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 Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim AlKhorayef and other officials at the signing ceremony for the localization of pharmaceutical industries. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Seeking to Localize New Medical Industries

Saudi Arabia is seeking to localize some pharmaceutical industries and medical supplies, and transfer knowledge to the local market. To that end, the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Officials tour the factory for the manufacture of point-of-sale devices. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

SAMA to Begin Implementation of Basel III Reforms in Early 2023

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) announced on Wednesday that the Basel III reforms would come into force in the Kingdom’s banking sector in January 2023. “The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia approves the energy supply system to enable the efforts of restructuring the energy sector. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Approves Energy Supply Law

The Saudi Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the Energy Supply law, which complements the sector’s legislative system based on the best international…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia’s business sector witnessed a remarkable recovery. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Private Sector Operating Revenues Exceed $1 Trillion

Official statistics revealed that the operating revenues of the business sector in Saudi Arabia in 2022 exceeded 4 trillion riyals ($1 trillion). Data…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Liquefied natural gas complex in Damietta, Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt’s Natural Gas Export Revenue Spikes 171%

The Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla said on Wednesday that Egypt’s output of petroleum products amounted to around 79.5 MT…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Signing the agreement to develop the petrochemical complex in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm in the Omani-Saudi-Kuwaiti partnership (Oman News Agency)

Joint Saudi-Omani-Kuwaiti Coalition to Develop Petrochemical Complex in Duqm

A joint Saudi-Omani-Kuwaiti coalition was established on Wednesday in Muscat. The coalition seeks to develop a petrochemical complex that meets the growing…

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Muscat)
Business A woman walks by an unlicensed Starbucks cafe in Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (AP)

Iraq Prime Minister Orders Crackdown on Trademark Violations 

Iraq’s prime minister has ordered a crackdown on local businesses operating under the names of international brands without legal permission, his office said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The UAE advances the transition towards clean energy. (WAM)

UAE Publishes World’s First National Regulation Related to Vertiports

The United Arab Emirates published on Tuesday the world’s first national regulation related to vertiports to support rapid developments and continued worldwide…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business The Saudi Minister of Investment and his Uzbek counterpart attend the signing of power purchase agreements and investment agreements to develop the Kungrad wind farm. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi ACWA Power Signs Power Purchase, Investment Agreements for Wind Plant in Uzbekistan

Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) and investment agreements (IAs) with Uzbekistan’s government to develop the 1.5GW Kungrad…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The areas shaded in red are for the new tender for oil and gas exploration in the Nile Delta and the Mediterranean Sea. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt: New Bid at 12 Blocks in Mediterranean, Nile Delta on Oil and Gas Exploration

Egypt has set a new international tender for oil and gas exploration rights in the Nile Delta and Mediterranean sea, the petroleum minister announced on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Oil drills are pictured in the Kern River oil field in Bakersfield, California November 9, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn/File Photo

Oil Prices Little Changed as Russia Unveils Export Ban

Russia on Tuesday banned oil sales to countries and companies that comply with a price cap agreed by Western nations, briefly helping to lift crude prices. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Dust blows around a crude oil pump jack and flare burning excess gas at a drill pad in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, US, November 25, 2019. (Reuters)

Oil Hits Three-Week High as China Eases COVID Curbs

Oil hit a three-week high on Tuesday as China's latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions spurred hopes of a fuel demand recovery, with further support coming…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Higher authorities have approved the organizational arrangements for a new center for economic zones in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Approves New Center for Special Economic Zones in Riyadh

Official information revealed that higher authorities have approved the organizational arrangements for a new center for economic zones in Riyadh. The Royal…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The Saudi-Japanese Investment Forum was held in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia, Japan Sign 15 Agreements, Establishing Qualitative Partnership

The Saudi-Japanese Investment Forum in Riyadh resulted in the signing of 15 agreements covering technology, artificial intelligence, industry and clean energy…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business March 2023 will mark three years since Lebanon's default on external debt. (AFP)

The Global Economy Caught Between Wars and Geopolitical Conflicts

There is a saying, "When the US economy sneezes, the emerging markets get a cold." The global economy now may be more complex: it is more resilient in terms of…

Business People walk past shops in the Medina, in the Old City of Tunis, Tunisia, July 27, 2021. Picture taken July 27, 2021. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisia Expects Inflation to Reach 10.5% in 2023

Tunisia expects inflation to average 10.5% in 2023, up from 8.3% expected for 2022, as inflationary pressures continue to increase, economy minister Samir…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

Riyadh to Host First Gathering of Energy Economies in the Middle East  

Preparations are underway in Riyadh to host the Energy Economics Conference, which is being organized by the International Association for Energy Economics …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Visitors walk outside the tombs at the Madain Saleh antiquities site, AlUla, Saudi Arabia February 10, 2019. Picture taken February 10, 2019. (Reuters)

New Saudi Regulations Aim to Promote Investment in Tourism

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism issued on Sunday 10 new regulations to keep pace with the Kingdom’s development as part of effort to provide an attractive…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The Gulf real estate sector witnessed a growth in the value of deals until October of this year, equivalent to the total sales in 2021 (SPA)

GCC Real Estate Sale Transactions Reaches $143.1 Bn

Real estate sale transactions in the GCC over Jan-Oct 2022 reached $143.1 billion, eclipsing the full-year figure of 2021, which was $136.9 billion. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business An Egyptian delegation, headed by the Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmad Samir, held a series of meetings with senior officials in Riyadh. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt Seeks to Launch Partnerships with Saudi Arabia in Productive Sectors

Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmad Samir said his country is seeking to launch industrial partnerships with Saudi Arabia in a number of productive…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Makkah and Madinah Chambers forge an alliance to transform the two holy cities into a center for attracting Islamic business activities. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia to Transform Makkah, Madinah into Global Islamic Business Hub

Saudi Arabia seeks to transform Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah in the west of the Kingdom into a center for financial and business…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Business The Saudi and Japanese ministers sign the MoC during a ceremony on Sunday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, Japan Sign Clean Energy Cooperation Document 

Saudi Arabia and Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on Sunday in the fields of the circular carbon economy, carbon recycling, clean hydrogen and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Finance Minister Mohamed Maait. (Facebook)

Egypt Targets 5.5% GDP Growth in FY2023/24 

Egypt is targeting GDP growth at 5.5% in fiscal year 2023/24, its Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said in a circular on Saturday.   The circular covers the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business An engineer and workers stand in front of a fuel truck upon its arrival at al-Khazaen Economic City in Oman. (Oman News Agency)  

Oman Starts Using Environmentally Friendly Bio-Fuel 

Al-Shawamikh Oil Services received on Saturday the first batch of environmentally friendly bio-fuel (bio-diesel) from Wakud International, the first bio-fuel…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)