Business

Gold Bounces Back on Softer Dollar, US-Iran Concerns; Silver Rebounds

Business Gold and silver bars are stacked in the safe deposit boxes room of the Pro Aurum gold house in Munich, Germany, January 10, 2025. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

Gold Bounces Back on Softer Dollar, US-Iran Concerns; Silver Rebounds

Gold rebounded on Friday and was set for a weekly gain, helped by bargain hunting, a slightly weaker dollar and lingering concerns over US-Iran talks in Oman,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business European Union (R) and Turkish flags fly at the business and financial district of Levent in Istanbul, Türkiye September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

Europe, Türkiye Agree to Work Toward Updating Customs Union

The European enlargement chief and the Turkish foreign minister said on Friday they had agreed to continue work toward modernizing the EU-Türkiye customs union…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Meanwhile, many Lebanese are crowding marketplaces to buy gold and silver in hopes of recovering some of their losses. (AP)

Cash-strapped Lebanon Finds Itself Sitting on a Gold Mine, as Precious Metal Prices Surge

Tiny Lebanon sits on one of the largest gold reserves in the Middle East and its government is weighing whether it can use that stockpile to restore a crippled…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A worker collects samples at a mine in Brazil (Reuters)

Critical Minerals: Saudi Arabia’s Rise in Global Mining

Critical minerals are no longer treated as simple raw materials traded on global exchanges. Amid increasing geopolitical competition, they have become a core…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)

Business A boat makes its way past the Doha skyline in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Qatar Central Bank Says AI Operational Risks Need Prudential Focus

The governor of Qatar's central bank said on Tuesday that operational risks emerging from technologies like Artificial Intelligence should ‌be treated as …

Asharq Al Awsat (Davos)
Business Croatian Central Bank Governor Boris Vujcic pictured during an interview with Reuters in Zagreb (Reuters file photo)

Croatia's Vujcic Nominated as ECB's Next Vice President

Croatia's Boris Vujcic was formally nominated on Monday as the European Central Bank's next vice president, putting him on track to become the first person…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business 16 January 2026, US, Washington: US President Donald Trump attends a rural health investment roundtable in the East Room of the White House. Photo: Andrew Leyden/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

In His Second Year, Trump Imposes a New Global Economic Reality

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump completes his first year in the White House - a year marked by the adoption of a strict protectionist approach and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

US-Saudi Business Council President: Critical Minerals Cooperation Enhances Supply Chain Resilience

President and CEO of the US-Saudi Business Council Charles Hallab affirmed that cooperation between the Kingdom and the US in critical minerals is gaining…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business (FILES) Gold wafers are displayed at Galeri 24, a state-owned gold retailer, in Surabaya, East Java, on October 16, 2025, as Indonesia's gold price stays near record highs and demand for safe-haven assets remains strong. (Photo by Juni KRISWANTO / AFP)

Gold Flashes Past $4,700/oz as Trump Threats Dampen Global Sentiment

Gold jumped past $4,700 per ounce for the first time on Tuesday, while silver traded near a record high, as US President Donald Trump's threats to slap extra…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi capital, Riyadh (SPA)

IMF Raises Saudi Arabia’s Growth Forecast to 4.5% in 2026

For the third time in six months, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for Saudi Arabia's economic growth for 2025 and 2026, in a sign…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business A worker adjusts European Union and US flags at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, November 11, 2013.

Trump's Greenland Threat Puts Europe Inc back in Tariff Crosshairs

Just as European companies were getting used to last year's hard-won US trade tariff deals, President Donald Trump has put them back in his ​crosshairs with an…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier//File Photo/File Photo

IMF Upgrades Outlook for Surprisingly Resilient World Economy to 3.3% Growth this Year

An unexpectedly sturdy world economy is likely to shrug off President Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies this year, thanks partly to a surge of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Syrian army personnel celebrate as government forces enter Raqqa city following the withdrawal of Syrian Democratic Forces, in Raqqa, Syria, January 18, 2026. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri

France Says Still Loyal to Syria Kurds, Hails Ceasefire

France on Monday welcomed a ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces and stressed it remained loyal to the latter who spearheaded the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Mark Winterhoff, interim CEO of Lucid (Company) 

Lucid in 2026: 'Made in Saudi Arabia' Label Goes Global

Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global launchpad for Lucid, the electric-vehicle manufacturer, not merely as a consumer market, but as a manufacturing…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)
Business A deliver worker transfers the merchandise outside the Ritan International Trade Center in Beijing, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China's Economy Grows 5% in 2025, Buoyed by Strong Exports Despite Trump's Tariffs

China's economy expanded at a 5% annual pace in 2025, buoyed by strong exports despite US President Donald Trump's tariffs. However, growth slowed to a 4.5…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: The LyondellBasell refinery, located near the Houston Ship Channel, is seen in Houston, Texas, US, May 5, 2019.  REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

Oil Down as Easing Iran Unrest Dampens Geopolitical Risk Premium

Oil prices were down on Monday after rising during the previous session as civil unrest in Iran subsided, lowering the chance of a US attack that could disrupt…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business (FILES) A jeweler shows gold and silver bars at his shop in downtown Kuwait City on January 12, 2026. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Gold, Silver Hit Records and Stocks Fall as Trump Fans Trade Fears

Gold and silver prices climbed to fresh peaks on Monday, as investors poured into safe-haven assets after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose extra…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This photograph taken on January 18, 2026 shows a view of the Alpine resort of Davos with the Congress Center that will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Saudi Arabia in Davos: Participation in Dialogues on World Economy, Geopolitical Changes

The Saudi delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah is gearing up to participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF)…

Asharq Al Awsat (Davos)
Business A photo shows containers and transshipment at Maasvlakte, an industrial area in the port of Rotterdam, on July 21, 2025. (AFP)

World Markets Face Fresh Jolt as Trump Vows Tariffs on Europe Over Greenland

Global markets face a fresh bout of volatility this week after President Donald Trump vowed to slap tariffs on eight European nations until the US is allowed…

Business Ziad El Chaar, Chief Executive Officer of Dar Global, attends an interview with Reuters, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, April 29, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

Dar Global CEO: Saudi Arabia Emerges as One of the World’s Most Attractive Property Markets

As global investors reassess their priorities, Saudi Arabia has firmly positioned itself as one of the world’s most attractive real estate markets and among…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Business A woman uses a shovel to clear a footpath from now and ice on January 16, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland. (AFP)

Europeans Reeling as Trump Imposes Tariffs on 8 Countries Over Greenland Dispute

Europeans were reeling Sunday from US President Donald Trump's announcement that eight countries will face 10% tariff for opposing American control of…

Business Sisi during his meeting with the prime minister and the minister of petroleum on Saturday. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt to Launch First Nationwide Aerial Survey of Mineral Wealth in 40 Years

Egypt is preparing to launch its first comprehensive nationwide aerial survey of mineral resources in four decades, scheduled for the first quarter of this…

Sabry Nageh (Cairo)
Business Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino, from left, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Paraguay's President Santiago Pena, Argentina's President Javier Milei, Uruguay's President Yamandu Orsi and Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira, pose for a group photo during a meeting to sign a free trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

EU and Mercosur Sign Trade Deal after 25 Years of Negotiations

Top officials from the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur signed a free trade agreement on Saturday in Paraguay, ⁠paving the way for the European Union's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A military vessel HDMS Knud Rasmussen of the Royal Danish Navy docked in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Trump: 8 EU Countries will be Charged 10% Tariff for Opposing US Control of Greenland

President Donald Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations because of opposition to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILED - 23 January 2020, Switzerland, Davos: The World Economic Forum logo is displayed on a board during a plenary session. Photo: Ciaran McCrickard/World Economic Forum/dpa

High-Ranking Saudi Delegation to Attend World Economic Forum Meeting in Davos

A high-ranking Saudi delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah will participate in the World Economic Forum (WEF)…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: The Fitch Ratings logo is seen at their offices at Canary Wharf financial district in London,Britain, March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause/File Photo

Fitch Affirms Saudi Arabia’s Credit Rating at ‘A+’ with Stable Outlook

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Saudi Arabia’s sovereign credit rating at A+ with a stable outlook, according to a report issued by the agency on Friday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business The Nave Photon, carrying crude oil from Venezuela, is docked at Port Freeport in Freeport, Texas, US, January 15, 2026. REUTERS/Antranik Tavitian

Oil Prices Rise 1% as Supply Risks Remain in Focus

Oil prices rose over 1% on Friday as supply risks remained in focus despite the receding likelihood of a US military strike against Iran. Brent crude was…

Asharq Al Awsat