekly gain, helped by diminished chances of US interest rate hikes this year after a data…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lucid Motors Reduces Prices of EV in Saudi Arabia

Lucid Motors Reduces Prices of EV in Saudi Arabia

Lucid Motors, partially owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has reduced the prices of its electric vehicles (EVs) by 9-11 percent in Saudi Arabia,…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia aims to become one of the largest exporters of clean hydrogen in the world (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Patent for Clean Hydrogen Production at Reduced Cost

A Saudi researcher has achieved a global patent in the clean hydrogen production sector, contributing to a significant reduction in production costs. This…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)