Business

Iraq Oil Output Exceeds 5 million bpd

Business Majnoon oil field near the Iraqi city of Basra (Reuters)

Iraq Oil Output Exceeds 5 million bpd

Iraq produces more than 5 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), Oil Minister Basim Mohammed told state news agency INA on Saturday. According to Reuters, Iraq…

Asharq Al Awsat
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 Private military company (PMC) Wagner Group servicemen prepare to leave downtown Rostov-on-Don, southern Russia, 24 June 2023. (EPA)

Russia Back in Investors’ Focus after Weekend Mutiny

Some investors were watching for ripple effects from an aborted mutiny in Russia on Saturday, expecting a move into safe havens such as US government bonds and…

Business Aramco and TotalEnergies signing ceremony for the “Amiral” complex, a future petrochemicals facility expansion at the SATORP refinery in Saudi Arabia, on June 24. Photo: Aramco website

Aramco, TotalEnergies Sign $11 bln Contract on Petrochemicals Complex in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies have signed an $11 billion contract to start building a new petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia, the two companies said in a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Salama drilling rig operates within a total of 115 rigs to enhance the production operations of ADNOC. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UAE’s ADNOC Drilling Awarded $2 Billion Worth Contracts

UAE’s ADNOC Drilling confirmed being awarded five 10-year contracts, totaling 7 billion dirhams ($2 billion), in support of ADNOC Offshore’s growing drilling…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business The modified list announced on Friday after the watchdog's June meeting did not include Lebanon. Reuters file photo

FATF: Lebanon Stays Off Money Laundering Watchlist

The FATF international financial crime watchdog did not put Lebanon on its "grey list" of countries facing special scrutiny according to a statement on Friday…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People walk in front of Taksim Mosque that is mirrored in a window in Istanbul, Türkiye, 22 June 2023. (EPA)

Türkiye Lira Sinks to Record Low After Unconvincing Rate Hike 

Türkiye’s lira weakened as much as 3.3% to a record low on Friday, extending losses a day after the central bank's large rate hike failed to assure markets…

Business Tunisian President Kais Saied arrives for the closing session of the New Global Financial Pact Summit, Friday, June 23, 2023 in Paris, France. (Reuters)

Tunisia Working with IMF on ‘Fair’ Economic Program 

Tunisia is working with the International Monetary Fund on a "fair" economic reform program that takes account of vulnerable groups, central bank governor…

Business King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Eastern Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Approval to Join Int’l Agreement Boosts Commercial Sector Growth

Saudi Commerce Minister Majid Al-Qasabi emphasized on Friday that the Cabinet’s approval of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the UN Convention on Contracts for the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Snapshot of Riyadh, the Saudi capital, depicts a state of competitiveness and escalating urban development (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Sustainability, Climate Initiatives Shine as Global Achievements in ‘Expo 2030’ Challenges

Despite global challenges and threats to life and the planet, Saudi Arabia has introduced numerous initiatives that tackle these issues and offer solutions. …

Business US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Dollar Rises as Hawkish Central Banks Dent Risk Sentiment, Sterling Slips

The dollar drew support from a bout of risk aversion on Friday as hawkish comments from global central banks, including the Federal Reserve, stoked fears that…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The strategic alliance paves the way for Dubai to harness Mastercard’s multi-rail payments network and data-driven digital commerce technology. WAM

Dubai Signs MoU to Develop Digital Partnership Program

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard, a global leader in payment innovation and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Tourists visit the esplanade of the Carthage Museum in Carthage on June 20, 2023. (AFP)

World Bank Lends Tunisia $268 Mln for Power Line with Italy

The World Bank Group has lent Tunisia $268.4 million to finance an electrical interconnection project with Italy that will link the energy networks between…

Business Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is welcomed by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna at the New Global Financial summit in Paris Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP)

Sisi Asks Lenders for ‘Understanding’ of Economic Pressures Facing Egypt

Egypt's development partners should show understanding of the economic pressures it is under as it pursues development plans and tries to manage a growing debt…

Business People, seen through a glass of a street food stand, sit at Kadikoy sea promenade at the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Türkiye, Monday, June 19, 2023.  (AP)

Türkiye Central Bank Sharply Raises Interest Rates in Possible Economic Turnaround 

Türkiye’s central bank delivered a large interest rate hike Thursday, signaling a shift toward more conventional economic policies to counter sky-high…

Business The Central Bank of the UAE expected the economy to grow. (WAM)

UAE Central Bank: GDP to Grow 4.3% in 2024

The Central Bank of the UAE has maintained its growth forecast for the national economy unchanged at 4.3% for 2024. In its quarterly economic review, the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business SPA

Global Economic Challenges Impacted Development in Low-income Countries, Says Saudi Finance Minister

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan said that the global economy is facing multiple challenges, with the most impacted being the poorest countries,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lucid electric cars (Lucid Motors)

Saudi Arabia Grants First Local Brand License for Electric Car Manufacturing

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources has granted an industrial license to Ceer, the first local electric vehicle (EV) brand. The EV…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh) Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Observers said Vision 2030 illustrates how countries can support transformation and proactively anticipate structural changes based on a long-term vision. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Senior Saudi Officials Chart Technical Plans for Expo 2030

No sooner had Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in October 2021 Riyadh’s bid to host Expo 2030 that preparations for the nomination began with…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Paris, the capital of France, is hosting a global summit on Thursday and Friday under the theme “New Global Financing Pact” (Reuters)

Paris Hosts Summit for a New Global Financing Pact

The summit for a New Global Financing Pact, held in Paris for two days starting on June 22, gathers 50 heads of state and government, along with numerous…

Michel Abou Najm (Paris)
Business FILE PHOTO: World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives for his first day of work at World Bank headquarters in Washington, US June 2, 2023.  REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

Report: World Bank Set to Pause Loan Repayments by Disaster-hit Nations

The World Bank will allow countries hit by disasters to pause repayments on loans to the multilateral lender, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. World…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business In his opening remarks, Alkhorayef said that food security is one of the major pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. SPA

Industry Minister Inaugurates Saudi Food Show 2023

The Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef inaugurated the first edition of the "Saudi Food Show 2023" at the Riyadh International…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Governor of Morocco's Central Bank, Abdellatif Jouahri, in an event with the International Monetary Fund in Marrakesh, and on Tuesday the Central Bank announced maintaining the interest rate. (EPA) 

Morocco's Central Bank Maintains Interest Rate Unchanged

Morocco's central bank paused its monetary tightening on Tuesday and kept its benchmark interest rate at 3%, following three consecutive hikes to curb…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business  Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Princess Rima bint Bandar, in Paris on Tuesday (AP)

Saudi Arabia Promises to Host 'Best Expo in History'

Representatives of the 170 member-states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) gathered in Paris on Tuesday for the announcement of the findings of…

Michel Abou Najm (Paris)
Business International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Governor of Morocco's Central Bank Abdellatif Jouahri in a press conference on the sidelines of a meeting in Marrakesh on Monday. (EPA)

IMF Develops Global Central Bank Digital Currency Platform

Digital currencies strengthen the resilience and efficiency of payment systems but if poorly designed, they could also lead to financial stability and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Al-Kaabi and Chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation sign a long-term gas supply agreement. (QatarEnergy Company website)

Qatari-Chinese Long-term Agreement to Supply Beijing with LNG

Qatar has secured a second huge gas supply deal with a Chinese state-controlled company in less than a year. Qatar sealed a 27-year agreement with China…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)