Business

GCC: Railway Agreement Sets Joint Framework for Project Implementation and Operation

Business GCC transport ministers pose for a group photo following the 27th committee meeting in Kuwait. (GCC Railway Authority)

GCC: Railway Agreement Sets Joint Framework for Project Implementation and Operation

Jasem Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said on Sunday that the signing of the General Agreement on the GCC Railway Project…

Asharq Al Awsat (Manama)
Business A factory in Madinah’s industrial city. (SPA)

Mega Projects Drive Growth for Saudi Small and Medium Factories

Mega projects in Saudi Arabia are offering increasing opportunities for small and medium-sized factories to expand their businesses and integrate into local…

Sara bin Shamran (Riyadh)
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 Saudi Arabia Records Historical Levels in Non-Oil Exports

Saudi Arabia Records Historical Levels in Non-Oil Exports

Saudi non-oil exports hit their highest-ever monthly level in June 2021, after reaching SAR23.5 billion, the Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports)…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi CITC Launches Free Local Roaming Service

Saudi CITC Launches Free Local Roaming Service

The Saudi Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) launched Sunday the local roaming service to ensure operating services in all regions in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Oil Drops as Hurricane Ida Weakens

Oil Drops as Hurricane Ida Weakens

Oil prices dropped from a four-week high on Monday as Hurricane Ida weakened after forcing precautionary shutdowns of US Gulf oil production, and attention…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UAE's Emirates Global Aluminium Swings to Profit in First Half

UAE's Emirates Global Aluminium Swings to Profit in First Half

Emirates Global Aluminium, one of the world's largest aluminium producers, returned to profit in the first half of 2021 on the back of higher prices for its…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business OPEC+ Could Reconsider Output Increase

OPEC+ Could Reconsider Output Increase

The increase in oil output agreed last month by OPEC+ nations could be reconsidered at its next meeting on Sept. 1, Kuwait's oil minister said on Sunday. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Investment Minister Visits Oman to Boost Economic Ties

Saudi Investment Minister Visits Oman to Boost Economic Ties

Saudi Arabia’s Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih was visiting Oman on Sunday to discuss opportunities in both Gulf countries, Saudi state news agency SPA…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia, UK Seek Quality Investments in Key Development Sectors

Saudi Arabia, UK Seek Quality Investments in Key Development Sectors

Saudi Investment Ministry officials have completed a tour of the UK, where they met British counterparts and agreed to bolster qualitative investments. Both…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Dhaman Eyes Arab FDI Rebound in 2021

Dhaman Eyes Arab FDI Rebound in 2021

Director-General of the Arab Investment & Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman), Abdullah Ahmed Al-Sabeeh said he predicted the positive performance of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Algeria Hints at Letting Go of Gas Pipeline Passing through Morocco

Algeria Hints at Letting Go of Gas Pipeline Passing through Morocco

Algeria said Thursday that all the natural gas supplies in Spain are now provided through its gas pipeline connecting the two countries, bypassing Morocco,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Sudan Receives $857 Million In IMF Aid

Sudan Receives $857 Million In IMF Aid

Sudan has received more than $857 million as part of a global allocation by the International Monetary Fund to help vulnerable countries, the central bank said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UAE Says Unit 2 of Barakah Plant Successfully Starts up

UAE Says Unit 2 of Barakah Plant Successfully Starts up

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company (Nawah) has successfully started…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Expecting Oil Trade Boom, Fujairah Oil Terminal Invests in VLCC Project

Expecting Oil Trade Boom, Fujairah Oil Terminal Invests in VLCC Project

The Fujairah Oil Terminal is investing an estimated $45 million to upgrade the infrastructure at its storage facilities, betting on a surge in crude trading…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Tourism Authority, Alibaba Cloud Sign MoU to Promote the Kingdom as Tourist Destination

Saudi Tourism Authority, Alibaba Cloud Sign MoU to Promote the Kingdom as Tourist Destination

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Fitch Expects Stability of Egyptian Pound

Fitch Expects Stability of Egyptian Pound

The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) said that Fitch Solutions expected that the Egyptian pound would continue to trade within…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Saudi Arabia Develops Contracting Sector by Adopting Gov’t Classification System

Saudi Arabia Develops Contracting Sector by Adopting Gov’t Classification System

With Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council having greenlit the contractor classification system, experts confirm to Asharq Al-Awsat that the new scheme will compel…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business New E-Platform to Display Investment Opportunities in Eastern Saudi Arabia

New E-Platform to Display Investment Opportunities in Eastern Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province Governor Prince Saud bin Nayef has officially launched the Asharqia Chambers e-platform, moving the Kingdom's Eastern region…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dammam)
Business Saudi Arabia Launches Major Tech Leadership Programs

Saudi Arabia Launches Major Tech Leadership Programs

Saudi Arabia has announced the biggest technological launch of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa by introducing 22 tech and digital initiatives…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Oil Prices Hold Above $70 After Two-day Rally

Oil Prices Hold Above $70 After Two-day Rally

Oil prices dropped on Wednesday but stayed above $70 a barrel, taking a breather after recent days' strong rally as Mexico was set to resume crude production…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Operations Worth $32Bln Carried out Through Saudi Instant Payment System

Operations Worth $32Bln Carried out Through Saudi Instant Payment System

The instant payment system sarie, which was launched by Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), has achieved a leap forward in banking transfers and financial transactions…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia Launches Survey to Detect Mineral Deposits

Saudi Arabia Launches Survey to Detect Mineral Deposits

Saudi Arabia’s mining sector entered a new phase on Tuesday by launching a geophysical survey of the Arab Shield region in the Dawadmi province, which…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia Expects Annual Growth of 10% in Emerging Technology Sector

Saudi Arabia Expects Annual Growth of 10% in Emerging Technology Sector

Saudi Arabia will witness significant growth in all major areas of digital technology from the Internet of Things (IoT) to cloud computing, increasing the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Israel Aerospace, Etihad to Open Aircraft Conversion Site in Abu Dhabi

Israel Aerospace, Etihad to Open Aircraft Conversion Site in Abu Dhabi

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Wednesday it signed an agreement with Etihad Engineering to establish a facility in Abu Dhabi that will convert…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Study: Slow Covid Vaccination to Cost Global Economy $2.3 tn

Study: Slow Covid Vaccination to Cost Global Economy $2.3 tn

The slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines will cost the global economy $2.3 trillion in lost output, a report released Wednesday found. The Economist…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UK Businesses Fear for Afghan Rug Weavers After Taliban Takeover

UK Businesses Fear for Afghan Rug Weavers After Taliban Takeover

Overseas businesses selling colorful handwoven rugs and vivid handblown glass from Afghanistan are concerned for their suppliers as the Taliban's takeover of…

Asharq Al Awsat