Business

Bahraini Transport Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Each Country to Finance Its Share of Gulf Railway Project

Business A conceptual rendering of the Gulf railway interconnection project. (X)

Bahraini Transport Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Each Country to Finance Its Share of Gulf Railway Project

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states took a new step toward completing the railway interconnection project by signing the project's general…

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Manama)
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 Turkish Lira Slips as US Moves Closer to Sanctions Over S-400s

Turkish Lira Slips as US Moves Closer to Sanctions Over S-400s

Turkey’s lira slipped on Friday after US lawmakers included mandatory Turkish sanctions in a defense spending bill that moves Washington a step closer to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Yemen Shuts Exchange Firms in Aden as Currency Collapses

Yemen Shuts Exchange Firms in Aden as Currency Collapses

The Yemeni riyal witnessed a significant deterioration against foreign currencies prompting the Foreign Exchange Dealers Association in Aden to shut down all…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Business Wa’ed, Oqal to Collaborate on Start-up Investing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

Wa’ed, Oqal to Collaborate on Start-up Investing in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

Wa’ed, the entrepreneurship arm of Aramco, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with OQAL Angel Investors Network, the leading early-stage investor…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damam)
Business Turkish Inflation Hits 14% in November As Lira Plunges

Turkish Inflation Hits 14% in November As Lira Plunges

Turkey's annual inflation surged to 14.03% in November as the lira weakened, its highest since August 2019 and well above a 12.6% forecast, keeping up pressure…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business New Saudi Chambers of Commerce System to Raise Efficiency, Unlock Membership for Foreign Investors

New Saudi Chambers of Commerce System to Raise Efficiency, Unlock Membership for Foreign Investors

The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has introduced a new system to the Chambers of Commerce that is centered on raising business competitiveness and developing…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Aramco Says Pump Malfunction Behind Fuel Shortage in Jazan

Saudi Aramco Says Pump Malfunction Behind Fuel Shortage in Jazan

Saudi Aramco announced on Wednesday a malfunction in one of the pumps at the petroleum derivatives distribution station in Saudi Arabia’s southern region. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Dubai Receives First Israeli Commercial Flight

Dubai Receives First Israeli Commercial Flight

Dubai International Airport received its first inaugural flight from Tel Aviv on Tuesday, said the state news agency WAM on Wednesday. Israeli carrier…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business KSA, UAE, Bahrain Establish Advanced Digital Agencies to Manage Growth

KSA, UAE, Bahrain Establish Advanced Digital Agencies to Manage Growth

The Fletcher School at Tufts University, in partnership with Mastercard, announced on Tuesday the launch of the Digital Intelligence Index, which highlights…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Saudi Arabia: Real Estate Loans to Individuals Reach 73% in 10 Months

Saudi Arabia: Real Estate Loans to Individuals Reach 73% in 10 Months

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) said on Tuesday that private banks have provided nearly 97 percent of the value of real estate financing contracts to individuals…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business Blom Bank in Talks with Bahrain's ABC to Sell Egyptian Unit

Blom Bank in Talks with Bahrain's ABC to Sell Egyptian Unit

Lebanon’s Blom Bank has entered exclusive talks with Bahrain’s Bank ABC to potentially sell its ownership in Blom Bank Egypt, Blom Bank said in a statement on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia’s IoT Market to Exceed $3 Bln by 2023

Saudi Arabia’s IoT Market to Exceed $3 Bln by 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) market in Saudi Arabia is predicted to grow to a whopping SAR 11.6 billion ($3.1 billion) by 2023, according to a statement issued…

Iman Al Khataf (Dammam)
Business Saudi Arabia Mobilizes Research, Innovation Experts to Activate Circular Carbon Economy

Saudi Arabia Mobilizes Research, Innovation Experts to Activate Circular Carbon Economy

Scientists and experts in Saudi Arabia began working on the circular carbon economy, a strategy that was launched during the Saudi G2O summit in Riyadh and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Business Japan, Kuwait Reach Oil Storage Deal

Japan, Kuwait Reach Oil Storage Deal

Japan said on Tuesday it has reached a joint oil storage deal with state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) to lend it 3.14 million barrels (500,000 kiloliters)…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kuwait)
Business Iraq’s Total Oil Exports Average 2.7 Million Bpd in November

Iraq’s Total Oil Exports Average 2.7 Million Bpd in November

Iraqi oil exports fell to 2.709 million barrels per day in November, from 2.876 million bpd in the previous month, the oil ministry said on Tuesday. Exports…

Business Egypt Plans Big Rail Expansion, Nears Agreement with Bechtel

Egypt Plans Big Rail Expansion, Nears Agreement with Bechtel

Egypt is rushing ahead with plans for an expansion of its metro and railway networks and is near agreement with Bechtel Corp to implement Cairo’s sixth metro…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Wary Turks Aren't Buying Erdogan's Economic Promise Yet

Wary Turks Aren't Buying Erdogan's Economic Promise Yet

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s promise of a new economic era triggered a foreign-driven rally in the lira, but local investors have yet to be…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Integrated Saudi Financial System to Diversify Investment Tools in the Awqaf Sector

Integrated Saudi Financial System to Diversify Investment Tools in the Awqaf Sector

Recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on investment in Saudi Arabia’s Awqaf (Islamic endowments) has been detected after recording a sharp 20%…

Iman Al Khataf (Dammam)
Business UAE-Israeli Summit to Boost Cooperation in Digital Economy

UAE-Israeli Summit to Boost Cooperation in Digital Economy

The UAE is set to welcome the first Israeli technology delegation to the country at the landmark 40th edition of GITEX Technology Week, hosted at Dubai World…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Jordan's Draft 2021 Budget Projects 2.5% Growth

Jordan's Draft 2021 Budget Projects 2.5% Growth

Jordan's draft 2021 budget forecasts JOD9.9 billion (USD14 billion) in state expenditure and economic growth of 2.5 percent after the COVID-19 pandemic caused…

Asharq Al Awsat (Amman)
Business World Bank Sees Lebanon in Prolonged Depression, -19.2% Growth in 2020

World Bank Sees Lebanon in Prolonged Depression, -19.2% Growth in 2020

Lebanon’s economy faces an “arduous and prolonged depression,” with real GPD projected to plunge by nearly 20% because its politicians refuse to implement…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Aramco Announces Expansion of its Flagship Localization Program

Aramco Announces Expansion of its Flagship Localization Program

Saudi Aramco announced on Monday the expansion of its flagship program to increase local content and boost domestic supply chains. It is a significant…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dhahran)
Business Algeria to Allow Some Domestic Flights to Resume

Algeria to Allow Some Domestic Flights to Resume

Algeria will allow some domestic flights to resume from Dec. 6, the government said on Monday, as authorities seek to ease the financial impact of coronavirus…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Tunisian Central Bank Keeps Key Rate Unchanged at 6.25%

Tunisian Central Bank Keeps Key Rate Unchanged at 6.25%

Tunisia’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 6.25% on Monday, the bank said. The bank had cut its key interest rate in October by 50 basis…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Sudan Inflation Soars, Threatens Hyperinflation

Sudan Inflation Soars, Threatens Hyperinflation

Inflation in Sudan has risen to one of the highest levels in the world, and the country risks slipping into hyperinflation unless it gets its budget deficit…

Asharq Al Awsat (Khartoum)