Business

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Business Officials from the General Organization for Social Insurance at an earlier meeting with businessmen and businesswomen at the Riyadh Chamber (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has made businesses that have ceased operations and exited the Saudi market eligible for a 100%…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province (AFP)

From Aramco's Profits to State Budget Revenue: How Do Oil Proceeds Reach Government Coffers?

Saudi Aramco's financial results and Saudi Arabia's third-quarter budget performance report, released on the same day, revealed a divergence between the…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Representation of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken September 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Crypto Dips on Democrat Midterm Wins, Binance Hack Dents Optimism

Cryptocurrencies briefly dipped on Wednesday as Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and House in the US midterm elections, a potential blow to an…

Business A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images file)

Saudi Non-Oil Sector Expands for Seventh Straight Month

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to expand in October, with business activity and output growth accelerating despite a decline in the Riyad Bank…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business  A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Growth in Non-Oil Revenue Bolsters Saudi Budget Resilience

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenue surpassed oil revenue in the third quarter of 2026 for the first time since 2020, highlighting progress in diversifying…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)

Business The SABIC headquarters in Al-Jubail (SABIC website)

SABIC, Rongsheng Petrochemical Sign PDA for Potential Strategic Investment in Advanced Materials Project in China

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) signed on Thursday a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Rongsheng Petrochemical Co. Ltd. and its wholly…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A container terminal at one of Saudi Arabia's ports. (SPA)

Saudi Ports Authority Signs Seven Agreements Worth Over $266 Million to Develop Logistics Centers

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has signed seven agreements to establish logistics centers in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia, with a total value exceeding SAR…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A horse grazes near an oil drilling rig in Kazakhstan (Reuters)

Oil Eases as Traders Weigh US-Iran Conflict Risks

Oil prices eased on Thursday as traders weighed escalating tensions between the United States and Iran and the risks to oil supplies moving through the Strait…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra as it prepares to load crude oil, April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty/File Photo

Crude Oil Loading Suspended at All Iraqi Terminals after Drone Incident

Crude oil loading was suspended at all Iraqi terminals on Thursday after a drone crashed into an oil tanker at the Basra terminal, although it did not cause…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tourists visit the Ponte de Saudade at Jose Bonifacio Beach on Paqueta Island, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on July 11, 2026. (Photo by Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP)

US Unveils New 25% Tariff on Certain Imports from Brazil

The United States announced on Wednesday a new tariff on various imports from Brazil, following a year-long investigation into the Latin American giant's trade…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: People walk outside the Bank of England in the City of London financial district in London, Britain May 11, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

UK Economy Claws Back Some Growth as Burnham Prepares to Take Power

Britain's economy eked out minimal growth in May as the services industry expanded but other sectors shrank, suggesting fragile confidence among businesses…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Gold jewelry being prepared before melting to produce gold bars at the Austrian gold and silver refinery 'Oegussa' in Vienna (AFP)

Gold Falls as Mideast Conflict Dims Easing Inflation Hopes

Gold fell on Thursday as an escalating Middle East conflict fueled concerns that the US Federal Reserve could hike interest rates this year, overshadowing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A man stands near an advertisement of a cryptocurrency exchange in Tokyo, Japan March 30, 2018. Picture taken March 30, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai 

Japan to Recognize Cryptocurrency As 'Financial Assets'

Japan’s parliament approved new amendments on Wednesday that will recognize cryptocurrencies as financial assets, a move that would put their regulation under…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tokyo)
Business  A ship crosses the Strait of Hormuz off Oman’s Musandam governorate on April 12. REUTERS

Global Economy Faces Fresh Supply Shock as Hormuz Crisis Escalates

A fresh escalation in US-Iranian tensions has plunged global trade and financial markets back into deep uncertainty, threatening to slow economic growth and…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Riyadh’s commercial Tahlia Street. (AFP)

Saudi Inflation Holds Firm Despite Energy Shock

Saudi Arabia’s inflation rate held steady at 1.8% in June, underscoring the economy’s price stability as renewed conflict in the Middle East raises fears of…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Gold bangles on display at a jewelry shop in Varanasi, India (AFP)

Gold Retreats as Oil Rises and Inflation Fears Grow

Gold prices slipped on Wednesday as escalating tensions in the Middle East continued to stoke inflation concerns, reinforcing expectations of higher US…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Crude Shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port Near Maximum Levels

Daily crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu are close to maximum levels this week, according to data and industry sources. Shipments from…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business An illuminated BP logo is seen at a petrol station in Gateshead, Britain September 23, 2021. (Reuters)

BP Sees Boost from Energy Prices in Second Quarter, Expects Lower Net Debt

BP expects its oil trading result to be slightly higher in the second quarter after an exceptionally strong first quarter, as it continues to profit from a…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business People walk in the Central Business District (CBD) area in Beijing, China, 15 July 2026. EPA/WU HAO

China's Economy Grew at 4.3% Annual Pace in the 2nd Quarter, Slowest Since Late 2022

China’s economy slowed sharply to a 4.3% annualized pace of growth in the April-June quarter, the government said Wednesday, the weakest in over three years. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business The Cabinet meeting chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Approves Updated State Revenue System

Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet has approved an updated state revenue system, marking a significant step toward modernizing the Kingdom’s public financial system and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Business FILE PHOTO: Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam,Oman, July 12, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Oil Prices Rise as Hostilities Worsen in the Middle East

Oil extended gains on Wednesday as President Donald Trump reimposed a naval blockade on all Iranian ports and Tehran launched strikes on US infrastructure in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visits Qatar and meets Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday. Egyptian Presidency/Handout

Egypt Reaffirms Solidarity With Gulf States Against Iranian Attacks

Egypt renewed its solidarity with Gulf states in the face of repeated Iranian attacks as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made another Gulf tour on Tuesday,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business  FII Institute and its global network have helped facilitate and spotlight more than $250 billion in investments and initiatives - SPA

FII Institute Announces Landmark 10th Anniversary Edition in Riyadh

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute will celebrate its 10th anniversary with FII10, taking place in Riyadh from October 26 to 29, 2026, under the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi flags fly along a street in the Saudi capital. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

How Saudi Arabia's Buffers Shielded Its Economy from the Fires of War

At a time when the conflict between the United States and Iran plunged the region into one of its most severe periods of tension in years, closed the Strait of…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Türkiye’s Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar talks during a meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, September 14, 2023. (Turkish Energy Ministry Press Office/PPO/Handout via Reuters/File photo)

Türkiye Says Iraq Seeks 750,000 Bpd Capacity on Kirkuk-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said Iraq wants to send 750,000 barrels per day of oil through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline under an arrangement to…

Business A customer holds a gold chain at a jewellery store in Mumbai, India, January 30, 2026. (Reuters)

Gold Recovers from Two-Week Low Ahead of US Inflation Figures

Gold rose on Tuesday after hitting a two-week low earlier in the session, as markets awaited key US inflation data, with escalating US-Iran tensions driving…

Business Containers are seen at the port in Shanghai on July 14, 2026. (AFP)

China’s June Oil Imports Hit Near 10-Year Low Amid Iran War

China's June crude imports slumped 41.3% to their lowest in almost a decade as refinery run rates hit a ten-year low due to weak domestic demand and export…

Business Saudi banknotes in 500-riyal and 100-riyal denominations (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia Revamps Payroll Deduction and Financing Services Through Etimad

Saudi Arabia has introduced a new regulatory framework for payroll deduction, financing, and the sale of receivables through the Etimad platform, in a move…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past oil pipes at a refinery in Wuhan, Hubei province March 23, 2012.   REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo/File Photo

Oil Extends Gains after Latest US Strikes, Tech Suffers More Losses

Oil prices jumped and stocks fell again Tuesday after fresh US strikes against Iran that marked a new escalation in hostilities that has fueled fears over…

Asharq Al Awsat