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 Seeks to Boost Employment in Education, Law, Security

Saudi Arabia Seeks to Boost Employment in Education, Law, Security

The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development maintains intensive efforts to search for new sectors that provide job opportunities and reduce…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business DP World, UAE Region, JAFZA to Take Part in Gulfood 2021

DP World, UAE Region, JAFZA to Take Part in Gulfood 2021

DP World, UAE Region and its flagship trade and logistics hub, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) are set to participate in Gulfood 2021, scheduled to take place from…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Military Industry to Participate in UAE-Hosted ‘IDEX 2021’

Saudi Military Industry to Participate in UAE-Hosted ‘IDEX 2021’

Saudi Arabia is preparing to partake in the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX 2021), scheduled for February 21-25 in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Saudi Government Agencies Discuss Developments in Measuring Digital Transformation

Saudi Government Agencies Discuss Developments in Measuring Digital Transformation

More than 900 representatives from 200 Saudi government agencies gathered under the sponsorship of the Saudi e-government program, Yesser, to discuss…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia Seeks to Build Integrated Space Sector In Cooperation With International Entities

Saudi Arabia Seeks to Build Integrated Space Sector In Cooperation With International Entities

Official information revealed serious efforts by Saudi Arabia to build an integrated space sector aimed at transferring and indigenizing technologies in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Ramallah)
Business Saudi Arabia, US Stress Need to Fight Pandemic to Help Global Economic Recovery

Saudi Arabia, US Stress Need to Fight Pandemic to Help Global Economic Recovery

Saudi Arabia and the United States stressed the importance of confronting the novel coronavirus pandemic in order to support the recovery of the global economy…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi, Malaysian Ministers Discuss Cooperation on Investments

Saudi, Malaysian Ministers Discuss Cooperation on Investments

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein discussed means of enhancing investments between the two…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Turkey Holds Main Interest Rate Steady at 17%

Turkey Holds Main Interest Rate Steady at 17%

Turkey's central bank on Thursday kept its main interest unchanged at 17 percent for the second month in a row to support a strong rally in the Turkish lira,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Minister: Oil Producers Should Remain Cautious

Saudi Minister: Oil Producers Should Remain Cautious

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Wednesday that it was too early to declare victory against the COVID-19 virus and that oil producers…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Ministry: Egypt Announces Oil, Gas Bid Round for 24 Blocks

Ministry: Egypt Announces Oil, Gas Bid Round for 24 Blocks

Egypt announced on Thursday the start of a bid round for exploration and exploitation of oil and natural gas in 24 blocks. The round, which concludes on Aug…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Airbus Lost $1.3 Billion Amid Pandemic; Expects Better 2021

Airbus Lost $1.3 Billion Amid Pandemic; Expects Better 2021

European planemaker Airbus lost 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) last year amid an unprecedented global slump in air travel because of the pandemic, but…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Flydubai Prepares for Boeing 737 MAX to Rejoin its Fleet

Flydubai Prepares for Boeing 737 MAX to Rejoin its Fleet

United Arab Emirates-based carrier Flydubai is preparing for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to rejoin its fleet, the Dubai government's media office said on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Railways Merger is a Step to Boost Transport Sector Privatization

Saudi Railways Merger is a Step to Boost Transport Sector Privatization

The merger between Saudi Railway Co. (SAR) and Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) is an important step in privatizing some of the transport sector works, said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Crude Exports Hit Eight-Month Peak in December 2020

Saudi Crude Exports Hit Eight-Month Peak in December 2020

Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports rose for a sixth straight month to an eight-month peak in December 2020, official data showed on Wednesday. Exports rose to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tunisia’s Economy Records Unprecedented Contraction

Tunisia’s Economy Records Unprecedented Contraction

Tunisia recorded an unprecedented economic contraction estimated at 8.8 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to figures by the National Institute of…

Mongi Saidani (Tunis)
Business Sudan: Inflation Enters a Vicious Circle

Sudan: Inflation Enters a Vicious Circle

With the continued drop in the value of the local currency and the increase in the cost of imports, Sudan has entered a vicious cycle of rampant inflation,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Khartoum)
Business ADNOC Distribution to Buy 20 Service Stations in Saudi Arabia

ADNOC Distribution to Buy 20 Service Stations in Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Distribution said on Monday it has executed two agreements to acquire 20 service stations in Saudi Arabia for AED56.9 million ($15.5 million)…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Saudi Arabia Will Not Work with Foreign Firms without Local Presence from 2024

Saudi Arabia Will Not Work with Foreign Firms without Local Presence from 2024

Saudi Arabia will no longer sign contracts with foreign companies which do not have a regional headquarters in the Kingdom after 2023, state news agency SPA…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Mobilizes to Protect Local Industries From Harmful Practices

Saudi Arabia Mobilizes to Protect Local Industries From Harmful Practices

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources confirmed that it is working to protect local industries from unfair competition by enacting policies…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Iraq Central Bank Rules out Threat from Borrowing to Hard Currency Reserves

Iraq Central Bank Rules out Threat from Borrowing to Hard Currency Reserves

The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has ruled out a threat to hard currency reserves as a result of borrowing. While noting that the oil market recovery…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business KAUST Invests in Smart Indoor Farming

KAUST Invests in Smart Indoor Farming

Saudi King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) - west of the Kingdom - is investing in a company specialized in developing smart indoor…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business As Lebanon's Banks Struggle to Raise Capital, a Deadline Looms

As Lebanon's Banks Struggle to Raise Capital, a Deadline Looms

Paralyzed by financial crisis and riven with political risk, a number of Lebanon's banks are struggling to meet a central bank target to raise their capital…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF: Bahrain’s Economy to Grow by 3.3%

IMF: Bahrain’s Economy to Grow by 3.3%

Bahrain’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be gradual, with growth projected at 3.3 percent this year after a 5.4 percent contraction in 2020,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Dubai Airport Boss Warns Tough Year Ahead After 2020 Passenger Numbers Slide 70%

Dubai Airport Boss Warns Tough Year Ahead After 2020 Passenger Numbers Slide 70%

Dubai Airports' chief executive warned on Monday it would be another tough year for the Middle East's busiest airport, Dubai International, after passenger…

Asharq Al Awsat