Business

Tech Hit by New AI Worries on Positive Day for Most Markets

Business Hong Kong stocks rallied more than three percent on a broadly healthy day for Asian markets. Leung Man Hei / AFP

Tech Hit by New AI Worries on Positive Day for Most Markets

Tech firms tumbled Thursday as investors contemplated the outlook for the AI boom after Democrats swept the US midterms, partly on the back of growing anger…

Asharq Al Awsat
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 09 March 2026, China, Hong Kong: Oil Storage Tanks at the SINOPEC Oil Terminal at Tsing Yi in Hong Kong. Photo: Vernon Yuen/Nexpher via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Oil Jumps 7% as Iran Escalates Attacks on Gulf Shipping

Oil prices rose sharply on Thursday as Iran stepped up attacks on oil and transport facilities across the Middle East, fuelling concerns of a prolonged…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Technicians working at the Majnoon oil field in Basra, Iraq. (Reuters)

Iraq to Keep Crude Output at 1.4 million bpd amid Hormuz Tensions, Oil Minister Says

Iraq will keep crude oil production at around 1.4 million barrels per day, Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani ​was quoted as saying on Thursday, less than a third…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This photograph shows the entrance to the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris on March 11, 2026. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

IEA: World Faces Largest-ever Oil Supply Disruption on Middle East War

The war in the Middle East is creating the biggest oil supply disruption in history, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, a day after it agreed to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris)
Business Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, President of Saudi Data and Al Authority, speaks during the Global Al Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri  

Saudi Arabia Declares 2026 ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’ to Boost Data Economy

As the global race toward a digital economy accelerates and the world enters a new era driven by algorithms, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a key player…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)
Business A photograph shows Dubai's skyline with the Burj Khalifa at the center on March 11, 2026. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Citibank Closes UAE Branches Temporarily as Precautionary Measure

Citibank will close its branches and financial centers in the United Arab Emirates through March 14 as a precautionary measure, the bank's website showed on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business OPEC's report focused on February market conditions prior to the Feb. 28 conflict outbreak (Reuters)

OPEC: Ongoing Geopolitical Developments Warrant Close Monitoring of Markets

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has maintained, for the seventh consecutive month, its 2026-2027 global oil demand growth projections…

Asharq Al Awsat (Vienna)
Business Students ride on motorbikes with their parents while heading to schools, after the government announced that schools would close for two weeks, starting March 16, following austerity measures to save fuel amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Karachi, Pakistan, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

IMF Says it Has Made Progress in Pakistan Funding Talks

The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday it has made "considerable progress" in talks with Pakistan ⁠over its funding ⁠facilities and that discussions…

Business The shell logo on a petrol station forecourt in London, Britain, 02 March 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Shell Declares Force Majeure to Clients who Buy Qatari LNG

Shell, the world's largest liquefied natural gas trader, has declared force majeure on LNG cargoes it buys from QatarEnergy and sells to its clients worldwide,…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILE PHOTO: A pump jack operates outside of Midland, Texas, US June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Eli Hartman/File Photo

IEA Agrees to Record Release of Emergency Oil Reserves in an Effort to Calm Surging Prices

The International Energy Agency agreed Wednesday to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This general view shows the Humber Refinery, operated by Phillips 66, near South Killingholme, north-east England on March 11, 2026. World oil prices surged more than five percent on March 11 as the Middle East war disrupted crude exports. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

Iran Tells World to Get Ready for $200 a Barrel

Iran's military command said on Wednesday the world should be prepared for oil to hit $200 a barrel, as three more ships came under attack in the blockaded…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A saleswoman adjusts gold jewellery for sale at a shop in Lianyungang in China eastern Jiangsu province - AFP

Gold Eases as Firmer Dollar, Lingering Inflation Concerns Weigh

Gold prices edged lower on Wednesday, weighed down by an uptick in the US dollar and looming inflation concerns that boosted the likelihood of higher interest…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Fishermen work in front of oil tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz Jan. 19, 2012, offshore the town of Ras Al Khaimah in United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

Germany, Austria will Release Reserve Oil in Effort to Calm Surging Prices

Germany and Austria said Wednesday they are releasing parts of their oil reserves following an International Energy Agency request for members to release a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources logo

Saudi Arabia's Industrial and Mining Sectors Record Strong Growth in 2025

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources announced the 2025 performance indicators for the Kingdom’s industrial and mining sectors, highlighting…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business 09 December 2025, Saxony, Dresden: A woman walks into a supermarket. (dpa)

US Consumer Prices Likely Increased in February Ahead of Iran Conflict

US consumer prices likely picked up in February as the cost of gasoline increased in anticipation of an escalating war in the Middle East, and with the…

Business  South Korean dealers work in front of monitors at the Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea, 09 March 2026. (EPA)

Asian Shares Advance as Markets Await Signals on When the War with Iran May End

Asian shares were mostly higher Wednesday with several benchmarks giving up much of their early gains as investors awaited signals on when the war with Iran…

Business A display shows fuel prices at a petrol station in Munich, Germany, 10 March 2026. Fuel prices have risen since the start of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks by Iran. (EPA)

Report: IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release from Strategic Reserves

The International Energy Agency has proposed the largest release of oil reserves in its history to restrain soaring crude prices amid the US-Israel war with…

Business Out of service signs are pictured on unleaded petrol and diesel fuel pumps at a petrol service station in Cambridge, eastern England on March 09, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

G7 Energy Ministers Confirm Readiness to Release Oil Stockpiles

Energy ministers from the Group of Seven nations confirmed readiness to ⁠take necessary steps to support ⁠global energy supplies, ⁠including possible joint…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris) Asharq Al Awsat (Strasbourg)
Business An Exxon gas station sign in Dallas, Friday, March 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

CEO: Exxon Evacuated Non-essential Middle East Staff

Exxon Mobil has evacuated non-essential employees from its operations in the Middle East, CEO Darren Woods said in an interview on Tuesday, as the US-Israel…

Asharq Al Awsat (Houston)
Business Pumpjacks operated by Aera Energy work the wells at the Midway-Sunset field near Taft in Kern County, California, on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)

EU Opposes Removing Oil Sanctions on Russia to Cool Energy Prices

EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis said Tuesday the European Union did not support removing sanctions on Russian oil despite soaring energy prices, AFP…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Qantas logo is visible on the tail of an airplane at an airport in Sydney, Australia, September 18, 2025. (Reuters)

Airlines Hike Ticket Prices as Iran War Propels Fuel Costs

Australia's Qantas Airways , Scandinavia's SAS and Air New Zealand announced airfare hikes on Tuesday, blaming an abrupt spike in the cost of fuel caused by…

Business President and CEO of Saudi's Aramco, Amin Nasser, speaks during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Aramco Sees ‘Catastrophic Consequences’ for Oil Markets if Hormuz Strait Remains Blocked

Saudi Arabia's Aramco , the world's top oil exporter, said on Tuesday there would be "catastrophic consequences" for the world's oil markets if the Iran war…

Business The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters) 

Saudi Economy Records Strongest Growth in Two Years in 2025

Saudi Arabia’s economy posted its strongest growth in two years in 2025, expanding by 4.5 percent, supported by gains across all major economic sectors and a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Aramco's oil field in the Empty Quarter, Shaybah, Saudi Arabia, January 12, 2024. (Reuters)

Aramco Bolsters Global Oil Market Stability Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Amid growing logistical challenges facing the energy sector, operational moves by Saudi Aramco are emerging as a stabilizing factor in global oil supply. The…

Abeer Hommadi (Riyadh)
Business A gas station in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. (Reuters)

Egypt Raises Fuel Prices by up to 30 Percent

Egypt raised domestic fuel prices by up to 30 percent on Tuesday, blaming "exceptional" global energy pressures caused by the Middle East war, which has…