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 Istanbul Municipality Says Hikes Public Transport Prices by 35%

Istanbul Municipality Says Hikes Public Transport Prices by 35%

Istanbul’s municipality said it was hiking the price of public transport by 35% as of Monday to alleviate transport sector losses, in a move which will likely…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business IMF: Oil Price Decline Represents Key Challenge to GCC Countries

IMF: Oil Price Decline Represents Key Challenge to GCC Countries

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said analysis of past oil market developments revealed “a strong and sustained declining trend in the global oil demand,…

Atef Abdullatif (Washington)
Business Pre-feasibility Study on Use of Hyperloop Technology in Saudi Arabia

Pre-feasibility Study on Use of Hyperloop Technology in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Ministry of Transport (MoT) announced on Thursday a contract agreement with Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO). VHO will conduct a groundbreaking pre…

Saleh al-Zaid (Riyadh)
Business Oil Rises on Likely OPEC+ Output Cuts

Oil Rises on Likely OPEC+ Output Cuts

Oil prices edged higher on Friday after Russia said it would support a recommendation for OPEC and other producers to cut their output further amid falling…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lebanon: Salameh Expects Economic Situation to Improve by Mid-2020

Lebanon: Salameh Expects Economic Situation to Improve by Mid-2020

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh said that the current crisis was not financial and economic, but came against internal and external political backdrops. He…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business World Food Prices Rise for 4th Month Running- FAO

World Food Prices Rise for 4th Month Running- FAO

World food prices rose for the fourth month running in January, boosted by jumps in quotations for vegetable oils, sugar, and wheat, the United Nations food…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Agreement Opens US Market to Morocco’s Raspberries

Agreement Opens US Market to Morocco’s Raspberries

Morocco and the United States have reached an agreement that opens for the first time the US market to Morocco’s raspberries. The agreement was signed…

Lahcen Mokena (Casablanca)
Business SAMA Governor Confirms Need for a Safe Cyberspace

SAMA Governor Confirms Need for a Safe Cyberspace

Ahmed Alkholifey, the governor of the Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority (SAMA), stressed the need to create a strong financial system which includes a safer and…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Business Oil Rises For Second Day as OPEC+ Takes Action Against Coronavirus

Oil Rises For Second Day as OPEC+ Takes Action Against Coronavirus

Oil futures rose for a second day in a row on Thursday under the effect of potential OPEC+ measure to counter oil demand loss from the coronavirus outbreak. …

Business New Development Program for Morocco’s Agadir

New Development Program for Morocco’s Agadir

Morocco has unveiled a new program worth MAD6 billion (USD632 million) to develop the coastal city of Agadir. Morocco's King Mohammed VI led the signing of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rabat)
Business Saudi Arabia’s Future Projects Forum Showcases $160 Billion-Worth Projects

Saudi Arabia’s Future Projects Forum Showcases $160 Billion-Worth Projects

The Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA) will stage its second Future Projects Forum (FPF), the largest gathering for the building sector in the Kingdom, in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Tunisia's Nawara Gas Field Starts Production

Tunisia's Nawara Gas Field Starts Production

Tunisia’s Nawara natural gas field started production on Wednesday, and it will increase national gas output by 50%, prime minister Youssef Chahed said. The…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tunis)
Business Record Year for Morocco Tourism with 13 Million Visitors

Record Year for Morocco Tourism with 13 Million Visitors

A record 13 million tourists visited Morocco in 2019, up 5.2 percent from the previous year, official figures showed Wednesday. The number includes…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Bahrain’s Economy to Grow 2.7%

Bahrain’s Economy to Grow 2.7%

Bahrain’s economy is expected to record a 2.7 percent growth in 2020 driven by an increase in the non-oil sector which is also expected to grow 3.1 percent,…

Obaid al-Suheimy (Manama)
Business Tunisia’s Olive Oil Exports Hit 60,000 Tons Despite Crisis

Tunisia’s Olive Oil Exports Hit 60,000 Tons Despite Crisis

Tunisia exported nearly 60 thousand tons of olive oil by the end of last January, most of which were sent to European markets, followed by the US, and 60 other…

Al Mongi Al Saidani (Tunis)
Business Dubai Airport Posts First Annual Fall in Traffic in 2019

Dubai Airport Posts First Annual Fall in Traffic in 2019

Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travelers, handled 86.4 million passengers in 2019, dropping 3.1% from the previous…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Iraq, Kurdistan Agree on Erbil’s Contribution to 2020 Budget

Iraq, Kurdistan Agree on Erbil’s Contribution to 2020 Budget

The government of Iraq and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan have reached an agreement on Erbil’s contribution to the 2020 federal budget, state news…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Oil Prices Climb as OPEC+ Weighs Output Cuts to Cushion Coronavirus Impact

Oil Prices Climb as OPEC+ Weighs Output Cuts to Cushion Coronavirus Impact

Oil prices climbed more than 1 percent on Wednesday, boosted by news that OPEC and its producer allies are weighing further output cuts to counter a potential…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Iraq Says Monitoring Impact of China's Virus on Oil Demand

Iraq Says Monitoring Impact of China's Virus on Oil Demand

Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest oil producer, is closely monitoring the impact of China's new coronavirus on global oil demand, particularly in Asia, Iraq Oil…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Lebanon Studies Eurobond Decision as Due Date Nears

Lebanon Studies Eurobond Decision as Due Date Nears

Lebanon's cash-strapped authorities are struggling to decide what to do about a $1.2 billion Eurobond maturing in March but are leaning towards repayment for…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business Maroc Telecom Accused of Violating Rules of Competition

Maroc Telecom Accused of Violating Rules of Competition

Morocco’s National Agency of Telecommunications Regulation (ANRT) has issued its decision in the dispute between telecom operators over access to the local…

Lahcen Mokena (Casablanca)
Business Revenues of Libya’s Ports Decline Due to Unrest

Revenues of Libya’s Ports Decline Due to Unrest

Libya’s commercial seaports have been affected by the ongoing conflict in the country and their revenues have largely declined. Like many other Libyan…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Business Kremlin: Putin in Close Contact With Saudi Arabia to Maintain Global Oil Market Stability

Kremlin: Putin in Close Contact With Saudi Arabia to Maintain Global Oil Market Stability

The spokesman for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, said on Monday that President Vladimir Putin was closely communicating with the Saudi leadership,…

Mohammed Al-Ayed (Riyadh)
Business ADPower Takes Control of TAQA in Asset Swap

ADPower Takes Control of TAQA in Asset Swap

The board of the Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (ADPower), a public joint-stock company that owns most of the water and electricity assets across the Emirate, has…

Asharq Al Awsat (Abu Dhabi)