Business

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Business Officials from the General Organization for Social Insurance at an earlier meeting with businessmen and businesswomen at the Riyadh Chamber (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Offers 100% Social Insurance Debt Waiver to Businesses That Have Exited Market

Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) has made businesses that have ceased operations and exited the Saudi market eligible for a 100%…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A general view shows Ras Tanura's oil production plant near Dammam in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province (AFP)

From Aramco's Profits to State Budget Revenue: How Do Oil Proceeds Reach Government Coffers?

Saudi Aramco's financial results and Saudi Arabia's third-quarter budget performance report, released on the same day, revealed a divergence between the…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Representation of cryptocurrencies are seen in this illustration taken September 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Crypto Dips on Democrat Midterm Wins, Binance Hack Dents Optimism

Cryptocurrencies briefly dipped on Wednesday as Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and House in the US midterm elections, a potential blow to an…

Business A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Images file)

Saudi Non-Oil Sector Expands for Seventh Straight Month

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector continued to expand in October, with business activity and output growth accelerating despite a decline in the Riyad Bank…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business  A general view of Riyadh city during the early hour of evening at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Growth in Non-Oil Revenue Bolsters Saudi Budget Resilience

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenue surpassed oil revenue in the third quarter of 2026 for the first time since 2020, highlighting progress in diversifying…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)

Business General view of the Kingdom Tower in downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 12, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS

Al-Jadaan: Saudi Investments in Alternative Routes Ensure Continuity of Energy Supplies and Trade

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said the Kingdom’s investments in alternative routes have helped ensure the continuity of energy supplies and trade…

Asharq Al Awsat (Bangkok)
Business Employees working on computers (National Cybersecurity Authority). 

Saudi Cybersecurity Market Tops $4.3 Billion in 2025

Saudi Arabia’s cybersecurity market reached SAR 16.3 billion ($4.3 billion) in 2025, recording a compound annual growth rate of 10.7% over the past three years…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Sarah Breeden during the Bank of England financial stability report press conference, at the Bank of England, London. Picture date: Tuesday July 7, 2026. Doug Peters/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Bank of England's Breeden: Cost-cutting by Firms Helping Central Bank

Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden said on Thursday that cost-cutting by UK companies in response to the energy price shock caused by the Iran war…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) attends a press conference at the IMF/World Bank 2026 Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., US, April 16, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

IMF Expects Middle East Economies to Rebound to 6.6% Growth in 2027

The International Monetary Fund expects the economies of the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan to rebound to growth of 6.6 percent in 2027, following a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Bangkok)
Business Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale at a gold shop in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar (AFP)

Gold Rebounds from One-week Low as Dollar Slips

Gold prices climbed 1% on Thursday, rebounding from a one-week low hit in the previous session as the US dollar eased, while investors assessed the likelihood…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, DC, US, November 24, 2024. (Reuters)

IMF Plans Mission to Lebanon in November

IMF officials held good discussions with Lebanese authorities this week that will continue in coming weeks, with ‌IMF staff ‌to visit ‌the …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Oil storage tanks and facilities of a Sinopec plant in Shanghai, China, March 26, 2026.  REUTERS/Go Nakamura/File Photo

Oil Prices Retreat as Investors Weigh Supply Outlook, Middle East Tensions

Oil prices fell more than 1% on Thursday as investors weighed risks to supply from attacks on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz against US efforts to cut…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

Saudi E-commerce Registrations Rise 25% in Q3 2026

Saudi Arabia’s active e-commerce commercial registrations increased by 25 percent year-on-year by the end of the third quarter of 2026, according to the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a press briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group in Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026. (EPA)

IMF Chief Urges US and Wealthy Nations to Rein in Debt to Ease Global Economic Pressure

The US and other wealthy nations need to urgently tackle mounting global debt levels that are weighing most heavily on low-income countries and straining the…

Business Containers lined up at a Saudi port (SPA)

Unified Trade, Export Body to Expand Saudi Products’ Global Reach

The decision to merge the General Authority for Foreign Trade and the Saudi Export Development Authority into a single body, the General Authority for Foreign…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business A technician monitors TAQA’s field operations. (Company handout)

Saudi TAQA Expands Int’l Reach From Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan to Syria

Saudi Arabia’s Industrialization and Energy Services Company (TAQA) is expanding in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Syria as it develops the well solutions and…

Dana Aldrees (Riyadh)
Business File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT

Saudi Arabia Issues 438 Industrial Licenses Worth $1.28 Billion in July

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources issued 438 new industrial licenses in July 2026, representing investments of approximately SAR 4.82…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi - SPA

GCC Chief Emphasizes Gulf Integration, Diversified Partnerships at IMF MENAP Meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi underscored that GCC economies have demonstrated strong resilience against global economic…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Turkish Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan speaks during a press conference in Istanbul, Türkiye, February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

Turkish Cenbank Says to Maintain Tight Monetary Stance Till Price Stability

Turkish Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan on Wednesday said the bank would maintain its tight monetary policy until price stability is achieved. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A woman carries grocery bags in Beirut amid continued price increases (Reuters)

Lebanon’s Deepening Cost-of-Living Crisis Raises Fears of Unrest

Lebanon’s worsening cost-of-living crisis and widening poverty are threatening to erase the country’s fragile economic recovery, raising fears of social unrest…

Ali Zeineddine (Beirut)
Business IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva gestures during the Managing Director briefing on the Global Policy Agenda during the 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 14, 2026. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP)

IMF: Saudi Attacks Could Have Negative Spillover 'Everywhere'

International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday that recent attacks on Saudi Arabia could impact people "everywhere” as "the Saudi economy…

Asharq Al Awsat (Bangkok)
Business A snipers team provides security as US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, on October 13, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP)

Taiwan Says Will Invest Up to US$4.4 bn in Alaska Gas Project

Taiwan said Wednesday it will inject up to US$4.4 billion in the Alaska LNG project, after US President Donald Trump announced the island's investment in the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An oil tanker at Ras Al-Khair port, north of Dammam, in 2019. REUTERS

Saudi Arabia Drives September Surge in OPEC+ Output Despite Iran War Disruptions

OPEC+ crude output surged in September as Saudi Arabia ramped up production, despite continued disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz caused…

Asharq Al Awsat (Vienna )
Business A panel discussion examines challenges and opportunities at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

From Hydrogen to AI, Energy Leaders Map the Sector’s Global Future

Green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and strategic partnerships took center stage at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh, as sessions mapped the energy…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during a press briefing following a meeting of the IMFC (International Monetary and Financial Committee) at the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 17, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP)

IMFC Extends Aljadaan's Term as Chair by One Year

The International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced a request for a one-year extension of Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Cars drive past city skyscrapers in Riyadh on October 11, 2026. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)

Diversified Oil Export Routes Pave the Way for Strong Saudi Economic Recovery in 2027

As war reshapes energy flows across the region, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is forecasting a strong recovery for Saudi Arabia's economy in 2027, with…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business 3D-printed oil pump jacks and the Saudi Aramco logo appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Saudi Aramco Targets 80% Growth in Gas Sales by 2030

Saudi Arabia is moving to expand its gas and liquefied gas production capabilities by developing facilities and infrastructure across the sector, amid growing…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: OPEC logo is seen in this illustration taken June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

OPEC Raises 2027 Oil Demand View, Citing Need to Rebuild Stocks

OPEC on Tuesday raised its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2027, citing the need for the world to rebuild inventories that have been depleted by the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Riyadh Metro train travels through the Saudi capital. (SPA)

Riyadh to Add 94 New Trains to Boost Transport Capacity

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has signed contracts to procure and manufacture 94 new trains for the capital’s metro network, increasing its fleet to 277…

Asharq Al Awsat