Business

Türkiye Showcases Renewables Surge, but Leaves Coal Intact

Business Türkiye is rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity. But as host of COP31, the country faces growing pressure to match its clean energy ambitions with a clear commitment to phase out fossil fuels. Yasin AKGUL / AFP

Türkiye Showcases Renewables Surge, but Leaves Coal Intact

On a windy hillside about an hour's drive northwest of Istanbul, the Catalca power plant was one of Türkiye's first large-scale wind farms and has been feeding…

Asharq Al Awsat
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 Two investors monitor Saudi Aramco stock movements on the Saudi market. (Reuters)

Saudi Stocks End March Higher amid Geopolitical Tensions

Saudi Arabia’s stock market closed March on a strong note, advancing while most Gulf markets declined, underscoring its resilience in the face of heightened…

Abeer Hommadi (Riyadh)
Business The unemployment rate among Saudi women fell by 1.8 percentage points to 10.3 percent compared with the third quarter of 2025. (SPA)

Saudi Women Help Steady Unemployment at End of 2025

In a sign of the profound changes reshaping Saudi Arabia’s labor market, Saudi women emerged as a key factor in keeping unemployment stable at the end of 2025,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business A goldsmith weighs gold jewellery inside a showroom in Ahmedabad, India, July 31, 2025. (Reuters)

Gold slides 14% in March Despite War, Testing Safe-Haven Status

Gold defied its traditional role as a crisis hedge in March, posting its steepest monthly fall since October 2008. The metal dropped more than 14% over the…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)
Business Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States (Turky Alagili)

Al Dardari to Asharq Al-Awsat: War Escalation Drives Huge Surge in Losses

With the release of a special report by the Development Programme on the economic fallout of escalating tensions in the region, Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant…

Bissane El-Cheikh (London)
Business Shelves filled with fruit inside a supermarket in Berlin (Reuters)

Euro Zone Inflation Surges Past ECB Target on Oil Shock

Euro zone inflation soared past the European Central Bank's 2% target this month due to surging oil and gas prices, heightening a policy dilemma as expensive…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILE - Ships sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz as the sun sets in the United Arab Emirates Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo, File)

China Expresses 'Gratitude' after 3 Ships Transit Hormuz Strait

Beijing expressed "gratitude" on Tuesday as it said three Chinese ships had transited the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has all but closed during the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A cargo ship in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

UNDP: Arab Countries May Lose Up to $194 Billion from Iran War

The military escalation in the Middle East, now into its fifth week, may cost economies in the region from 3.7 to 6 percent of their collective Gross Domestic…

Asharq Al Awsat (New York)
Business The Central Bank of Türkiye sold $22 billion in foreign government bonds from its foreign exchange reserves since February 27 (Reuters)

Türkiye Cenbank Chief Says 'Natural' to Use Gold amid War Fallout

Türkiye's central bank chief said market fallout from the Iran war hurts its fight against inflation, and in such situations it is a "natural choice" to turn…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An Indian woman tries on gold ornaments at a jewelry shop in Bangalore (EPA)

Gold Set for Worst Month in More Than 17 Years as US Rate-cut Hopes Fade

Gold prices rose on Tuesday on hopes of de-escalation in the Middle East conflict, but were poised for their worst month in more than 17 years as higher energy…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business The squeeze on supply has pushed oil and gas prices ever higher, with drastic knock-on effects for supply chains in countless industries. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Oil Slips, Stocks Rise as Report Says Trump Willing to End War

Oil prices sank and most stocks rose Tuesday, following a report that indicated Donald Trump was willing to end the Iran war even if the key Strait of Hormuz…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, US, September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

IMF: Iran War 'Shock' is Dimming Outlook for Many Economies

The war in the Middle East has caused serious disruption to the economies of frontline countries, and is dimming the outlook for many economies that had just…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business Storage tanks at the Golden Pass LNG project (X)

Exxon and QatarEnergy's Joint Venture Golden Pass Produces 1st LNG at New Texas Facility

Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and Exxon Mobil, has produced its first liquefied natural gas at its new facility in Texas, the company…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The rehabilitation of one million hectares of land in Saudi Arabia marks a significant achievement. SPA

FAO Lauds Saudi Arabia’s Rehabilitation of 1 Million Hectares of Land

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has praised the Kingdom’s announcement on rehabilitating one million hectares of land as part of the Saudi…

Asharq Al Awsat (Rome)
Business General view of Port of Salalah in Dhofar governorate, Oman, August 6, 2024. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo

Oman Port Hit by Drone to Reopen from Tuesday

Danish shipping firm Maersk announced Monday that Oman's port of Salalah, which was hit by a drone at the weekend, would start to reopen from Tuesday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Stock market statistics are displayed on a screen at the New York Stock Exchange (AFP)

US Stocks Open Higher after Trump Threatens Iran

Wall Street stocks opened higher Monday after US President Donald Trump claimed progress in talks with Iran, even as he threatened to destroy key oil…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Turkish Central Bank (official website)

Turkish Cenbank Total Reserves Fell $55 billion Since War Began

The Turkish Central Bank's total reserves fell by a hefty $22 billion last week to $155.5 billion, bringing their declines since the start of the Iran war to …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Aluminum is the most widely used metal after steel (X)

Aluminium Prices Jump after Gulf Attacks

Aluminium prices climbed around six percent in early trading on Monday after Iran attacked two major plants in the Gulf that produce the widely used metal,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Delegates attend the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 14th ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, March 28, 2026.  WTO/Handout via REUTERS

WTO Suffers Fresh Blow as Reform Push Hits a Wall at Cameroon Meeting

World Trade Organization talks broke up with no agreement on Monday on a plan for reform or even on extending a moratorium on e-commerce, piling more pressure…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business US dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 24, 2026. (Reuters)

Dollar Bides Time as Markets Brace for Drawn-Out Middle East War

The US dollar held broadly steady on Monday, poised for its strongest monthly gain since July as investors fret about the ramifications of a long war in the…

Business A United Airlines commercial airliner takes-off from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California, US, November 6, 2025. (Reuters)

Airlines Face Fare Dilemma as Fuel Spike Threatens Travel Demand

Global airlines have begun to hike fares and cut capacity to cope with the sudden surge in the oil price, but the industry's ability to remain profitable may…

Business A mountain climbing trip in Tanomah, southern Saudi Arabia

Private Sector Drives Saudi Tourism with Investments Worth $58 Billion

Saudi Arabia’s private sector has emerged as a key engine of growth in the Kingdom’s rapidly expanding tourism industry, with investments totaling SAR219…

Abeer Hommadi (Riyadh)
Business This view shows the crude oil tanker Sea Horse, flag of Hong Kong and carrying about 200,000 barrels of Russia-origin fuel originally bound for Cuba, at the coast of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, on March 29, 2026. (Photo by Maryorin Mendez / AFP)

Brent Heads for Record Monthly Jump as Houthi Attacks Widen Conflict

Oil prices extended gains on Monday, with Brent headed for a record monthly rise, after Yemen’s Houthis launched their first attacks on Israel over the weekend…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  A shopkeeper arranges items at his shop around the traditional grand bazaar of Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP)

Iran Inflation Rate Rises to 50.6 Percent

Iran's annual inflation rate rose to 50.6 percent by mid-March, up three percentage points from the previous month, the country's official statistics center…