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 Smoke rises over the oil industry area in Fujairah after a fire caused by debris following the interception of a drone by air defenses. (Reuters)

Hormuz Strait Puts Global Economy in ‘Intensive Care’

The Strait of Hormuz is no longer merely an international waterway. In a decisive moment, it has turned into a tightly sealed bottleneck choking the global…

Asharq Al Awsat (Capitals)
Business A worker displays a one-kilogram gold bar at a refinery in Sydney (AFP)

Gold Climbs Over 1% as Expanding War Fuels Safe haven Demand

Gold prices rose over 1% on Wednesday, rebounding from a more than one-week low hit in the previous session, as a widening Middle East conflict sent global…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business World Bank President Ajay Banga visits the Geyushi bus manufacturing factory to review projects funded by the lender and assess how economic reforms are translating into job creation, in the 10th of Ramadan suburb of Cairo, Egypt, March 3, 2026. (Reuters)

World Bank Chief to Asharq Al-Awsat: No One Can Gauge Fallout of the Regional Escalation

Rising geopolitical tensions are clouding the outlook for growth, inflation and capital flows across the Middle East, raising questions about the region’s…

Lamia Nabil (Cairo)
Business FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

IMF: Mideast War Economic Impact to Depend on Duration, Damage, Energy Cost

The Middle East war's impact on the global economy will depend on its duration and damage to infrastructure and industries in the region, particularly whether…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business FILE PHOTO: The company logo of Lukoil is seen at the West Qurna 2 oilfield in Iraq's southern province of Basra, March 29, 2014. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo

Iraq Could Widen Oil Production Cut to More Than 3 Million bpd Within Days

Iraq has cut oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day and those cuts could widen to more than 3 million bpd within days as the country runs out of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Business An Amazon office in Ireland in October 2025 (Reuters)

Amazon Confirms Drone Strikes Hit Data Centers in the Gulf

Amazon said Monday that two of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates were hit by drones, while a drone strike near one of its facilities in Bahrain …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People visit Hormuz Island in the Strait of Hormuz off the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas (File photo – AFP)

Strait of Hormuz Under Siege: A Double Shock to Global Energy Markets

Global energy markets are on maximum alert following the military escalation in the Middle East. The outbreak of direct confrontation between the United States…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A general view of the city of Riyadh (AFP)

Demand Remained Strong in Saudi Arabia's Non-oil Business in February, PMI Shows

Growth in Saudi Arabia's non-oil private sector slowed slightly in February, a survey showed on Tuesday, although demand remained strong. The seasonally…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: Model of LNG tanker is seen in this illustration taken May 19, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Qatar LNG Halt Won't Immediately Affect Japan's Energy Supply, Minister Says

Qatar's LNG production halt due to Iranian strikes will not immediately affect Japan's energy supply, and if there is any impact, Japan could tap the spot…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A woman holding an umbrella on a rainy day during the holy fasting month of Ramadan outside the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP)

Turkish Monthly Inflation Near 3%, Keeping Pressure on Central Bank

Turkish inflation cooled to 2.96% on a monthly basis in February while the annual figure rose to 31.53%, largely as expected, according to official data on…

Business Egyptians walk past a poster depicting US dollars and other currencies outside an exchange office in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. (AP)

Egypt’s Non-Oil Private Sector Contracted in February as Costs Rose

Egypt's non-oil ‌private sector output contracted in February for the first time in four months, as demand softened and cost pressures intensified, S&P…

Business FILE PHOTO: A view of the European Central Bank (ECB) headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, March 6, 2025. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch/File Photo

ECB's Chief Economist Warns Euro Zone Inflation Could Surge on Lengthy Iran War

A prolonged war in the Middle East could cause a substantial spike in euro zone inflation and reduce economic growth, European Central Bank Chief Economist…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in this illustration taken February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Sources: Japan in Talks with India to Explore for Rare Earths

Japan is in talks with India to jointly explore rare earth deposits in the desert state of Rajasthan, two people familiar with the discussions said, as Tokyo…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Qantas Dreamliner takes off from Sydney Airport, in Sydney, Australia, February 26, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

Airline Ticket Prices Soar on Asia-Europe Routes after Gulf Airport Closures

The price of flights between Asia and Europe has soared after the closure of key Middle Eastern hubs due to the US-Israel war against Iran, with airline…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO - Emirates Airline Boeing 777-300ER planes are seen at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Christopher Pike

UAE Airlines to Resume Limited Number of Flights, Mainly for Repatriations

Emirates, flydubai and Etihad Airways will resume a limited number of flights on Monday, mainly to help repatriate stranded passengers, as global carriers…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business QatarEnergy Halts LNG Production over Iran Attacks

QatarEnergy Halts LNG Production over Iran Attacks

Qatar's state-run energy firm said on Monday it had halted liquefied natural gas production following Iranian attacks on facilities at two of its main gas…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Gas prices surged and stocks sank after US and Israeli forces began striking Iran at the weekend © - / US NAVY/US CENTRAL COMMAND/AFP

Energy Prices Soar, Stock Markets Slide on Iran War Fallout

Oil and gas prices soared, stock markets slid and the dollar firmed on Monday as the widening Iran war shook financial markets across the globe. European…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) met with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney in New Delhi. Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP

Canada and India Strike Agreements on Rare Earth, Uranium

India and Canada on Monday reached a string of agreements, including on critical mineral cooperation and a "landmark" uranium supply deal for nuclear power,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A woman holding an umbrella on a rainy day during the holy fasting month of Ramadan outside the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Türkiye 2025 GDP Growth 3.6%, Just Below Forecast

Türkiye's economy grew 3.4% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of last year, with full-year growth also just below forecast at 3.6%, official data showed on…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A map showing the Strait of Hormuz and Iran is seen behind a 3D printed oil pipeline (Reuters)

Iran Conflict Disrupts Fuel Assessements from Reporting Agency Platts

Oil price reporting agency S&P Global Platts is suspending bids and offers for price assessments of Middle East refined products that transit the Strait of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Maersk Suspends Strait of Hormuz Transit

Maersk Suspends Strait of Hormuz Transit

Container shipping company Maersk said it was halting passage through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz for "safety" reasons. The Danish group was…

Asharq Al Awsat