Business

Saudi Arabia, Switzerland Sign Agreement on Reciprocal Protection of Investments

Business The agreement aims to strengthen and stabilize the investment environment, protect investors’ rights, and support the flow of mutual investments between the two countries. SPA

Saudi Arabia, Switzerland Sign Agreement on Reciprocal Protection of Investments

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Minister of Investment Fahad Al-Saif have participated in the Saudi-Swiss…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
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 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
Business Concerns are growing in Europe about an economic recession as oil prices rise (Reuters)

Oil Slides as Middle East Uncertainty Keeps Markets on Edge

Oil reversed earlier gains on Wednesday as uncertainty over the situation in the Middle East unnerved markets and US President Donald Trump again suggested the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Production lines at German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz at its factory in Rastatt (Reuters)

Eurozone Manufacturing Growth Reaches 4-Year High

Euro zone manufacturers faced soaring input costs and supply chain disruptions in March due to the Iran war, even as underlying tepid demand threatened to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  People walk past displayed items in a clothes shop at Eminonu commercial area, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP)

Turkish Manufacturing Contracts at Fastest Pace in Five Months in March, PMI Shows

Turkish manufacturing activity contracted ‌at its fastest pace in five months in March as the war in the Middle East lifted costs, disrupted supply chains…

Business French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a welcoming ceremony at the Akasaka palace in Tokyo, Japan on April 1, 2026. PHILIP FONG/Pool via REUTERS

Japan, France Agree Rare Earths Deal to Cut China Reliance

Japan and France agreed to strengthen support for rare earths supply chains on Wednesday, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported, in the latest moves by both…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (L) and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) pose for a photo during their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on April 1, 2026. (Photo by YONHAP / AFP)

South Korea and Indonesia Discuss Energy Security, Sign Agreements on Minerals and Tech

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung held talks on Wednesday with Indonesian leader Prabowo Subianto, discussing energy security and agreeing to expand…

Asharq Al Awsat
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