Business

Egypt Seeks Faster Progress on Libya Gas, Refining and Power Projects

Business Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a press conference with Minister of Information Diaa Rashwan (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2026. (Reuters)

Egypt Seeks Faster Progress on Libya Gas, Refining and Power Projects

Egypt aims to accelerate energy projects with Libya, including gas pipeline links, refining of Libyan crude in Egypt and an electricity interconnection,…

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 Saudi Arabia to Hold First Forum on Future of 4th Industrial Revolution

Saudi Arabia to Hold First Forum on Future of 4th Industrial Revolution

Preparations are underway in Saudi Arabia to hold the first-ever event to the future of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in the Kingdom. The forum…

Business Saudi Human Resources Ministry, Sama Sign MoU to Localize Financial Jobs

Saudi Human Resources Ministry, Sama Sign MoU to Localize Financial Jobs

The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) signed a joint memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) and the Human…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Abu Dhabi Cuts Business Setup Fees by Over 90%

Abu Dhabi Cuts Business Setup Fees by Over 90%

Abu Dhabi will slash the cost of establishing new businesses by “more than 90 percent” from Tuesday to increase the emirate’s regional and international…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Iraq Wants American Firm to Replace Exxon, Prime Minister Says

Iraq Wants American Firm to Replace Exxon, Prime Minister Says

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Monday he wants another American company to replace Exxon Mobil Corp when it exits Iraq. Exxon, which in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF Stands Ready to Help Tunisia Cope with ‘Extraordinary’ Pressures

IMF Stands Ready to Help Tunisia Cope with ‘Extraordinary’ Pressures

The International Monetary Fund stands ready to continue to help Tunisia cope with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, achieve a “job-rich” recovery and restore…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Suspends Privatization of Desalination and Power Plant

Saudi Arabia Suspends Privatization of Desalination and Power Plant

Saudi Arabia has suspended the privatization of the Ras Al Khair desalination and power plant, one of a number of state assets that the government aimed to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Kuwait Plans on Establishing Logistics Cities

Kuwait Plans on Establishing Logistics Cities

Kuwait’s Port Authority (KPA) plans to optimize metropolitan logistic activities on recently acquired lands as part of efforts to prop up local trade and lure…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business Bitcoin Tops $38,000 on Fresh Tesla Support

Bitcoin Tops $38,000 on Fresh Tesla Support

Bitcoin soared close to $40,000 on Monday after electric carmaker Tesla expressed fresh support for the world's most popular cryptocurrency. The unit leapt…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia, UK Set to Activate Bilateral Circular Economy Cooperation

Saudi Arabia, UK Set to Activate Bilateral Circular Economy Cooperation

The UK Minister of State at the Cabinet Office and President of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma is anticipated to…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Egypt to Integrate Informal Sector with MSMEs Law

Egypt to Integrate Informal Sector with MSMEs Law

Egypt’s Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said that the new micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) law includes many incentives to integrate the informal…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Egypt to Ration Power Consumption at Places of Worship

Egypt to Ration Power Consumption at Places of Worship

The Egyptian government intends to implement the current fiscal year's plan to regulate the use of places of worship, to save around EGP100 million annually. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Israeli Airlines Launch First Direct Flights to Morocco

Israeli Airlines Launch First Direct Flights to Morocco

Two Israeli airlines launched their first commercial flights between Israel and Morocco on Sunday, less than a year after the countries officially normalized…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business GCC Central Banks to Set up Companies for Operating Unified Payment System

GCC Central Banks to Set up Companies for Operating Unified Payment System

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are gearing up to establish a unified coordination scheme for linking payment systems at a time central banks are…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Morocco's Commercial Transactions with Europe Hits $50 Billion in 2020

Morocco's Commercial Transactions with Europe Hits $50 Billion in 2020

Morocco's commercial transactions with Europe reached 451.9 billion dirhams ($50 billion) in 2020, marking an 11.5 percent drop compared to 2019, according to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business Canada's Orca to Invest in Sudan's Gold

Canada's Orca to Invest in Sudan's Gold

Canada's major gold producing company, Orca, discussed the great potential for gold production in Sudan, announcing a $350 million investment for explorations…

Ahmed Younes (Khartoum)
Business Aramco Denies Breach of its Systems

Aramco Denies Breach of its Systems

Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant has denied a breach of its systems, saying “the company continues to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture.” Saudi Aramco…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Oil Slips but Set to End Week Steady on Tight Supply

Oil Slips but Set to End Week Steady on Tight Supply

Oil fell further below $74 a barrel on Friday but was on track to end the week largely unchanged after rebounding from a sharp drop on Monday, underpinned by…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Promotes Fair Trade with Mandatory ‘Metrological Verification’

Saudi Arabia Promotes Fair Trade with Mandatory ‘Metrological Verification’

Gas stations, commercial stores, food and catering centers, and gold retailers in Saudi Arabia are now required to submit their metrological verification…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Oil Prices Rise on Signs of Tightening Supplies

Oil Prices Rise on Signs of Tightening Supplies

Oil prices rose on Thursday, extending strong gains made in previous sessions on expectations of tighter supplies until the end of the year as economies…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lebanon Families Spend '5 Times Minimum Wage' on Food: Study

Lebanon Families Spend '5 Times Minimum Wage' on Food: Study

Families in Lebanon are now spending five times the minimum wage on food alone, a report found Wednesday, as inflation caused by the country's worst-ever…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business New Saudi Measures to Improve Quality of Project Implementation by Contractors

New Saudi Measures to Improve Quality of Project Implementation by Contractors

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing has launched a point system for contractors to increase healthy competition and sustainability…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Livestock Sales Double During Eid al-Adha in Saudi Arabia

Livestock Sales Double During Eid al-Adha in Saudi Arabia

Sales at Saudi livestock markets doubled during Eid al-Adha, as prices rose 20 percent due to the increase in animal feed and import costs, workers told Asharq…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia Eases Licensing for Beneficiaries of ‘Commercial Concealment’ Correction

Saudi Arabia Eases Licensing for Beneficiaries of ‘Commercial Concealment’ Correction

Saudi Arabia’s National Program for Combating Commercial Concealment affirmed that it would continue correcting the status of enterprises involved in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Egyptian Stock Exchange Develops EGX 30 Index Methodology

Egyptian Stock Exchange Develops EGX 30 Index Methodology

The Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) approved the development of the EGX30 index methodology for index formation and criteria for listing companies. It also…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)