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 UAE’s Masdar Signs Strategic Agreement with Iraq to Develop PV Projects

UAE’s Masdar Signs Strategic Agreement with Iraq to Develop PV Projects

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

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Saudi: Govt Coordination Urged to Ensure Fair Procurement

Saudi: Govt Coordination Urged to Ensure Fair Procurement

The Saudi General Authority for Competition received demands to increase knowledge on the conditions of competition and procurement in the public and private…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Energy Minister: OPEC+ Has Role in Containing Inflation

Saudi Energy Minister: OPEC+ Has Role in Containing Inflation

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the OPEC+ alliance has a role in “taming and containing” inflationary pressures, just hours…

Business Saudi Arabia Considers Establishing Industrial Zone in Oman

Saudi Arabia Considers Establishing Industrial Zone in Oman

Saudi Arabia is considering developing an industrial zone in Oman, and the two Gulf states have discussed the possibility in investment talks, the Saudi Press…

Asharq Al Awsat (Muscat)
Business Oil Prices Rise as Global Inventories Decline

Oil Prices Rise as Global Inventories Decline

Oil prices inched higher on Friday, and were on track for a fifth consecutive weekly gain, on expectations that demand growth would outstrip supply and OPEC+…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF Approves Final Egypt Loan Disbursal

IMF Approves Final Egypt Loan Disbursal

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) executive board on Wednesday said it had approved Egypt's request for a $1.7 billion loan, its final disbursement under a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business Alpha Dhabi Holding to List on ADX

Alpha Dhabi Holding to List on ADX

Alpha Dhabi Holding, a subsidiary of International Holding Co, intends to list on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on Sunday. The offering was expected…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Parliamentary Committees Look Into Ways to Fund Financial Aid Card for the Lebanese

Parliamentary Committees Look Into Ways to Fund Financial Aid Card for the Lebanese

The approval of a financing card to provide some help to the Lebanese to buy basic commodities is still encountering some obstacles as parliamentarians are…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business Dubai Announces Countdown for Expo 2020

Dubai Announces Countdown for Expo 2020

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the countdown for Expo 2020 Dubai, which…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Saudi Arabia Takes Banking Industry Leap by Approving Digital Banks

Saudi Arabia Takes Banking Industry Leap by Approving Digital Banks

Keeping up with aspirations for developing the Saudi finance sector, the Saudi Cabinet gave the Kingdom's finance minister the green light to issue licenses…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Bitcoin Fund Makes Nasdaq Dubai Debut in First for Middle East

Bitcoin Fund Makes Nasdaq Dubai Debut in First for Middle East

The Bitcoin Fund debuted on the Nasdaq Dubai on Wednesday, becoming the Middle East's first listed cryptocurrency fund. The fund, which was listed by…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Buys 2.6% of Russia's En+ Group

Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Buys 2.6% of Russia's En+ Group

Abu Dhabi state investor Mubadala has bought a 2.6% stake in Russia’s En+ Group, which owns 56.9% in aluminum producer Rusal, Mubadala and En+ said on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Oman Introduces Long-Term Residencies for Foreign Investors

Oman Introduces Long-Term Residencies for Foreign Investors

Oman will start granting long-term residence visas to foreign investors, state media said on Wednesday. Oman's initiative, effective from September, grants…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Kuwait Approves Budget with $40 Bln Deficit

Kuwait Approves Budget with $40 Bln Deficit

Kuwait’s National Assembly approved Tuesday the government budget for the fiscal year 2021-2022, despite a standoff between members of the parliament. …

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Kuwait)
Business Calls for Expediting Establishment of FTZs in Saudi Arabia

Calls for Expediting Establishment of FTZs in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Shura Council’s Economy and Energy Committee urged the Commerce and Investment Ministry to overcome obstacles inhibiting the launch and operation of…

Saeed al-Abyad (Jeddah)
Business SNB Begins Transferring Customers’ Accounts to New Bank

SNB Begins Transferring Customers’ Accounts to New Bank

Saudi Samba Financial Group, which recently merged with the National Commercial Bank, began transferring customers' accounts to the new National Bank of Saudi…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Central Bank Extends Deferred Payment Program for Private Sector MSMEs

Saudi Central Bank Extends Deferred Payment Program for Private Sector MSMEs

With the Saudi economy set on a dynamic track to return to pre-pandemic levels, the Saudi central bank (SAMA) said on Tuesday it is extending a deferred…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Lifting Off? Sudden Travel Surge Tests US Airlines

Lifting Off? Sudden Travel Surge Tests US Airlines

US airlines are scrambling to ramp back up to meet soaring travel demand that has transformed America's airports from cavernous to crowded almost overnight. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF Secures Sufficient Pledges to Provide Comprehensive Debt Relief to Sudan

IMF Secures Sufficient Pledges to Provide Comprehensive Debt Relief to Sudan

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday it has secured sufficient financing pledges to allow it to provide comprehensive debt relief to Sudan,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Assets of Merged Entity from Saudi Pension, Insurance Funds to Exceed $250 Billion

Assets of Merged Entity from Saudi Pension, Insurance Funds to Exceed $250 Billion

Saudi Arabia will merge two state-run pension and unemployment insurance funds into one entity with almost USD 29 billion of local and foreign stocks. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Riyadh, Muscat Seek Partnerships in Industrial Cities, Logistics, Renewable Energy

Riyadh, Muscat Seek Partnerships in Industrial Cities, Logistics, Renewable Energy

An Omani official said that Muscat was keen to manage strategic partnerships with Riyadh in various fields, including industrial cities, logistics services,…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Red Sea Development Company, KAUST Sign a Master Research Agreement

Red Sea Development Company, KAUST Sign a Master Research Agreement

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) signed a Master Research Agreement (MRA) with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). …

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business New G5 Classification Proves Saudi Maturity as World-Class Digital Nation

New G5 Classification Proves Saudi Maturity as World-Class Digital Nation

With the Saudi economy continuing to soar in across-the-board global indicators, the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem also joined the upward trend by getting…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Chinese-Arab Trade Reaches $240 Billion in 2020

Chinese-Arab Trade Reaches $240 Billion in 2020

Bilateral trade volume between China and the Arab countries reached USD 239.8 billion in 2020, making China the largest trading partner of Arab countries,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)