Business

US Stocks Dip on Mixed Earnings as Markets Monitor Iran

Business A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York on March 24, 2026.  (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

US Stocks Dip on Mixed Earnings as Markets Monitor Iran

Wall Street stocks retreated from records early Thursday as markets digested a trove of mixed earnings reports and monitored the latest dynamics between the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters

What Does the Inclusion of Saudi Bonds in the J.P. Morgan Index Mean?

Saudi Arabia’s debt market is set for a strategic shift in early 2027, following J.P. Morgan’s announcement that local-currency bonds will be included in its…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)

S&P Warns African Sovereign Credit Rating Risks Likely to Worsen

S&P Global Ratings warned on Thursday that the risks to African sovereign credit scores were likely to worsen the longer the Middle East war drags on. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Gold Slips on Inflation Concerns as High Oil Prices and Stronger Dollar Weigh

Gold prices fell on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar and elevated oil prices that stoked inflation worries, as investors tried to assess the conflict…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Skyscrapers in London's financial district (Reuters)

UK Budget Deficit for 2025/26 Narrows to Six-year Low

Britain's budget deficit for the last financial year narrowed to a six-year low as a percentage of economic output although borrowing for March alone exceeded…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)

Business General view of Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

JMMC Holds 65th Meeting via Videoconference, Discusses Energy Security and Market Stability

The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), comprising Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Algeria and Venezuela holds its…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An investor monitors stock prices on a screen at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh (AFP)

Saudi Market Edges Higher on Insurance and Basic Materials Support

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) edged up 0.03 percent to 11,272 points on Sunday, supported by insurance and basic materials stocks…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh (SPA)

Saudi Airports Serve as Safety Valve for Regional Air Traffic as ‘Hormuz Fallout’ Hits Global Aviation

Conflicts in the region are no longer confined to the geography of battlefields; their fallout has reached one of the world’s most vital and sensitive…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A model of an oil pump is seen in front of the OPEC logo in this illustration taken January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

OPEC+ Agrees in Principle on Theoretical Oil Output Hike amid Iran War Paralysis

OPEC+ has agreed in principle to raise its oil output quotas by 206,000 barrels per day for May, three sources with knowledge of the group's talks said ahead…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People walk past a closed cinema as shops close early under a government-ordered curfew aimed at reducing energy costs in downtown Cairo on April 2, 2026. (AFP)

War Weighs on Egypt’s Private Sector as PMI Hits Near Two-Year Low in March

Egypt's non-oil private ‌sector deteriorated at its sharpest pace in almost two years in March, as the Middle East war drove up costs and dampened client…

Business Festus Mwirotsi, 34, scouts for pests and diseases in roses meant for export at Isinya Roses farm in Kajiado, Kenya, March 24, 2026, as Kenya's flower industry is losing up to $1.4 million a week as the Iran war cuts demand and disrupts shipping. (AP)

Middle East War Presents ‘Serious Risk’ for Africa, Warns Report

The Middle East war "presents a serious risk to Africa", the African Union and the African Development Bank (AfDB) said in a report seen by AFP Saturday. The…

Business The Taipei 101 skyscraper is seen lit up before the Earth Hour in Taipei, Taiwan, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/ Chiang Ying-ying)

Taiwan Says It Has Assurances over LNG Supplies from 'Major' Country

Taiwan has received ‌supply assurances from the energy minister of a "major" liquefied natural gas-producing country, the island's economy minister said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Indian-flagged carrier Jag Vasant, carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) via the Strait of Hormuz, arrives at Mumbai Port in Mumbai, India, 01 April 2026. EPA/DIVYAKANT SOLANKI

India Says Crude Oil Supplies Secured, No Payment Issues for Iran Imports

India's petroleum ministry said in a post on X on ‌Saturday ‌that the ‌country's ⁠refiners have secured their ⁠crude requirements, including…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A gas station in Los Angeles, California (AFP) 

From Asia to the Americas: Governments Race to Contain Energy Shock

Governments worldwide are moving swiftly to contain the fallout from a sharp rise in energy costs, as global supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli war on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda attends a press conference after a BOJ policy meeting in Tokyo, Japan, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

IMF Urges BOJ to Keep Raising Rates Even as Iran War Poses New Risks

The International Monetary Fund urged the Bank of Japan to continue raising interest rates, even as the Middle East war posed "significant new risks" to the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Workers carry out maintenance on a pipeline at a gas separation station in the Zubair oil field near Basra (AP). 

Iraq in Talks with Gulf States on Pipeline Exports beyond Hormuz

Iraq is in talks with Gulf countries to use their pipeline networks to secure alternative oil export routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz, the state oil marketer…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business  A farmer carries harvested rice at a paddy field in Samahani, Aceh province on April 2, 2026. (AFP)

World Food Prices Rose in March as Iran War Lifted Energy Costs, FAO Says

The war in the Middle East has pushed food commodity prices higher due to higher energy and fertilizer costs, the UN's food agency said Friday. The UN's…

Business A full moon rises behind Galata Tower, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP)

Turkish Inflation Near 2% Monthly in March, Below Forecasts

Turkish consumer price inflation was 1.94% month-on-month in March, while the annual figure fell to 30.87%, data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed …

Business FILE - Workers walk in an area at a degassing station in Zubair oil field, whose operations have being reduced due to the Mideast war triggered by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, near Basra, Iraq, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Oil Prices Surge While Asian Share Prices Rise Moderately

Oil prices continued to surge on worries of a prolonged Iran war but the Asian markets that were open Friday rose moderately in cautious trading, while others…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Container ship at King Abdullah Port (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Boosts Firms’ Readiness for Supply Chain Challenges

Amid mounting geopolitical tensions threatening global supply chains, particularly disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia is stepping up efforts to…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Lebanon’s central bank (National News Agency)

War Hits Lebanon Dollar Lifeline, Remittances Fall Sharply

A Lebanese mother described the sharp decline in one of her last sources of income, once a pillar of her financial stability, as remittances from her son…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Business FILE PHOTO: US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 24, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Dollar Jumps as Trump Pledges More Iran Strikes

The dollar rose sharply on Thursday after US President Donald Trump's address on Iran shattered hopes for a swift end to the conflict, sending investors…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business 01 April 2026, Iraq, Erbil: Smoke rises from a motor oil depot on the outskirts of Erbil, after it was hit by a drone attack. Photo: Ismael Adnan/dpa

Iraq’s Oil Hub Slows to a Crawl as Strait of Hormuz Shutdown Strangles Exports

Iraqi oil fields once alive with the buzz of workers are nearly deserted. Ports that pulsed with the churn of cargo have fallen still, the din of commerce…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An Indian woman displays a gold jewelry piece at a jewelry store in Bangalore (AFP)

Gold Prices Retreat as Trump Threatens Further Attacks on Iran

Gold retreated from two-week highs on Thursday after US President Donald Trump said that Washington would continue its military campaign in Iran in the coming…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Oil prices surged and stocks sank after Donald Trump's address to the nation. Alex Brandon / POOL/AFP

Oil Rallies, Stocks Tumble as Trump Says US to Hammer Iran Further

Oil prices spiked and stocks sank on Thursday after Donald Trump reiterated that US forces would hammer Iran for another two to three weeks but offered no…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A displaced man prepares his shisha, at a temporary encampment for displaced people, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, April 1, 2026. REUTERS/Raghed Waked

IEA, IMF and World Bank to Coordinate Response to Middle East War's Impact

The heads of the International Energy Agency, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank on Wednesday said they will form a coordination group to maximize…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Jubail Commercial Port. SPA

Saudi Arabia: Mawani Announces Commencement of Container Terminal Operations at Jubail Port

The Saudi Ports Authority “Mawani” has announced the commencement of container terminal operations at Jubail Commercial Port under a privatization contract…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Germany's economy is struggling with fierce Chinese competition in sectors from cars to chemicals © Ronny HARTMANN / AFP/File

Germany Growth Forecasts Slashed as Mideast War Hits Economy

Leading economic institutes more than halved their growth forecast for Germany on Wednesday, warning that the energy shock caused by the Middle East war would…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business US dollar bills (Reuters)

Dollar Falls for Second Day as Middle East Ceasefire Expectations Rise

The dollar dropped for a second day on Wednesday as expectations of a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict grew after the US signalled that an end to the war…

Asharq Al Awsat