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 Qatar Central Bank (Asharq Al-Awsat)

QCB Governor: Riyal’s Dollar Peg is Appropriate for Qatar’s Economy

The Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB), Sheikh Bandar bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, said that pegging the Qatari riyal to the dollar was appropriate for…

Business A general view of power plant number 10 at Saudi Electricity Company's Central Operation Area, south of Riyadh (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia to Activate the Arab Common Market for Electricity

The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, approved the draft general agreement to establish the Arab…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Minister of Housing Majid Al-Hogail addresses the conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Housing Program Contributes $31.7 Bln to the GDP

Saudi Minister of Housing Majid Al-Hogail stressed the importance of the housing sector to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product. The Saudi housing…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Business UAE's Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid chairs a cabinet meeting . (WAM) 

UAE Approves 78 Environmental Projects for COP28

The UAE Cabinet approved a total of 78 environmental projects in preparation for hosting COP28. It initiatives include national strategies to reduce…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold Range-bound on Firmer Dollar, US Debt Limit Uncertainty

Gold prices were flat on Thursday as the dollar advanced to an over two-month high and sapped demand for the greenback-priced metal, while investors awaited…

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

Fitch Places United States' 'AAA' on Rating Watch Negative

Ratings agency Fitch put the United States' credit on watch for a possible downgrade on Wednesday. Fitch put the country's "AAA" rating, its highest rank,…

Asharq Al Awsat (San Francisco )
Business A number of Arab officials are seen at the Fourth Arab Competition Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Int’l Forum in Saudi Arabia Calls for Developing Competition Policies in Arab Region

An international forum held in Riyadh on Tuesday, called for the need to enact and enforce competition policies in the Arab region, in a way that helps improve…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business An employee at one of the industrial city factories in Hail, northern Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Launches New Financing Solutions for SMEs

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) launched new financing solutions in partnership with the private sector, to increase…

Business A photo of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during his participation in the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. (Reuters)

Saudi Energy Minister: OPEC+ Seeks to Hedge against Possible Scenarios in the Future

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday that the goal of the OPEC+ alliance - which includes members of the Organization of the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Business UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani al-Zeyoudi and Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz during the signing ceremony (WAM)

UAE, Malaysia Launch Negotiations to Establish a CEPA

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani al-Zeyoudi and Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz have signed a joint…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business The project will develop a centralized world-class seawater treatment facility and transportation network for operations at the Bab and Bu Hasa fields in Abu Dhabi. Reuters file photo

UAE: ADNOC, TAQA Announce $2.4 Billion Project for Sustainable Water Supply

ADNOC and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) announced on Wednesday the award of a strategic investment project estimated at up to $2.4 billion (AED8.8…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the COP28 President-Designate, Sultan al-Jaber, at the African Development Bank Annual Meeting (AfDBAM) in Sharm el-Sheikh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

UAE Calls for Boosting Climate Finance for African Nations

UAE’s Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the COP28 President-Designate, Sultan al-Jaber, has called for a significant public and private finance…

Asharq Al Awsat (Sharm el-Sheikh)
Business Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF), through its supervised entities, has contributed to the financing of the largest green hydrogen production plant in the world that will be established in Oxagon city at NEOM. (SPA)

NDF Helps Finance World's Largest Green Hydrogen Project with SAR 10.3 Bln

Saudi Arabia’s National Development Fund (NDF), through its supervised entities, has contributed to the financing of the largest green hydrogen production…

Business Officials speak at the “Mobilizing Blended Finance to Facilitate Green Transition in Emerging Economies” panel discussion during the African Development Bank meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Sustainable Funding Is Less Severe than Repercussions of Poverty in Africa

The 58th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank and the 49th Board of Governors of the African Development Fund kicked off in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt,…

Business Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al-Hogail (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Forum Showcases 3,000 Projects Worth $266 Bln

Government and private entities in Saudi Arabia have reviewed construction projects worth an estimated SAR 1 trillion ($266 billion) in front of local and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Falcon 9 Rocket Carrying Saudi Astronauts to the International Space Station (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Space Industry: A New Sector Begins in Saudi Arabia’s Economic Diversification Efforts

In a momentous endeavor, the Falcon 9 rocket embarked on a triumphant mission, ferrying Saudi astronauts Ali Al-Qarni and Rayana Barnawi to the International…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Demonstrators gather during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, at Riad al-Solh square in Beirut, Lebanon March 22, 2023. (Reuters)

Report: Lebanon Set to Be Grey-Listed by Financial Crime Watchdog 

Lebanon is likely to be placed on a "grey list" of countries under special scrutiny over unsatisfactory practices to prevent money laundering and terrorism…

Business Ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold are placed in a workroom at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold Eases as US Debt Ceiling Deal Hopes Support Dollar

Gold prices fell on Tuesday, pressured by a stronger dollar and upbeat equities, even as talks in Washington to lift the US debt ceiling dragged on. Spot gold…

Business NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced that it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion. (SPA)

NEOM Completes Deals Worth $8.4 Bln on World's Largest Carbon-Free Hydrogen Plant

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced on Monday that following signing financial documents with 23 local, regional, and international banks and…

Business Local goods accounted for 69% of total purchases by Saudi companies in 2021 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Calls for Including Promising Sectors in Mandatory List of Local Products

The Saudi Shura Council has urged the exploration of incentives and facilitations based on establishments’ contributions to local content. This includes…

Business Construction taking place at a project in Saudi Arabia, as the private sector records steady growth according to indicators from the Ministry of Economy and Planning (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Private Sector Enters Phase of Moderate Growth

Government indicators, recently released by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, reveal that the Saudi private sector is experiencing moderate growth,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business One of the solar power stations in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia to Develop 3 Solar Energy Projects Worth $3.25 Bln

Saudi Arabia’s Water and Electricity Holding Company (Badeel), which is a utility subsidiary of the sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund), along…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Mubadala Investment Company logo

Abu Dhabi Identifies $2 Billion in Investment Opportunities in SKorea

Abu Dhabi organizations have identified about $2 billion of investment opportunities in South Korea after the two sides agreed to expand business ties in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business General view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo

Saudi Arabia to Host 4th Arab Competition Forum in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia will host the fourth Arab Competition Forum, which is organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)