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 French Consumer Confidence Drops in July as COVID-19 Cases Flare

French Consumer Confidence Drops in July as COVID-19 Cases Flare

French consumer confidence unexpectedly dropped in July amid signs of a rebound in COVID-19 infections, as fears about unemployment remained high and people…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Budget Revenues Hit $89Bn in H1 2020

Saudi Budget Revenues Hit $89Bn in H1 2020

Saudi Arabia posted a deficit of SAR109.2 billion ($29.12 billion) in the second quarter this year as low oil prices hurt revenues, a finance ministry report…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business ‘Bashrush,’ a New Gas Field in Egypt

‘Bashrush,’ a New Gas Field in Egypt

Eni and partners BP and Total have discovered gas and condensate in the Bashrush prospect, 11 km offshore Egypt. The well had found 102 meters of net gas…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Lebanon Moody’s Rating Cut to Same Grade as Venezuela

Lebanon Moody’s Rating Cut to Same Grade as Venezuela

Lebanon had its rating cut to the lowest grade by Moody’s Investors Service, which said that bond investors will likely suffer major losses on their holdings…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business Harley-Davidson Reboots Business as Coronavirus Hammers Earnings

Harley-Davidson Reboots Business as Coronavirus Hammers Earnings

Harley-Davidson Inc (HOG.N) on Tuesday revealed a strategy to restructure its business after reporting an unexpected quarterly loss due to disruptions caused…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Technical License for ‘Arab Common Market for Electricity’ Agreement

Technical License for ‘Arab Common Market for Electricity’ Agreement

The Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity has approved in its extraordinary session held Monday via videoconference on the “General Agreement,” and the …

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Gold Down After Hitting New High, Equities Mixed as Virus Spreads

Gold Down After Hitting New High, Equities Mixed as Virus Spreads

Gold briefly chalked up another record Tuesday before easing later in the day as the dollar clawed back earlier losses, while equity markets struggled to hold…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Chinese Airlines Offer Unlimited Flights to Revive Industry

Chinese Airlines Offer Unlimited Flights to Revive Industry

China Southern on Tuesday became the latest Chinese airline to offer ultra-cheap, all-you-can-fly deals aimed at reigniting air travel following coronavirus…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Nissan Forecasts Record $4.5 Billion Annual Loss as Pandemic Hinders Turnaround Efforts

Nissan Forecasts Record $4.5 Billion Annual Loss as Pandemic Hinders Turnaround Efforts

Nissan Motor Co forecast on Tuesday its biggest-ever annual operating loss and said it expects vehicle sales to tumble 16% as the coronavirus pandemic hampers…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business France to Reconsider Fourth Terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

France to Reconsider Fourth Terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport

The French government will reconsider plans to build a fourth terminal at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport because of the coronavirus crisis, Transport Minister…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Algeria Suspends Tax Payments for Firms Affected by Coronavirus

Algeria Suspends Tax Payments for Firms Affected by Coronavirus

Algeria’s government, aiming to ease the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on state and private firms, will freeze the payment of taxes, the finance ministry…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business ADNOC Reveals New Chinese Partner

ADNOC Reveals New Chinese Partner

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, announced on Monday its agreement to the transfer of rights in its Lower Zakum and Umm Shaif and Nasr offshore…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)
Business Royal Decree Gives King Salman Authority over General Auditing Bureau, Grants it Financial Independence

Royal Decree Gives King Salman Authority over General Auditing Bureau, Grants it Financial Independence

A Royal Decree approved on Monday a cabinet decision that brings in the General Auditing Bureau (GAB) under the authority of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Uncertainty Pushes Gold Price to Record, Over $1,930 per Oz

Uncertainty Pushes Gold Price to Record, Over $1,930 per Oz

The price of gold surged to a record above $1,934 per ounce on Monday as investors moved money into an asset seen as a safe haven amid jitters about U.S…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Spends USD125 Bn in First Half of 2020

Saudi Arabia Spends USD125 Bn in First Half of 2020

Saudi Arabia spent SAR468 billion (USD125 billion) during the first half of 2020, according to a statistical document obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat. Total…

Mohammed al-Hamidi (Riyadh)
Business German Business Morale Brightens Further in July - Ifo

German Business Morale Brightens Further in July - Ifo

German business morale improved further in July after posting a record increase in June, a survey showed on Monday, suggesting that firms expect Europe's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Ryanair Q1 Loss Smaller Than Expected, Wary of COVID Second Wave

Ryanair Q1 Loss Smaller Than Expected, Wary of COVID Second Wave

Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, reported a narrower than expected loss in its fiscal first quarter on Monday and said it was impossible to say…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business UAE, International Partners Consortium to Develop World's Largest Solar Power Plant

UAE, International Partners Consortium to Develop World's Largest Solar Power Plant

The Emirates Water and Electricity Company, EWEC announced the award for the world’s largest solar power plant in Abu Dhabi which went to a consortium led by…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dahbi )
Business Customs: Saudi Became Top Oil Supplier to China in June

Customs: Saudi Became Top Oil Supplier to China in June

China's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rose 15% in June from a year ago, as refiners ordered record volumes of the fuel in March and April when oil prices…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business Saudi Energy Ministry Underlines Joint Cooperation with NEOM

Saudi Energy Ministry Underlines Joint Cooperation with NEOM

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman revealed Saturday that efforts are continuing to be poured into cooperation with NEOM to achieve national…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Stock to Trade for 3 Days before Eid al-Adha Holiday

Saudi Stock to Trade for 3 Days before Eid al-Adha Holiday

The Saudi stock entered the last week of trading before closing for the Eid al-Adha holiday, which falls at the end of the week, amid optimism that the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business UAE Launches Young Economist Program

UAE Launches Young Economist Program

The United Arab Emirates launched on Saturday the Young Economist Program, the first-of-its-kind in the Arab world that aims to train young people to become…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Egypt Launches Initiative to Encourage Buying of Local Products

Egypt Launches Initiative to Encourage Buying of Local Products

Egypt launched an initiative to stimulate consumption and encourage demand for local products to help citizens of limited income, which will ease the impact of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Jordan's Arab Bank Group Reports 66% Drop in H1 Net Profits

Jordan's Arab Bank Group Reports 66% Drop in H1 Net Profits

Jordan’s largest lender, Arab Bank Group, reported on Saturday a 66% year-on-year drop in first-half net profit to $152.1 million as it set aside more money to…

Asharq Al Awsat