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 World Bank Says Poverty is on the Rise in Lebanon

World Bank Says Poverty is on the Rise in Lebanon

A World Bank report has said that in 2021 the number of poor Lebanese is expected to have increased by 1.5 million over baseline, and by 780,000 Syrian…

Ali Zeineddine (Beirut)
Business Turkish Lira Hits 14 to USD in Face of Erdogan’s ‘Dangerous Experiment'

Turkish Lira Hits 14 to USD in Face of Erdogan’s ‘Dangerous Experiment'

Turkey's lira plunged as low as 14 to the US dollar and hit new lows against the euro on Tuesday, capping a historical month of selling after President Tayyip…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Reassures Oil Markets about ‘Omicron’

Saudi Arabia Reassures Oil Markets about ‘Omicron’

The Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, confirmed that the postponement of the technical meetings of OPEC+ came to secure more time to study…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Saudi Energy Minister: Postponing OPEC+ Meetings Aims to Gain Time, Review Matters

Saudi Energy Minister: Postponing OPEC+ Meetings Aims to Gain Time, Review Matters

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday that the technical meeting of the OPEC + group has been postponed to Wednesday evening “to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dhahran)
Business Saudi Stock Exchange Ends Trading Higher after Early Losses

Saudi Stock Exchange Ends Trading Higher after Early Losses

The Saudi stock market (Tadawul) closed its trading's Monday with a slight rise, recovering the losses of Sunday's trading affected by the news of global…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Jordan's Draft 2022 Budget Forecasts $15 Billion in State Spending

Jordan's Draft 2022 Budget Forecasts $15 Billion in State Spending

Jordan's Finance Minister Mohamad Al Ississ said on Sunday that the draft 2022 budget forecasts 10.6 billion dinars ($15 billion) in state expenditure and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Amman)
Business Omicron Variant Raises New Fears for Pandemic-hit World Economy

Omicron Variant Raises New Fears for Pandemic-hit World Economy

Just as it was recovering from the body blow of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global economy has taken yet another hit from the Omicron variant of the virus,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Aramco Expects about 2 Bcf/Day in Gas from Jafurah Field, CEO Says

Saudi Aramco Expects about 2 Bcf/Day in Gas from Jafurah Field, CEO Says

Saudi Aramco expects its Jafurah gas field to produce approximately 2 billion cubic feet per day of gas by 2030, CEO Amin Nasser said on Monday at a conference…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Turkey’s Erdogan Says Won’t Compromise on Rates; Lira Weaker

Turkey’s Erdogan Says Won’t Compromise on Rates; Lira Weaker

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he will never defend interest rate hikes nor compromise on the issue, NTV and other broadcasters reported on Monday…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Middle East Markets Struggle with Omicron Covid Variant

Middle East Markets Struggle with Omicron Covid Variant

The new coronavirus variant, Omicron, has caused several losses in Middle Eastern trade markets amid growing fears. The new variant has pressured the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Energy Ministry, SABIC Sign MoU to Develop Renewable Energy Projects

Saudi Energy Ministry, SABIC Sign MoU to Develop Renewable Energy Projects

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy and Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop renewable energy projects…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business S&P Improves Bahrain’s Outlook

S&P Improves Bahrain’s Outlook

S&P Global Ratings has revised Bahrain's outlook to 'stable' from 'negative' on the back of new fiscal reforms aimed at improving non-oil revenues and cutting…

Asharq Al Awsat (Manama)
Business UN: Pandemic to Cost Global Tourism $2.0 trillion in 2021

UN: Pandemic to Cost Global Tourism $2.0 trillion in 2021

The coronavirus pandemic will cost the global tourism sector $2.0 trillion in lost revenue in 2021, the UN's tourism body said Monday, calling the sector's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gulf Countries Look to Form an Integrated Industrial System

Gulf Countries Look to Form an Integrated Industrial System

Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism Zayed Al-Zayani revealed that Gulf countries were heading towards establishing an integrated industry…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Israeli Bank Leumi Raises $721 Million in Bond Issue

Israeli Bank Leumi Raises $721 Million in Bond Issue

Bank Leumi (LUMI.TA), one of Israel's two largest lenders, said on Sunday it raised 2.3 billion shekels ($721 million) in a bond offering to institutional…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UAE’s President Approves Wide-Ranging Amendments to Economic Legislations

UAE’s President Approves Wide-Ranging Amendments to Economic Legislations

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has approved a wide-ranging reform of the country’s legal system, which aims to strengthen economic,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Erdogan Orders Probe into Turkish Lira’s Slump

Erdogan Orders Probe into Turkish Lira’s Slump

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered an investigation into possible currency manipulation after the lira fell sharply to record lows against the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tunisia Signs MoUs to Support Libyan Market

Tunisia Signs MoUs to Support Libyan Market

Tunisia and Libya signed a set of agreements to support and develop bilateral cooperation in vocational training and employment. The two countries signed a…

Mongi Saidani (Tunis)
Business Masdar Signs Agreement to Develop Solar Power Plant in Armenia

Masdar Signs Agreement to Develop Solar Power Plant in Armenia

Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, announced it has signed an agreement with…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Erdogan Takes Another Swipe at Lira with His Defense of Low Rates

Erdogan Takes Another Swipe at Lira with His Defense of Low Rates

Turkey's beleaguered lira skidded 4% on Friday after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doubled down on his low-rates policy that has been widely criticized,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia to Launch Major Future Privatization Projects Covering All Sectors

Saudi Arabia to Launch Major Future Privatization Projects Covering All Sectors

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammad Al-Jadaan revealed the Kingdom’s plan to launch major projects to privatize a number of sectors. Speaking during the…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Turkey Committed to Rate-Cutting Policy, Deputy Minister Says

Turkey Committed to Rate-Cutting Policy, Deputy Minister Says

Turkey is determined to continue a policy of interest rate cuts, and "manipulative attacks" on the lira, which has plunged to all-time lows this week, will…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Greece Teams Up with Egypt on Gas Supply, Infrastructure

Greece Teams Up with Egypt on Gas Supply, Infrastructure

Greece and Egypt agreed on Thursday to expand their cooperation in the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and examine the possibility of constructing a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Bahrain Launches Initiatives to Support Economic Recovery

Bahrain Launches Initiatives to Support Economic Recovery

Bahrain launched a package of major development projects as part of a plan to support the economic recovery in the country. Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh…

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Manama)