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  Morocco recorded a budget deficit of 30.4 billion dirhams by late August 2022. (Reuters)

Morocco’s Budget Deficit Reaches $3bn in August

Morocco’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said Monday that the situation of the Moroccan Treasury's expenses and resources indicated a budget deficit of 30.4…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business Governors of Arab banks meet at a roundtable meeting on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Governors of Arab Banks Discuss Cross-Border Payments

Merits of using digital currencies in cross-border payments, specifically inter-Arab payments, were discussed on Monday by governors of Arab banks at a…

Saeed al-Abyad (Jeddah)
Business  Boeing’s 2022 Commercial Market Outlook indicated that passenger widebody aircraft demand continues to be robust. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Boeing: Mideast to Require 2,980 New Airplanes

The United States-based aviation giant, Boeing, forecasted that airline fleets will nearly double by 2041. Middle Eastern carriers have successfully managed…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a meeting with Russian President on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 16, 2022. (AFP)

Erdogan Says Inflation Not 'Insurmountable Threat'

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said inflation is not an "insurmountable economic threat," adding it will begin to fall at the end of the year after it surged…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between Morocco and ECOWAS. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Nigeria, Morocco to Implement Gas Pipeline Project

The gas crisis in Europe has worsened as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine, turning the attention to the project to transport Nigeria's gas to Europe via…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business The Saudi stock market ends Monday's trading session with a decline (AFP)

Saudi Stocks Return to Previous Levels

The main Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) continued its sharp decline, dropping 1.1 percent, closing Monday at 11,446 points, with a loss of 126 points, touching…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla speaking at the general assemblies of public sector oil companies (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt to Link Oil Refining System into Unified Digitally Managed Network

Egypt’s oil refining system is being linked into a unified network through the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) that will be managed online,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Saudi Port Authority sets new requirements to speed up the loading and handling work (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Sets New Requirements to Speed Up Loading, Handling at Ports

Saudi ports will require transport companies for adequate means of transport to speed up the loading and handling work, sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat. …

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business SAMI seeks to develop and support defense industries in Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi-British Project to Develop Defensive Systems, Tactical Missiles

The Saudi General Authority for Competition unveiled a joint project between Sami Defense Systems LLC and British MBDA for the development of defensive systems…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business The main Saudi stock index decreased by 257.36 points on Sunday, to close at 11,572.18 points, with trades amounting to 5 billion riyals. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Holdings of US Treasury Bonds Rise to Highest Level since Beginning of 2022

Saudi Arabia increased its holdings of US Treasury bonds in July for the second month in a row, achieving the highest level since September 2021. Monthly…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla attends meetings of the general assemblies of public sector oil companies. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egypt Underlines Growth in Activities, Economic Returns of Public Sector Oil Companies

Egypt's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek el-Molla chaired on Sunday the meetings of the general assemblies of public sector oil companies, via…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Oman announced a ban on the import of plastic bags, effective January 1, 2023. (AFP)

Oman Bans Import of Plastic Bags

Oman’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion announced a ban on the import of plastic bags, effective January 1, 2023. Eng. Sami Salim…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business The meeting of the governors of Arab central banks and monetary institutions kicked off in Jeddah on Sunday. (Photo: Ghazi Mahdi)

Arab Banks Maintain Capital Adequacy at Minimum Levels

Governors of Arab central banks and monetary institutions announced that central banks in the region have maintained capital and liquidity adequacy above the…

Saeed al-Abyad (Jeddah)
Business Palestinian women sell their products at Damascus gate of Jerusalem's old city, 09 August 2022. (EPA)

Syria Weakens Official Exchange Rate to 3,015 Pounds per US Dollar

Syria's central bank has weakened its official exchange rate to 3,015 Syrian pounds to the dollar, a central bank statement said on Monday, while black market…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Minister of Oil and Gas in the interim Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), Mohamed Aoun. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Minister of Oil in Libya’s GNU Stresses to Asharq Al-Awsat Fair Distribution of Revenues

Minister of Oil and Gas in the interim Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), Mohamed Aoun rejected local and foreign calls to distribute the country’s oil…

Jacqueline Zaher (Cairo)
Business An oil pump is seen at sunset outside Vaudoy-en-Brie, near Paris, France April 23, 2018. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

Oil Dips on Recession Fears; Supply Concerns Limit Declines

Oil prices dipped on Monday as fears of a global recession caused concerns that fuel demand growth will slow, though supply worries ahead of the European Union…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Banyan Tree AlUla Debuts in Saudi Arabia 

Banyan Tree AlUla Debuts in Saudi Arabia 

Banyan Tree launches its first property in historical AlUla in Saudi Arabia, ush-ering in the Group’s debut in the Kingdom. AlUla is attracting the attention…

Business Meeting between Saudi and Omani Ministers of Industry to discuss the management of industrial cities and enhance competitiveness (SPA)

S&P’s Upgrades Outlook FOR Saudi Economy to Positive

Standard & Poor's (S&P's) Global Rating agency updated its outlook for Saudi Arabia to positive and upgraded its short and long term foreign and local currency…

Business Suez Canal International Corridor in Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Suez Canal Authority to Raise Transit Fees by 15% in 2023

Egypt plans to raise fees for ships passing through the Suez Canal by 15% in 2023, the Canal Authority's Chairman Osama Rabie said on Saturday. Transit…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business A general view of Kuwait City November 10, 2012. REUTERS/Stephanie Mcgehee

Kuwait Oil Company Says to Increase Natural Gas Production

The state-owned Kuwait oil company aims to increase natural gas production to meet local demand, the company's acting chief executive officer Khaled Nayef Al…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A gas station attendant pumps fuel into a customer's car in Tunis, Tunisia. Reuters file photo

Tunisia Hikes Cooking Gas, Fuel Prices in Bid to Cut Subsidies

Tunisia said on Saturday it is raising the price of cooking gas cylinders by 14% and fuel by 3% as part of a plan to reduce energy subsidies, a policy change…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia to adopt AI technology and robotics by providing an attractive local investment environment. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Intl. Companies Intend to Invest in AI, Robotics in Saudi Arabia

Major international companies intend to invest in artificial intelligence and robotics in Saudi Arabia, senior investors told Asharq Al-Awsat. AI Investor…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business A Tunisian woman is shopping in a store, while the sign in French prohibits buying more than one bottle of milk per buyer (Reuters)

Tunisia Hopes to Reach Deal with IMF By End of October

Tunisia hopes to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund by the end of October, the government's spokesperson said on Friday, after a wage deal…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tunis)
Business The WFP estimates that the global food crisis has pushed an additional 23 million under-18s into acute food insecurity since the start of the year, taking the total of children now affected to 153 million. (Reuters)

WFP: 345 Million Face Acute Hunger - Half Are Children

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) estimates that the global food crisis has pushed an additional 23 million under-18s into acute food insecurity…