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 Egypt Souvenir Market Pins Hopes on New Lease of Economic Life

Egypt Souvenir Market Pins Hopes on New Lease of Economic Life

Pyramids, Tutankhamun masks, Nefertiti busts -- Egypt's souvenir-makers are pinning their hopes on a new lease of economic life, after tourism was battered by…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Joint Saudi-US Statement Supports Development of Clean Hydrogen, Private Sector Partnership

Joint Saudi-US Statement Supports Development of Clean Hydrogen, Private Sector Partnership

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, held talks in Riyadh on Wednesday with US Special Presidential Envoy for…

Business Emirates Airline Posts First Annual Loss in over 30 Years

Emirates Airline Posts First Annual Loss in over 30 Years

Dubai-based Emirates airline on Tuesday posted a $5.5 billion annual loss, its first in more than three decades, after the coronavirus pandemic devastated the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia, Egypt Agree to Cooperate to Promote Trade, Exports

Saudi Arabia, Egypt Agree to Cooperate to Promote Trade, Exports

Egypt and Saudi Arabia agreed on Monday to develop and enhance joint cooperation in a wide range of productive and service sectors, especially trade, industry,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business US, UAE Focus on Using Climate Change to Drive Global Growth

US, UAE Focus on Using Climate Change to Drive Global Growth

The UAE and the US held talks that focused on using climate change action to drive regional and global growth. The Special Envoy for Climate Change and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Saudi Maaden Nears Completion of First Phase of ‘Phosphate 3’

Saudi Maaden Nears Completion of First Phase of ‘Phosphate 3’

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) has completed utilities commissioning on a $900 million ammonia plant in Ras al-Khair industrial City. …

Business Saudi-Emirati Discussions to Boost Financial, Investment Cooperation

Saudi-Emirati Discussions to Boost Financial, Investment Cooperation

Saudi and Emirati officials have discussed joint issues in the financial and investment sector, to follow up on strategic initiatives in various fields. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Oil Holds Near Multi-Year Highs

Oil Holds Near Multi-Year Highs

Oil prices held near multi-year highs on Monday, underpinned by an improved outlook for demand as increased COVID-19 vaccinations help lift travel curbs. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Egypt Signs 1.7 Bln Euros of Financing Deals With France

Egypt Signs 1.7 Bln Euros of Financing Deals With France

Egypt has signed 1.7 billion euros ($2.06 billion) worth of deals with France to finance projects in the transportation, infrastructure, electricity and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lebanon Currency Drops to New Low as Financial Meltdown Deepens

Lebanon Currency Drops to New Low as Financial Meltdown Deepens

Lebanon's currency crashed past a milestone on Sunday reaching a new low against the dollar, as the country's financial meltdown and political deadlock linger…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Iraq Launches Ambitious Program to Raise Refinery Capacity

Iraq Launches Ambitious Program to Raise Refinery Capacity

Iraq’s oil ministry aims to raise the capacity of Iraqi refineries and reduce gasoline import rates by up to 50 percent before the end of 2021, said the oil…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business Dubai Non-Oil Foreign Trade Grows 10% to $96.4Bln

Dubai Non-Oil Foreign Trade Grows 10% to $96.4Bln

Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade grew by 10 percent in Q1 2021, amounting to AED354.4 billion ($96.4 billion), compared to AED323 billion ($87.9 billion) during…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Airline Industry Sees Long-Term Rebound for Sector

Airline Industry Sees Long-Term Rebound for Sector

After flying into the financial turbulence of the Covid pandemic, the airline sector expects passenger traffic to take off despite concerns about the industry…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Appoints 4 International Consultants For Mining Project

Saudi Arabia Appoints 4 International Consultants For Mining Project

A Saudi official revealed the signing of agreements with four international consultants to implement the projects of the General Program for the Geological…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Business First Forum of African Investment Promotion Agencies Kicks off in Egypt

First Forum of African Investment Promotion Agencies Kicks off in Egypt

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly inaugurated on Friday the first forum of heads of African investment agencies in Sharm El-Sheikh. Held under the…

Sabri Najeh (Sharm al-Sheikh )
Business Iraq Oil Minister Says Gas Sector a Priority

Iraq Oil Minister Says Gas Sector a Priority

Iraq’s oil sector is rebounding after a catastrophic year triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, with key investment projects on the horizon, Iraq’s oil…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Softbank Vision Fund: The Pandemic Catalyzed Tech Adoption

Softbank Vision Fund: The Pandemic Catalyzed Tech Adoption

Last month, Softbank made headlines around the world after it reported a whopping $45.8 billion net profit for the fiscal year that ended in March, largely…

Najlaa Habriri (London)
Business Saudi Arabia Tops Consumer Confidence in Local Economy Trends Index

Saudi Arabia Tops Consumer Confidence in Local Economy Trends Index

Saudi Arabia topped the "Consumer Confidence in Local Economy Trends" index compared to the 23 countries, according to the Global Consumer Confidence Index:…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business IEA: Oil Demand Set to Exceed Pre-pandemic Levels in 2022

IEA: Oil Demand Set to Exceed Pre-pandemic Levels in 2022

Oil demand is set to rise above pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year, the IEA said Friday, but producers have sufficient capacity rise to the challenge…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Egypt, UAE Enhance Cooperation On Banking Supervision

Egypt, UAE Enhance Cooperation On Banking Supervision

The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has signed Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to strengthen supervisory…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Sudan Will Not Lift Wheat, Furnace Oil, Cooking Gas Subsidies this Year

Sudan Will Not Lift Wheat, Furnace Oil, Cooking Gas Subsidies this Year

Sudan will not lift subsidies this year on wheat, cooking gas or furnace oil, which is used to produce electricity, finance minister Jibril Ibrahim said on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Algeria Upgrades Economic Growth to 4.2% this Year

Algeria Upgrades Economic Growth to 4.2% this Year

Algeria expects its economy to grow by 4.2% in 2021, revising up a 4% forecast announced late last year, as the OPEC member predicts better performance in the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Shura Council Calls for Allowing Foreign Ownership of Real Estate

Saudi Shura Council Calls for Allowing Foreign Ownership of Real Estate

The Saudi Shura Council called for allowing non-resident foreigners to own real estate in the Kingdom while coordinating with the relevant authorities to set…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Business Hajraf: Volume of Intra-GCC Trade Does Not Live Up to Expectations

Hajraf: Volume of Intra-GCC Trade Does Not Live Up to Expectations

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Dr. Nayef al-Hajraf said that the start of post-pandemic economic recovery requires joint efforts from both…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Dubai)