Business

Dammam Airport Launches Saudi Arabia’s First Category III Automatic Landing System  

Business Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Region, inaugurates the General Aviation Terminal and the upgraded automatic landing system at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. (SPA)

Dammam Airport Launches Saudi Arabia’s First Category III Automatic Landing System  

Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Region, inaugurated on Monday two major aviation projects at King Fahd International…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dammam)
Business The Minister of Municipalities and Housing addresses attendees during the government press conference (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

Saudi Arabia to Launch Real Estate Indicators, Expand ‘Market Balance’ Program Nationwide

Saudi Arabia will roll out real estate market indicators in the first quarter of this year and expand the Real Estate Market Balance program to all regions of…

Bandar al-Mosalam
Business Oil tankers are seen at a terminal of Sinopec Yaogang oil depot in Nantong, Jiangsu province, China (Reuters) 

China's Russian Oil Imports to Hit New Record in February as India Cuts Back

China's Russian oil imports are set to climb for a third straight month to a new record high in February as independent refiners snapped up deeply discounted…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The lease allows Chevron to lead the search for gas in four deep-sea blocks, south of the Peloponnese peninsula and the island of Crete (AFP)

Greece… Chevron’s Gateway to Strengthening Europe’s Energy Security

A consortium led by US oil major Chevron signed exclusive lease agreements on Monday to look for natural gas off southern Greece, expanding the United States'…

Asharq Al Awsat

Business Traders watch a screen at the Saudi stock market. (Reuters)

Saudi Stock Market Opens Its Doors to Direct Foreign Investment

When trading opened on this Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange marked more than the start of a routine session. The day signaled a pivotal shift in the…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business The Egyptian president during his meeting with his Angolan counterpart in Guinea last July (Egyptian Presidency).

Egypt Eyes Role for Its Companies in Angola’s Lobito Development Corridor

Cairo is seeking a role for Egyptian companies in projects to be implemented under Angola’s Lobito Development Corridor, while also coordinating to convene the…

Walid Abdulrahman (Cairo)
Business FILE PHOTO: Representation of Bitcoin cryptocurrency in this illustration taken September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Bitcoin Falls Below $80,000, Continuing Decline as Liquidity Worries Mount

Bitcoin, the world's largest cryptocurrency by market value, was down by 6.53% at $78,719.63 at 12:48 p.m. ET (1748 GMT) on Saturday, continuing its decline…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Oil rigs are pictured in Cabimas, south of Lake Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, on January 31, 2026. (Photo by Maryorin Mendez / AFP)

Trump Says India Will Buy Oil from Venezuela, Not Iran

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said India will buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed to purchasing oil from Iran. "We've already made that deal, the concept…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People walk past the Brandenburg Gate as winter weather covers the city, in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Number of Unemployed in Germany Reaches 12-year High

The number of unemployed people in Germany has hit a 12-year high, surpassing the 3 million ⁠mark, while inflation moved back above the European Central Bank's…

Asharq Al Awsat (Berlin)
Business FILE PHOTO: Chinese 100 yuan banknotes are seen in this picture illustration created in Shanghai on January 17 , 2011. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

China Sees First Fiscal Revenue Drop Since 2020

China's fiscal revenue fell 1.7% in 2025 from a year earlier, the finance ministry said on Friday, the first contraction since 2020 as a protracted property…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A view shows a pressure gauge near oil pump jacks outside Almetyevsk, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia July 14, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer

Oil Edges Lower after Trump Signals Dialogue with Iran over Nuclear Program

Oil prices slipped on Friday on signs that the US may engage in dialogue with Iran over its nuclear program, reducing concern over potential supply disruptions…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Syria's electricity infrastructure was hammered by years of civil war © LOUAI BESHARA / AFP

Syrians Decry Soaring Electricity Prices

When Hani Massalkhi went to pay his electricity bill in Damascus this week, he discovered that, under the new tariffs, the amount due was higher than his…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gold and silver ingots at the Austrian "Ogussa" factory in Vienna (Reuters)

Gold Tumbles Below $5,000, Dragging other Metals Lower

Gold prices tumbled by more than 7% to break below the $5,000 mark on Friday as the dollar strengthened on the imminent appointment of a new US Federal Reserve…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People trade on their smartphones inside the Taiwan Stock Exchange office in Taipei, Taiwan, 05 January 2026.   EPA/RITCHIE B. TONGO

US Futures Fall and World Shares are Mixed as Markets Await Trump's Word on Replacing Fed Chief

US futures dropped while European shares opened higher on Friday after markets retreated in Asia ahead of a possible announcement by US President Donald Trump…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A vessel carrying an export shipment departs Jazan Port (SPA). 

Jazan Port: Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Gateway to Horn of Africa

Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to transform Jazan Port in the Kingdom’s south from a regional maritime hub into a global logistics artery linking…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Jihad Azour, Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, speaks during one of the conference sessions last year (Asharq Al-Awsat)

IMF Reaffirms Confidence in Emerging Markets ahead of AlUla Conference

The International Monetary Fund said emerging economies are showing exceptional resilience in the face of global volatility, as it cast the upcoming AlUla…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon January 12, 2023. (Reuters)

Germany to Confiscate Property Seized in Lebanon Ex-central Bank Chief Probe

German prosecutors have applied to a court to confiscate some 35 million euros ($42 million) worth of property they had seized in a money laundering…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A pump jack operates near a gas turbine power plant in the Permian Basin oil field outside of Odessa, Texas, US February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Eli Hartman

Oil Jumps on Trump's Iran Threat

Gold soared to a fresh record near $5,600 on Thursday and oil prices climbed after US President Donald Trump ramped up geopolitical tensions with threats of a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi capital (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia Concludes Privatization Program

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) has approved the conclusion of the Kingdom’s Privatization Program after its implementation…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Gold bars with Chinese characters reading “Fortune Gold” are seen at a gold shop in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on January 26, 2026.  (Photo by AFP) / China OUT

Gold Eyes $5,600 on Flight to Safety; Silver Tops $120

Gold marched ahead on Thursday, hovering just shy of $5,600 an ounce as investors rushed into safe havens amid geopolitical and economic unease, while silver…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of the franchising roadshows organized by the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises to support entrepreneurs (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Exempts High-Growth Sectors from Franchise Experience Rule

Saudi Arabia will allow selected high-growth and innovative sectors to offer franchises without meeting a long-standing operational experience requirement, in…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an event at Carnegie Mellon Auditorium, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP)

Bessent Says Disappointed by EU-India Deal; South Korea Must Ratify Trade Deal

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday he was disappointed by Europe's decision to strike a major trade agreement with India, saying it showed…

Business This photograph shows the Amazon logo displayed outside of an Amazon Fresh grocery store in Torrance, California on July 29, 2025. (AFP)

Amazon to Cut 16,000 Jobs Worldwide

US online retail and cloud computing giant Amazon said Wednesday that it would be cutting 16,000 jobs worldwide as part of a restructuring, as it focuses…

Business The conference was held under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and organized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. (SPA)

Global Labor Market Conference Concludes in Riyadh with Signing of 90 Agreements

The third annual Global Labor Market Conference (GLMC 2026) concluded in Riyadh on Tuesday with the signing of 90 agreements between government entities and…

Business US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. (Reuters)

Dollar Struggles to Recover from Losses After Trump Comments

The dollar struggled to bounce back Wednesday following another selloff fuelled by Donald Trump's suggestion he was happy with the currency's recent decline,…

Business A man walks past a mural depicting an oil pumpjack on a Venezuelan flag in Caracas on January 15, 2026. (AFP)

PetroChina Holds Off from Buying Venezuelan Oil

State-owned PetroChina has told its traders not to buy or trade Venezuelan crude since Washington ​took control of the OPEC producer's oil exports this month,…

Business Beirut's skyline as seen from Mansourieh, Lebanon. (Reuters file)

World Bank Approves $200 Million to Help Lebanon’s Vulnerable

The World Bank said ​on Tuesday it had approved $200 million in new financing to assist Lebanon in meeting the basic needs of the poor and vulnerable as the…

Business A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold Rises as Investors Seek Safety amid US Policy Jitters

Gold climbed on Tuesday, hovering just shy of the $5,100-per-ounce mark breached for the first time in the previous session, as uncertainty around US President…

Asharq Al Awsat