Business

US Stocks Dip on Mixed Earnings as Markets Monitor Iran

Business A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York on March 24, 2026.  (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

US Stocks Dip on Mixed Earnings as Markets Monitor Iran

Wall Street stocks retreated from records early Thursday as markets digested a trove of mixed earnings reports and monitored the latest dynamics between the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters

What Does the Inclusion of Saudi Bonds in the J.P. Morgan Index Mean?

Saudi Arabia’s debt market is set for a strategic shift in early 2027, following J.P. Morgan’s announcement that local-currency bonds will be included in its…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)

S&P Warns African Sovereign Credit Rating Risks Likely to Worsen

S&P Global Ratings warned on Thursday that the risks to African sovereign credit scores were likely to worsen the longer the Middle East war drags on. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Gold Slips on Inflation Concerns as High Oil Prices and Stronger Dollar Weigh

Gold prices fell on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar and elevated oil prices that stoked inflation worries, as investors tried to assess the conflict…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Skyscrapers in London's financial district (Reuters)

UK Budget Deficit for 2025/26 Narrows to Six-year Low

Britain's budget deficit for the last financial year narrowed to a six-year low as a percentage of economic output although borrowing for March alone exceeded…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)

Business The fund financed agricultural projects worth 7.1 million dollars to support afforestation and expand vegetation cover. SPA

Saudi Fund Injects $1.7 Bn to Boost Food Security

Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund is stepping up efforts to bolster food security and sustain the Kingdom’s agricultural sector, raising self…

Saeed al-Abyad (Riyadh)
Business A British Airways plane takes off from Milan Linate airport northern Italy, on April 7, 2026. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)

IATA Chief: Jet Fuel Supply Could Take Months to Recover after Hormuz Reopening

The head of a body representing global airlines said on Wednesday that even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz it would take months for jet fuel supply to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A portrait of George Washington is displayed on a stack of US one-dollar bills in Dallas, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Dollar Drops as Iran Ceasefire Prompts risk-on Turn for Markets

The dollar sank to its lowest level in a month while the euro, yen, Aussie and sterling rallied hard in Asian trading on Wednesday after US President Donald…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Türkiye’s Ziraat Bank tower is seen in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 16, 2018. (Reuters)

Türkiye, Syria Step Up Banking Ties as Lenders Eye Expansion

Türkiye and Syria are accelerating cooperation between their central banks, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Tuesday, adding that Syria’s central bank…

Business Travelers cross from Iran into Türkiye at the Kapikoy border crossing in eastern Van province, Türkiye, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP)

Türkiye Not Facing Energy Security Problem Amid War but Situation ‘Volatile’

Türkiye is not ‌facing any problems regarding energy supply security due to the Iran war, but the situation is "volatile", Energy Minister Alparslan…

Business A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (SPA file)

SME Financing Moves to the Core of Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Economy

In a sign of a deep shift in the structure of financing within Saudi Arabia’s economy, and reflecting the goals of Vision 2030 to diversify the production base…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)
Business  Bassem Abdul Karim, director general of the state-run Basra Oil Company (BOC), speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Basra, Iraq, April 6, 2026. (Reuters)

Iraq Could Restore Oil Exports to Pre-War Level within a Week if Hormuz Reopens, Basra Oil Chief Says

Iraq could restore crude oil exports to around 3.4 million barrels per day within a week provided the Iran war ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the head…

Business AirAsia planes stand on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) in Sepang, Malaysia, January 21, 2026. (Reuters)

Asian Airlines Trim Schedules and Carry Extra Fuel as Supplies Tighten

Airlines across Asia are cutting flights, carrying extra fuel from home airports and adding refueling stops as the Middle East conflict squeezes jet fuel…

Business Chinese President Xi Jinping. (AFP file)

China’s Xi Urges Faster Development of New Energy System as Middle East War Continues

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for accelerated planning and construction of a new energy system to safeguard the country's energy security, weeks into…

Business A vendor displays gold bracelets at a shop in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul (AFP)

Gold Ticks Down as Trump's Iran Deadline Keeps Markets Cautious

Gold ticked down on Tuesday as investors stayed cautious ahead of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Spot…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, US, September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

IMF: Middle East War Means 'All Roads' Lead to Higher Prices, Slower Growth

The war in the Middle East will lead to higher inflation and slower global growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund told Reuters on Monday, ahead of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo

Oil Prices Rally, Stocks Mixed after Trump's Latest Iran Threat

Oil prices rose Tuesday while equities were mixed as investors assessed Donald Trump's latest deadline for Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz or be …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Iraq Could Restore Oil Exports to Pre-war Level within a Week if Hormuz Reopens, Basra Oil Chief Says

Iraq could restore crude oil exports to around 3.4 million barrels per day within a week provided the Iran war ends and the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the head…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gold jewelry in a Korean gold exchange store in Seoul (AFP)

Gold Holds Nearly Steady with Focus on US-Iran Tensions

Gold prices were nearly steady on Monday, as market participants stayed cautious and awaited further signals on the evolving US-Iran situation and its impact…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag near the main stadium during preparations for the FIFA Club World Cup in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Morocco Launches Financial Futures Trading with Contract on MASI 20 Index  

Morocco on Monday began futures trading in financial instruments with its first listing of a standard futures contract on the MASI 20 equity index, the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A dog looks out of a car window next to signs on empty fuel dispensers at a Shell petrol station that ran out of fuel, in Sydney, Australia, March 30, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo

Oil Prices Fall on US-Iran Receiving Peace Proposal

Oil prices fell more than $2 in choppy trade on Monday, as investors awaited clarity on the status of talks between the US and Iran and remained wary about…

Asharq Al Awsat Asharq Al Awsat
Business US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Dollar Steady as Traders Weigh Escalating Iran War, Ceasefire Hopes

The dollar was steady on Monday, while the yen flirted with the crucial 160 per dollar level, as nervous investors took stock of the escalating Iran war, with…

Business The Federal Reserve building in Washington. (Reuters)

Citigroup Pushes Back Fed Rate Cut Timeline After Strong Job Numbers

Citigroup ‌has pushed back its Fed rate-cut timeline, citing unexpectedly strong US job gains and persistent inflation risks. The Wall Street brokerage…

Business A view of the annual Local Content Award ceremony organized by the authority (SPA) 

Saudi Local Content Drive Gains Momentum, with Spending, Investment Opportunities Exceeding $352 billion

Saudi Arabia’s push to boost local content gathered pace between 2019 and 2023, with cumulative corporate procurement spending reaching about SAR 683 billion (…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A man fills up his car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

South Korea's Lee Says Country Must Balance Risk as Hormuz Disruptions Threaten Oil Supplies

South Korea must accept a degree of risk in importing crude oil from the Middle East amid blockages of the Strait of Hormuz, President Lee Jae Myung said on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An Iraqi petroleum products tanker (Iraqi News Agency) 

Pessimism Grows over Iraq’s Prospects for Resuming Oil Exports

A growing number of Iraqi oil and economic experts are voicing pessimism about the country’s ability to resume crude exports via the Gulf and the Strait of…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Business A worker collects engine oil as he works at a degassing station in Zubair oil field, near Basra, Iraq, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Iraq’s SOMO Urges Customers to Send Oil Loading Plans after Hormuz Exemption

Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO has asked its customers to submit crude oil lifting schedules within 24 hours, a document reviewed by Reuters showed, following…

Business FILE PHOTO: A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and a 3D printed oil pipeline are seen in this illustration taken March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo

More Indian-flagged LPG Ships Exit the Gulf

Two more Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers, Green Asha and Green Sanvi, have exited the Gulf carrying the fuel for the South Asian nation,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This photograph shows the entrance to the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris on March 11, 2026. (AFP)

IEA Hails Saudi Arabia’s ‘Rapid Response’ to Strait of Hormuz Crisis

Countries must resist the urge to hoard oil and fuel during the energy crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran, head of the International Energy Agency…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris)