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 Agthia Group said it is working on a new acquisition in Egypt, in addition to expanding in Saudi Arabia. (Agthia)

UAE’s Agthia Working on New Acquisitions in Egypt, Expansion in Saudi Arabia

The UAE Agthia Group said that the total value of the acquisitions it carried out in 2021 exceeded AED2.3 billion ($626 million), adding that it is working on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Significant growth witnessed by the agricultural sector in the Kingdom as a result of implementing initiatives that contribute to achieving self-sufficiency (SPA)

Saudi Agriculture Sector Grows 7.8%

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) stated that the Kingdom’s agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) rose 7.8% to SAR72.25 billion (…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia moves faster to develop local content in all sectors, including pharmaceutical industries (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Imposes Baseline for Drug Manufacturers Entering Gov’t Competitions

Saudi authorities have ordered pharmaceutical manufacturers to quickly complete the baseline calculation of their local content to avoid exclusion from…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view of Tunis, Tunisia. (Reuters)

Tunisia’s Economy Grows 2.8% Despite Difficulties

The Tunisian economy grew 2.8 percent during the second quarter of 2022 annually, according to the National Institute of Statistics. The Institute said the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tunis)
Business A oil pump is seen at sunset outside Scheibenhard, near Strasbourg, France, October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo

Oil Extends Losses as Weak Demand Outlook Lingers

Oil prices fell on Tuesday as bleak economic data from top crude buyer China renewed fears of a global recession. Brent crude futures fell $1.21, or 1.3%,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saud Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and London-based real estate investment firm Cain International said they had invested $900 million in luxury hotel group Aman.

Saudi Arabia's PIF, Cain Invest $900 Mln in Hotelier Aman Group

Saud Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and London-based real estate investment firm Cain International said on Monday they had invested $900 million in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Fitch upgraded the long-term foreign currency issuer default rating on Oman to BB from BB-. (AFP)

Fitch Upgrades Oman Rating to BB

Global rating agency Fitch Ratings upgraded the long-term foreign currency issuer default rating on Oman to BB from BB-. The outlook on Oman is stable,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Central Bank of Egypt in Cairo. (Reuters)

Expectations Vary on Egypt Cen Bank Raising or Fixing Policy Rates at Upcoming Meeting

Opinions and expectations varied regarding the decision by the Central Bank of Egypt's (CBE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to raise or fix the country’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Prices of food and beverages rise in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Annual Saudi Inflation Rate Rises 2.7% in July

The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released on Monday the results of the Saudi Consumer Price Index and Wholesale Price Index for July 2022. On…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Residents walk near a bazaar closed due to the rain in Beijing, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. (AP)

Asian Shares Mixed after China Cuts Key Rate, Japan GDP Up

Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday after China's central bank cut a key interest rate and Japan reported its economy picked up momentum in the last quarter. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business British leader of the Labor Party and opposition Keir Starmer speaks during a news conference, in London, Britain, July 8, 2022. (Reuters)

Britain’s Opposition Labor Party Demand Energy Price Cap Freeze

Britain's main opposition Labor Party called on Monday for the energy price cap to be frozen this autumn to help the public deal with another expected surge in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Esther Hare, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Developer Marketing and executive sponsor of Women at Apple. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Apple Committed to Supporting Saudi Arabia in Digital Transformation Plan

Esther Hare, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Developer Marketing and executive sponsor of Women at Apple, underlined the company’s commitment to helping…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Fitch Solutions upgraded its positive forecast for Oman’s tourism sector recovery during 2022 and 2023. (ONA)

Fitch Upgrades Oman Tourism Sector Outlook

Fitch Solutions upgraded its positive forecast for Oman’s tourism sector recovery during 2022 and 2023 with an expected stronger growth during the mid-term…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business South Africa’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mogobo David Magabe, speaks during an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. (Photo: Ali Zaheri)

Saudi Arabia, South Africa to Discuss Agreements on Technologies, Green Economy, Hydrogen

A senior South African diplomat said that negotiations were underway to sign cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia that would cover various sectors,…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business The logo of Aramco at the Plaza Conference Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (File photo: Reuters)

Saudi Aramco Profit Soars on Higher Prices and Refining Margins

Saudi Arabian state oil producer Aramco reported a 90% rise in second-quarter profit on Sunday, boosted by higher oil prices, volumes sold and refining margins…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Moroccan youths are seen at a sports event (EPA)

HCP: Unemployment Rate Among Moroccan Youths is 31.8%

The unemployment rate in Morocco among young individuals aged 15 to 24 years is 31.8%, the High Commission for Planning (HCP) revealed on Friday. This age…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Noureddine Taboubi, secretary general of the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) speaks to supporters of the union during a national public strike called by them, outside their headquarters in Tunis, Tunisia June 16, 2022. REUTERS/Jihed Abidellaoui/File Photo

Tunisian Govt, Unions Agree to Talks on IMF Economic Reforms

Tunisia's government and both its main labor and commerce unions agreed on Friday to start talks on Monday over economic reforms required by the International…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The total value of Abu Dhabi's non-oil foreign trade amounted to about AED124 billion ($33.7 billion) during 1st half of 2022. WAM

Abu Dhabi's Non-oil Foreign Trade During H1 Grows 12%

The total value of Abu Dhabi's non-oil foreign trade amounted to about AED124 billion ($33.7 billion) during 1st half of 2022, compared to AED110 billion and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Russian Economy Shrinks 4% Y/Y in Q2 as Sanctions Weigh

Russian Economy Shrinks 4% Y/Y in Q2 as Sanctions Weigh

Russia's economy shrank 4.0% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2022, the first full quarter of what Russia calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of ADNOC’s offshore jack-up barges. (WAM)

ADNOC Signs Contracts to Hire 13 Self-Propelled Jack-Up Barges Worth $1.17Bln

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced Thursday an AED4.3 billion ($1.17 billion) contract to hire 13 self-propelled jack-up barges to drive offshore…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi financial sector continues the process of full technical development and interdependence with the Gulf countries (Reuters)

SAMA Launches POS Service between Saudi Arabia, Qatar

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) launched a point of sale (POS) service between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Starting August 01, the service will link the national…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The current Saudi initiatives seek to reduce carbon emissions by more than 4 percent. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Suspends Work with Standard Specification that Violates Green Saudi Initiative

Saudi Arabia has suspended the application of a technical regulation for biodegradable plastic products, called SASO 2789, as it comes in violation of the…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Initiatives to improve the market of HR companies and expand their business. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Federation of Saudi Chambers Launches Employee Leasing Initiative with 50 Financing Entities

The Federation of Saudi Chambers (FSC) launched an initiative to encourage banks and various financial institutions to provide finance products and installment…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business DEWA says nearly 10 percent of this generation is from Solar. (WAM)

Dubai Utility Earns $3.3b Revenue in First Half of 2022

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) reported Thursday a quarterly revenue of AED7.01 billion ($1.9 billion) and a net profit of AED2.61 billion ($710…

Asharq Al Awsat