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 The agreement, provided by the Saudi Fund for Development for $77 million, aims to finance the construction of a solar power plant in Belize. SPA

Saudi Fund for Development Signs $77 Million Loan Agreement to Establish Solar Power Plant in Belize

The CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, signed on Saturday a development loan agreement with the Prime Minister of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  Handmade traditional souvenir clothes are displayed for sale in a popular tourist area in old Cairo, Egypt May 22, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Egypt Announces Expected Turkish Investments in Several Sectors

Egyptian Trade Minister Ahmed Samir said on Friday that the Turkish KOC Holding group intends to expand its activities in the Egyptian market in the coming…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Chinese citizens seen on a bridge in Shanghai, while a giant screen displays stock prices on the "Shanghai" and "Shenzhen" stock exchanges (Reuters)

China, Saudi Stock Exchanges in Talks for ETF Cross-Listings to Boost Financial Ties

China and Saudi Arabia's stock exchanges are in talks to allow exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to list on each other's bourses, three sources familiar with the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A person walks past a Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) poster during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

ADNOC to Acquire 30% Stake in Absheron Gas Field

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Friday it would acquire a 30% equity stake in the Absheron gas and condensate field in the Caspian Sea off the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A street seller at work with a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the background in Istanbul Türkiye, 03 August 2023. (EPA)

Türkiye’s Economic Team Holds First Investor Meeting since Policy U-Turn

Türkiye’s new-look economic team met for the first time with dozens of international investors on Friday and pledged to continue hiking interest rates, even as…

Business SABIC CEO speaking to journalists during Thursday’s press conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Decreased Demand, Global Market Conditions Affect Saudi SABIC Financial Results

The financial results of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) - the largest producer of petrochemicals, fertilizers and steel in the Middle East -…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tourism projects have helped in attracting foreign investments in Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Giant Projects Attract Capital in Saudi Arabia

Investment licenses are increasing steadily in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the Kingdom’s attractiveness as a destination that offers investors qualitative…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia (AFP)

Saudi Non-Oil Revenues Jump 13% in Q2

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenues jumped 13 percent to $36 billion in the second quarter of 2023, while oil revenues recorded a decline of 28 percent. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Farmers collect the crop of potatoes grown in Mucuchies, Merida state, Venezuela, on August 3, 2023. (AFP)

FAO: World Food Price Index Rebounds in July

The United Nations food agency's world price index rebounded in July from two-year lows as vegetable oil markets jumped on renewed tensions over exports from…

Business A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Witnesses Strong Business Performance Despite High Cost of Capital, Competition

Saudi Arabia witnessed a strong business performance in July, despite the high cost of capital and intense competitive pressures, according to the Riyad Bank…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The sun rises over the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. headquarters that dominates the skyline in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 7, 2016. (AP)

Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC to Acquire 30% Stake in Absheron Gas Field

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Friday it would acquire a 30% equity stake in the Absheron gas and condensate field in the Caspian Sea off the…

Business Saudi Arabia said it will extend its unilateral production cut of 1 million barrels of oil a day through the end of September. SPA

Saudi Arabia Extends Cut of 1 Million Barrel of Oil a Day Through September

Saudi Arabia said Thursday it will extend its unilateral production cut of 1 million barrels of oil a day through the end of September in its effort to boost…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business  The decline in real estate financing is likely to increase the supply of real estate products in the Kingdom. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Rise of Interests Predicts Further Decline in Real Estate Financing in Saudi Arabia

Real estate financing sector for individuals in the Kingdom is expected to witness a further decline, following a decision by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business More than 800 jobs have been created for Omanis in the agency and its subsidiaries (Oman News Agency)

Oman's SWF Says Total Assets Reach $46.61 bln in 2022

Total assets at Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, the Oman Investment Authority, reached 17.9 billion rials ($46.6 billion) in 2022, the fund said in its annual…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business WAM

Abu Dhabi's ADQ, IHC Propose Wrapping Real Estate, Events Stakes into Q Holding

Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund ADQ and a unit of local conglomerate IHC (IHC.AD) have submitted an offer to wrap their shareholdings in Modon Properties into…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih meets with a Brazilian ministers in São Paulo, Brazil. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi Arabia's SWCC and Brazil’s WEG to Collaborate in Electrical Engineering, Energy, and Automation

Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian company WEG, which is specialized in electrical…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of the TECOM industrial complexes in Dubai (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Dubai's TECOM Posts 13% H1 Profit Rise on Commercial Property Boom

Dubai business park operator TECOM Group reported a 13% increase in first half profit on Wednesday as its CEO said demand for commercial property was…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A ground crew member takes a peek inside the cabin of a Kuwait Airways Airbus A340. AFP file photo

Kuwait Airways CEO Says Could Face a Year's Delay for Airbus Planes

Kuwait Airways faces possible delays of up to 12 months to receive some Airbus aircraft, its CEO said on Wednesday. Maen Razouqi said in an interview that…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia saw a slight increase in the real estate price index during Q2 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Real Estate Price Index Stabilizes in Saudi Arabia

Saudi real estate prices stabilized in the second quarter of this year compared to the first three months, while the real estate price index increased by 0.8%…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A water fountain in a square in Tunis (Getty Images)

$400 Mn Saudi Loan Revives Tunisia's Budget

The $400 million Saudi loan would help recover the Tunisian budget after it failed to mobilize financial resources from traditional partners and meet the…

Al Mongi Al Saidani (Tunis)
Business Jubail offers 100 investment opportunities with an estimated investment size of around $5.4 billion (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Allocates Industrial Lands with Investments Exceeding $21 Bln

As part of its efforts to attract more local and foreign investments, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu in Saudi Arabia has allocated approximately 15…

Saeed Al Abyad (Riyadh)
Business UK Chief Negotiator for the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Tom Wintle meets with GCC Chief Negotiator, Dr. Raja bin Manahi Al Marzouqi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UK Chief Negotiator: We Completed Very Productive Round of Free Trade Negotiations with Gulf Countries

UK Chief Negotiator for the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Tom Wintle revealed that they have completed a “very productive two-week…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Dubai)
Business Electrolyzer to produce green hydrogen. (Getty)

Egyptian-German-Chinese Coalition to Manufacture Hydrogen Production Electrolyzer Units

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the GV Investment Group Egypt, Sherif Hammouda stated Tuesday that his company is ready to be part of a coalition between…

Sabri Najeh (Cairo)
Business A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Nesma & Partners to Acquire Dubai-Based Energy Services Firm Kent

Saudi Arabian contracting firm Nesma & Partners has signed an agreement to acquire Dubai-based privately-owned energy services firm Kent, the two companies…