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 SAMA Uses Blockchain Technology for Money Transfer with Local Banks

SAMA Uses Blockchain Technology for Money Transfer with Local Banks

The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) has recently used blockchain technology to deposit part of the liquidity it announced to be injected into the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia to End Voluntary Cuts on Top of OPEC+ Pact

Saudi Arabia to End Voluntary Cuts on Top of OPEC+ Pact

Saudi Arabia will boost output in July to match its output OPEC quota while ending deeper, voluntary cuts amid signs of global demand recovering, Saudi Energy…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business World Bank Says Coronavirus to Shrink 2020 Global Output by 5.2%

World Bank Says Coronavirus to Shrink 2020 Global Output by 5.2%

The coronavirus will cause global economic output to contract by 5.2% in 2020, the World Bank said on Monday, warning that its latest forecasts would be…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lockheed Martin, TAQNIA Unveil Ground Satellite System in Saudi Arabia

Lockheed Martin, TAQNIA Unveil Ground Satellite System in Saudi Arabia

Lockheed Martin has announced it will establish a new ground system to control, manage and operate Saudi Arabia’s newly launched commercial communications…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Oil Prices Extend Gains on OPEC+ Cuts

Oil Prices Extend Gains on OPEC+ Cuts

Oil climbed on Monday after major producers agreed to extend a deal on record output cuts to the end of July and as China's crude imports hit an all-time high…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Int’l Crisis Group: Lebanon Needs Urgent Aid, Reform

Int’l Crisis Group: Lebanon Needs Urgent Aid, Reform

Lebanon needs urgent international help and long-demanded reforms to shield its people from their country's worst ever economic crunch, the International…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Index Record a 158-Point Increase

Saudi Index Record a 158-Point Increase

The Saudi index recorded an increase of 158-point last week, a 2.24 percent, driven by the positive atmosphere and general optimism after authorities resumed…

Shujaa al-Baqmi (Riyadh)
Business OPEC, Allies Agree to Extend Deep Output Cuts Through July

OPEC, Allies Agree to Extend Deep Output Cuts Through July

OPEC members, led by Saudi Arabia, and other key oil producers agreed Saturday to extend historic output cuts through July, as oil prices tentatively recover…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Syrian Pound Plummets as New US Sanctions Loom

Syrian Pound Plummets as New US Sanctions Loom

Syria's pound hit record lows on the black market Saturday trading at over 2,300 to the dollar, less than a third of its official value, traders said, ahead of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Arab Monetary Fund to Provide Loans to Morocco, Tunisia

Arab Monetary Fund to Provide Loans to Morocco, Tunisia

The Arab Monetary Fund has agreed to provide loans of USD211 million to Morocco and USD98 million to Tunisia to help the North African countries deal with the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business IMF Agrees on $5.2 Billion for Egypt as it Grapples with Virus

IMF Agrees on $5.2 Billion for Egypt as it Grapples with Virus

The International Monetary Fund said Friday it has reached an agreement with authorities in Egypt to allocate $5.2 billion to help the country cope with the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business G20 Pledges More than $21 Billion in Virus Fight

G20 Pledges More than $21 Billion in Virus Fight

The G20 has pledged more than $21 billion to fight the coronavirus pandemic, the group said early on Saturday. "The G20, with invited countries, has…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business In Iraq's Fields of Black Gold, Thousands Lose Livelihoods

In Iraq's Fields of Black Gold, Thousands Lose Livelihoods

Mohammed Haider, a security worker in Iraq's southern oilfields, thought he was safe after signing a new one-year contract to guard oil facilities. Three days…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Supports More than 4,000 Farmers

Saudi Arabia Supports More than 4,000 Farmers

Recent government data has shown the resilience of Saudi Arabia’s food system in facing the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic. The Kingdom’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Hotels in Egypt Implement Strict Safety Measures to Attract Tourists

Hotels in Egypt Implement Strict Safety Measures to Attract Tourists

Hotels in Egypt have implemented government safety measures to attract domestic tourists amid the new coronavirus crisis, hotel officials said. The strict…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Oil Rises as Traders Await OPEC+ Meeting

Oil Rises as Traders Await OPEC+ Meeting

Oil prices moved higher on Friday as traders await cues from an expected OPEC+ meeting where major oil producers will discuss whether to extend record…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  MEDports Association Studies Development Prospects amid COVID-19

MEDports Association Studies Development Prospects amid COVID-19

In view of the disruption generated by the COVID-19 pandemic on the maritime networks, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the MEDports Association co…

Business G20 Discusses Long-Term Vision for Digital Economy

G20 Discusses Long-Term Vision for Digital Economy

The G20 Digital Economy Taskforce (DETF) has held two days of consecutive virtual meetings to discuss a comprehensive approach to digital economy policymaking…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Morocco’s Agricultural Export Revenues Reach $1.75Bn

Morocco’s Agricultural Export Revenues Reach $1.75Bn

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Waters and Forests Aziz Akhannouch said Morocco’s agricultural exports have had revenues worth 17.5…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business Kuwait Gov't Says Determined to Pursue Corrupt Individuals

Kuwait Gov't Says Determined to Pursue Corrupt Individuals

Kuwait’s government is determined to crack down on every individual with relation to corruption cases regarding public funds, money laundering and human…

Merza al-Khuwaldi (Dammam)
Business Saudi, Russia Agree Oil Cuts Extension

Saudi, Russia Agree Oil Cuts Extension

Saudi Arabia and Russia have agreed a preliminary deal to extend existing record oil output cuts by one month while raising pressure on countries with poor…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Lebanese Money Changers Buy Dollars at Minimum 3,950 Pound Rate

Lebanese Money Changers Buy Dollars at Minimum 3,950 Pound Rate

Lebanese money changers said on Wednesday they would buy US dollars for a minimum of 3,950 Lebanese pounds and sell them at a maximum price of 4,000 pounds,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi Arabia Launches 3rd Shipping Lane in 2020

Saudi Arabia Launches 3rd Shipping Lane in 2020

Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday a strategy to develop its ports to ensure the flow of goods through supply chains. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani)…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business KSA: COVID-19, Declining Oil Prices Put Pressure On Contracting Market

KSA: COVID-19, Declining Oil Prices Put Pressure On Contracting Market

A Saudi government agency revealed that the local contracting market was witnessing a slowdown as a result of the decline of oil prices and the outbreak of…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)