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 Oil tankers off the coast of Fujairah amid Iran’s pledge to fire on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters) 

Washington Counts on Insurance Guarantees to Keep Hormuz Shipping Flowing

In a bid to break the paralysis affecting one of the world’s most critical waterways, US President Donald Trump has proposed to provide insurance risk…

Fatehalrahman Youssef (Riyadh)
Business  A volunteer arranges iftar meals for Muslim devotees during the Islamic holy fasting month of Ramadan in Karachi on February 27, 2026. (AFP)

World Food Prices Rebound in February, United Nations’ FAO Says

World food prices rose in February after falling for five straight months, as higher cereal, meat and most vegetable oil prices outweighed declines in cheese…

Business Cargo ships and tankers are seen off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026. (AFP)

Asia Has Limited Options to Diversify from Middle East Energy Reliance

Asian energy buyers are scrambling to find alternatives as the Iran war creates unprecedented supply disruption, but the region has limited longer-term options…

Business The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. (SPA)

Fitch: Saudi Banks Well-Buffered Against Regional Tensions

Rating agency Fitch affirmed that Saudi banks have solid capital and liquidity buffers, making them less vulnerable to the impact of the recent regional…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde delivers the 2026 Annual Global Risk Lecture in honor of Robert Mundell, at Johns Hopkins University, in Bologna, Italy, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Michele Lapini

Lagarde: ECB Has No Pre-set Response to Mideast Tensions

The European Central Bank has no pre-set stance as regards to geopolitical tensions from the conflict in the Middle East and will decide monetary policy on a …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An Emirates Airbus A380 aircraft that has remained parked at the airport after the flight was cancelled, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Rising Fuel Prices Lash Airline Sector as Iran Conflict Widens

Airline shares seesawed on Thursday, as some regained ground on more flights taking off from the Middle East while others dipped on spiking oil prices after US…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business An employee displays gold bars at a store of the Korea Gold Exchange in Seoul (AFP)

Gold Rises on Safe-haven Bid from Iran War

Gold prices rose on Thursday, lifted by safe-haven demand amid an escalating war in the Middle East, though a stronger dollar and concerns around the US…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Lebanon Sinks Deeper into Conflict, but Bonds Hit Six-year Highs

Lebanon's defaulted sovereign bonds scaled fresh six-year highs on Thursday as the widening conflict in the Middle East fuelled hopes that a weakened Hezbollah…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A view shows a DHL plane at the airport of Almaty, Kazakhstan December 5, 2024. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo

DHL Continues to Accept Middle East Orders, but Warns of Delays

DHL is still accepting delivery orders in the Middle East despite the escalating conflict, its chief executive said on Thursday, but warned there would be…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Semiconductor chips on a computer circuit board in an illustrative image (Reuters)

Iran Crisis Could Disrupt Supply of Key Chipmaking Materials, South Korea Warns

The US-Israel war with Iran could disrupt supplies of key semiconductor manufacturing materials, a South Korean ruling party lawmaker said on Thursday, as the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This frame grab from a video released by the US Department of Defense on March 4, 2026, shows what the Department of Defense says is periscope footage of a US Navy submarine firing on and sinking an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. (Photo by US Department of Defense / AFP)

Iran War to Weigh More on Indian Growth than Inflation, Keeping Interest Rates Low

The US and Israel's attack on Iran is expected to ‌weigh more on India's economic growth than its inflation, which will encourage the Reserve Bank of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past oil pipes at a refinery in Wuhan, Hubei province March 23, 2012. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

China Reportedly Tells Oil Refiners to Suspend Exports

China has told its largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources, as the war in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A man follows the stock market shares on a screen with stock information at the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 04 March 2026. EPA/ALI HAIDER

UAE Shares Extend Losses

The UAE stock markets fell in early trade on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session after exchanges reopened following a two-day trading halt…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi during an inspection tour of SUMED port (Egyptian Petroleum Ministry)

Could Egypt’s ‘SUMED’ Pipeline Temporarily Replace the Strait of Hormuz?

Amid the ongoing Iran war and Tehran’s announcement of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy supplies, Egypt has begun…

Ahmad Jamal (Cairo)
Business The King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu. (SPA)

Saudi East-West Pipeline Underpins Kingdom’s Energy Security Strategy

As regional military tensions escalate and attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz recur, Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline has re-emerged as a…

Zeinab Ali (Riyadh)
Business 3D-printed oil barrels, an oil pump jack and a map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran appear in this illustration taken March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Hungary Presses Russia Not to Hike Energy Prices amid Iran Turmoil

Hungary wants guarantees from Russia that it will not charge Budapest more for oil and gas, despite global prices jumping due to conflict in the Middle East,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business American gold bars stand on display during a preview of "Gold", a new exhibition dedicated to the highly prized mineral at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, November 15, 2006. The exhibit opens November 18 and runs through August 19 2007. REUTERS

Gold Gains as Middle East Conflict Revives Safe-haven Bid

Gold prices climbed 2% on Wednesday, rebounding from their lowest in more than a week reached in the previous session, as the dollar took a breather and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, December 30, 2025. REUTERS/staff

European Stocks Firm after Sell-off on Middle East Turmoil

European stock markets firmed on Wednesday after a global rout driven by fears that surging energy prices from the Middle East war could fan inflation and hit…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A woman fills up her car at a gas station in Seoul, South Korea, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Oil Prices Up 1% as Iran Crisis Disrupts Middle East Supply

Oil prices rose about 1% on Wednesday as US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, but the pace of gains slowed from past sessions after…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Containers of China Shipping and Cosco shipping companies are stacked at a transshipment station in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on April 15, 2025. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

COSCO Shipping Suspends Bookings on its Middle East Routes

Chinese shipping and logistics conglomerate COSCO Shipping's container liner unit said on Wednesday it had suspended all new bookings for routes to and from…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beijing)
Business French Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Roland Lescure attends a debate before votes on two no-confidence motions against the French government following the adoption of a new energy law through decree, at the National Assembly in Paris, France, February 25, 2026. (Reuters)

France Says Planning G7 Finance Meeting on Middle East

France is planning a meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis, with central bankers also in attendance, the country's Economy and Finance…

Business People walk near screens displaying stock information at the Dubai Financial Market, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 30, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

UAE Bourses Slide as Markets Reopen after 2-day Halt

Dubai and Abu Dhabi stocks tumbled on Wednesday as they reopened after a two-day halt following Iran's unprecedented wave of missile and drone attacks on the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Dubai)
Business Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik met with Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki. Photo: Pakistani Ministry of Energy on X

Pakistan Seeks Saudi Oil Supplies Via Yanbu Port

Pakistan has asked Saudi Arabia to route oil supplies through the Red Sea port of Yanbu after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted shipping, the…

Asharq Al Awsat