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's Hotels, Open at Half Capacity, Had 40%-45% Occupancy Rate in Q1 2021

Egypt's Hotels, Open at Half Capacity, Had 40%-45% Occupancy Rate in Q1 2021

The occupancy rate of Egypt's hotels, which are running at half capacity due to COVID-19 regulations, was between 40% and 45% in the first quarter, an official…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Dubai’s Non-oil External Trade Reaches $322b in 2020

Dubai’s Non-oil External Trade Reaches $322b in 2020

Dubai’s foreign trade in 2020 touched AED1.182 trillion ($322 billion), with total trade volume in 2020 reached 100 million tonnes, driven by a 6% year-on-year…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Italy's Economy Seen Growing 4.1% This Year, Business Lobby Says

Italy's Economy Seen Growing 4.1% This Year, Business Lobby Says

Italy's virus-hit economy is expected to grow 4.1% this year and 4.2% in 2022 in an "uncertain ascent from the abyss", the country's business lobby…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business JPMorgan to Review Egypt for Inclusion in GBI-EM

JPMorgan to Review Egypt for Inclusion in GBI-EM

JPMorgan said it had placed Egypt and Ukraine under review for inclusion in its widely tracked Government Bond Index Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) suite. In the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Reinsurance Payouts Expected to Cost Hundreds of Millions in Suez Canal Blockage

Reinsurance Payouts Expected to Cost Hundreds of Millions in Suez Canal Blockage

Reinsurers will likely bear most of the expense for the grounding of a giant container ship that halted shipping traffic through the Suez Canal last month…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Aramco Signs $12.4 Bln Pipeline Deal with EIG-led Consortium

Aramco Signs $12.4 Bln Pipeline Deal with EIG-led Consortium

Saudi Aramco has entered into a $12.4 billion deal with a consortium of investors led by EIG Global Energy Partners that would give the investor group a 49%…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Launches Sakaka Solar Power Plant

Saudi Arabia Launches Sakaka Solar Power Plant

Under the patronage of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Energy Mix Affairs, Saudi Energy…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Sakaka)
Business Lebanon’s Banking Association Blames Politicians for Financial Meltdown

Lebanon’s Banking Association Blames Politicians for Financial Meltdown

The Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) issued a statement on Thursday, denouncing “a campaign of accusations” by the political class, after a recent speech…

Ali Zeineddine (Beirut)
Business Saudi-French Agreement to Boost Economnic Cooperation

Saudi-French Agreement to Boost Economnic Cooperation

A French delegation of government officials, diplomats, and investors concluded their visit to Saudi Arabia by signing an agreement to boost bilateral…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Riyadh, Paris Set to Boost Strategic Cooperation in Various Fields

Riyadh, Paris Set to Boost Strategic Cooperation in Various Fields

Riyadh and Paris are launching a new phase for developing their shared strategic partnership in various economic, investment and trade fields, reported a…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business IMF Forecasts Quick Recovery of Most Gulf Economies

IMF Forecasts Quick Recovery of Most Gulf Economies

The International Monetary Fund expects most Gulf economies to recover this year at a faster pace than previously estimated, as it raised its 2021 global…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business New Regulations Set to Protect Future Saudi Projects

New Regulations Set to Protect Future Saudi Projects

Saudi Arabia has taken a qualitative leap forward in property protection and monitoring with the country’s cabinet approving on Wednesday a set of regulations…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Over 850 Companies Plan to Join 'Made in Saudi' Program

Over 850 Companies Plan to Join 'Made in Saudi' Program

Secretary-General of Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports) Faisal Al-Bedah revealed on Wednesday that more than 850 companies have applied to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business ACWA Power Signs Final Deals for 200MW Solar Project In Egypt

ACWA Power Signs Final Deals for 200MW Solar Project In Egypt

Saudi developer ACWA Power has finalized agreements for the 200MW Kom Ombo solar plant in Egypt, with construction work set to begin later this year. A 25…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Kuwait Wealth Fund Reaches Initial Agreement on KPC Dividends

Kuwait Wealth Fund Reaches Initial Agreement on KPC Dividends

Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund has reached an initial agreement with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) on new payment terms for over $20 billion in accrued…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business Saudi Malls, Supermarkets, Restaurants Told to Increase Hiring of Saudi Nationals

Saudi Malls, Supermarkets, Restaurants Told to Increase Hiring of Saudi Nationals

Malls, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia must increase their percentage of local hires, the Kingdom’s ministry of human resources and social…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Crown Prince Launches ‘The Journey Through Time’ Masterplan for AlUla

Saudi Crown Prince Launches ‘The Journey Through Time’ Masterplan for AlUla

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla, launched on Wednesday a visionary masterplan that sets to responsibly and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Bourse Converts into Holding Company ahead of IPO this Year

Saudi Bourse Converts into Holding Company ahead of IPO this Year

Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange has converted itself into a holding company and will be renamed Saudi Tadawul Group ahead of its initial public offering (IPO)…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF Expects Saudi Arabia GDP to Grow 2.9% in 2021

IMF Expects Saudi Arabia GDP to Grow 2.9% in 2021

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Saudi economy to grow in 2021 and 2022, projecting the gross domestic product (GDP) to increase 2.9 percent…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi MoU Seeks to Boost Circular Economy

Saudi MoU Seeks to Boost Circular Economy

The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) - the world’s fourth largest petrochemical firm - signed on Tuesday a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business UAE Replaces Central Bank Governor

UAE Replaces Central Bank Governor

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed has appointed Khalid al-Tameemi as governor of the UAE’s central bank, state news agency WAM said,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Invests $16 Bn in Renewable Energy Program

Saudi Arabia Invests $16 Bn in Renewable Energy Program

Saudi Arabia is aiming to invest around $16 billion in the National Renewable Energy Program, according to a report issued by the Business Support Observatory…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business UAE's Agthia Approves 75% Acquisition of Egypt's Ismailia Agricultural

UAE's Agthia Approves 75% Acquisition of Egypt's Ismailia Agricultural

Abu Dhabi-listed food and beverage company Agthia Group on Wednesday said its board has approved an indirect acquisition of three quarters of Egypt's Ismailia…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Unit 1 of Barakah Plant Starts Commercial Operations

Unit 1 of Barakah Plant Starts Commercial Operations

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced on Tuesday that the Unit 1 of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has started commercial operations. …

Asharq Al Awsat