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 Food prices are displayed at a market in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 8, 2022. (Reuters)

World Food Prices Hit Record High in 2022 Despite December Fall

World food prices eased in December marking the ninth consecutive monthly fall, but gained more than 14% in 2022 compared to the previous year, to reach the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Pumpjacks are seen against the setting sun at the Daqing oil field in Heilongjiang province, China December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer

Oil Steadies after Biggest Start of the Year Drop in Decades

Oil steadied on Thursday in volatile trade after posting the biggest two-day loss for the start of a year in three decades with the shutdown of a US fuel…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). Reuters file photo

First Abu Dhabi Bank: No Longer Considering Possible Offer for StanChart

First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the United Arab Emirates' biggest lender, said on Thursday it was considering a bid for London-listed Standard Chartered but was no…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Vice Minister for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Al-Mudaifer: Saudi Arabia Attracting Foreign Investment to Explore Critical Minerals in the Region

Saudi Arabia is exerting efforts to drive foreign investments into the Kingdom and surrounding region for the purpose of exploring strategic and vital minerals…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business  The Saudi Minister of Housing conducts a visit to the National Housing Company to review the most important developments in achieving the goals of Vision 2023 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

KSA: More than 3,000 Real Estate Developers to Benefit from Support Program

The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing announced a program targeting more than 3,000 real estate developers through a number of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A Tunisian woman walks on one of the tram lines after organizing a widespread strike in the transport sector in the capital on Monday (AFP)

Tunisia Seeks 2.1% Growth Through ‘Development Plan’

Economy Minister Samir Saied said on Tuesday that the government seeks growth of 2.1 percent through the 2023-2025 development plan. In press statements, he…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tunis)
Business Flare stacks burn in the Nahr Bin Omar oil field and facility in Iraq's southern Basra governorate on December 5, 2021. (AFP)

Iraq Oil Revenues Top $115 Billion in 2022

Iraq's oil revenues in 2022 exceeded $115 billion, according to preliminary figures announced by the oil ministry on Tuesday -- a four-year high following a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly met on Monday with a group of ministers and businessman Ahmed Elsewedy. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt to Establish Industrial City with Investments Worth EGP20 Million

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly on Tuesday said that the government had received a request from Elsewedy Electric to establish a new industrial zone…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business The Saudi Ports Authority continues to add new navigation services linking Saudi ports to the world. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Expands Commercial Navigation by Connecting with 11 Global Ports

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced on Monday a new service that will connect Jubail Port with 11 global ports in Türkiye, the Indian Subcontinent,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A street money exchanger counts banknotes at al-Kifah stock market in Baghdad on December 27, 2022 as the value of Iraqi dinar against US dollar drops further. (AFP)

Year 2022 Saw Erosion of Middle East National Currencies

The year 2022 witnessed an unprecedented decline in the exchange rates of a number of national currencies in some Middle Eastern countries, most notably Egypt,…

Business A ship passes a petro-industrial complex in Kawasaki near Tokyo December 18, 2014. (Reuters)

Oil Slides on Worries on China, IMF Slow-Growth Expectations

Oil prices slid on Tuesday from their highest levels in a month after Chinese economic data dampened market sentiment and the head of the International…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An investor monitors a screen displaying stock information at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (Reuters file photo)

GCC Equity Market Index Dropped 6.4% in 2022  

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) equity market index closed 2022 with a decline of 6.4 percent after demonstrating one of the most significant gains globally…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business The law is part of the system of improvements and development of the regulatory and legislative environment for the tourism sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Prepares Hospitality Facilities to Keep Pace with New Tourism Law 

Saudi Tourism Ministry officials intend to visit hospitality facilities in the Kingdom to develop and raise the level of services and safety they offer. This…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A Tunisian woman is pictured next to a tram station in the capital Tunis, on January 2, 2023, after a strike by the public transport employees was announced the night before. (AFP)

Strike over Pay Paralyzes Transport in the Tunisian Capital 

Metro and bus traffic in the Tunisian capital ground to a halt on Monday, after employees of the state transport company held a strike over delays in the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, December 30, 2022. (Reuters)

European Shares Start 2023 on Upbeat Note on Encouraging Factory Data 

European shares rose in the first trading session of 2023 on Monday as euro zone manufacturing data suggested the worst had passed after a year marred by fears…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia supports food self-sufficiency trends through greenhouses (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Announces $1 Bn Plan to Increase Agricultural Production in Greenhouses

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman al-Fadhli, approved the expansion plan in the plant resources sector and greenhouses with new…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Oman and Saudi Arabia are pushing to enhance integration and joint investment cooperation (SPA)

Upcoming Large Economic Projects to Link Saudi Arabia, Oman

Abdulsalam Al Murshidi, the executive president of the largest sovereign wealth fund of the Sultanate of Oman, has affirmed that economic ties between Oman and…

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Muscat)
Business 
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar al-Khorayef, and the Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal al-Ibrahim, signed the agreement with Hyundai Motor Company (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Aims to Boost National Automotive Industry

The Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyundai Motor Company to promote the automotive industry in the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A woman holds Euro banknotes in this illustration taken May 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Croatia Switches to Euro, Enters Borderless Europe Club

Croatia on Sunday switched to the euro and entered Europe's passport-free zone -- two major milestones for the country after joining the EU nearly a decade ago…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia tops regional countries in adopting advanced technologies, including virtual reality. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Arabia Aims to Attract Huge Investments in Virtual World 

Saudi Arabia is seeking to attract substantial global investments in advanced technologies, especially in NEOM.   A recent study indicated that the…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business  Women walk along a market in Tunis, Tunisia, February 1, 2022. Picture taken February 1, 2022. (Reuters)

Tunisia Central Bank Raises Key Rate by 75 Bps to Curb Inflation 

Tunisia’s central bank on Friday raised its key interest rate by 75 basis points to 8% from 7.25% to combat high inflation, the bank said, marking the third…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia is seeking to become a major player in the production of minerals worldwide. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Seeks to Attract $32 Billion Investments in Minerals Sector

Saudi Arabia can play a global role in providing the strategic minerals necessary for the transition to renewable energy, and achieving the goals of net zero…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 22, 2019. (Reuters)

Oil Set to End Turbulent 2022 with Second Annual Gain

Oil rose on Friday and was on track for a second straight annual gain in a volatile year marked by tight supplies because of the Ukraine war and weakening…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi government is working on measures that stimulate the employment of citizens. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Unemployment Rate Continues to Decline among Saudis

Saudi Arabia’s labor market indicators showed a decrease in the unemployment rate by 1.4 percentage points in the third quarter of 2022, compared to the same…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)