Business

Hapag-Lloyd Says One Ship Has Crossed Strait of Hormuz

Business Hapag-Lloyd employees monitor the status of cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz on a screen, in Hamburg, Germany, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Hapag-Lloyd Says One Ship Has Crossed Strait of Hormuz

Container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Friday that one of its ships has crossed the Strait of Hormuz but did not have any information on the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at a petrol station in Paris, France, March 25, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo

TotalEnergies to Invest in $1.2 Billion Power Project in Kazakhstan

French energy major TotalEnergies on Friday said it would invest in a Kazakhstan-based onshore wind and energy storage project, valued at $1.2 billion, and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 23: A pumpjack stands idle in the Huntington Beach oil field on April 23, 2026 in Huntington Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Oil Rises on Concern Over Escalating Middle East Tensions

Oil rose on Friday on concerns of a renewed military escalation in the Middle East after Iran released footage of commandos boarding a cargo ship in the Strait…

Asharq Al Awsat
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 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…

Business A worker refills the tank of a car at a gasoline station in Macau on March 27, 2026. (AFP)

Worries About Global Economic Pain Deepen as the War in Iran Drags on

US and Israeli attacks on Iran have driven up prices, darkened the outlook for the world economy, sent global stock markets reeling and forced developing…

Business An oil tanker crossing the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters)

Two India-bound LPG Tankers Crossing Strait of Hormuz Out of Gulf

Two liquefied petroleum gas tankers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, are crossing the Strait of Hormuz bound for India, according to ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu (SPA)

Saudi East-West Pipeline is Pumping Oil at its Full Capacity

Saudi Arabia’s crucial East-West pipeline that circumvents the Strait of Hormuz is pumping oil at its full capacity of 7 million barrels a day, a person…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business File photo of Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh - SPA

A Year After Crown Prince’s Decisions, Riyadh Real Estate Exits Speculation, Transaction Values Down 64%

One year after a package of landmark decisions issued by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 29, 2025 to rebalance Riyadh’s real estate market, a new…

Mohammed al-Mutairi (Riyadh)
Business The race for critical minerals was framed as a key issue for the global economy, underpinning the energy transition, AI infrastructure, and industrial growth - SPA

FII PRIORITY Miami Concludes with Focus on Investment Strategies and Critical Minerals

The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute concluded FII PRIORITY Miami 2026 with conversations about how the global economic outlook is being reshaped…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business (FILES) Containers of Danish shipping and logistics company Maersk stand on a vessel in Copenhagen on September 14, 2023. (Photo by SERGEI GAPON / AFP)

Maersk Halts Operations at Oman's Salalah Port Due to Security Incident

Danish container shipping group Maersk has temporarily halted its operations at the Port of Salalah in Oman, it said, following a security incident that…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Smoke rises following a missile attack from Iran on Tel Aviv (Reuters)

Fitch Affirms Israel's 'A' Rating with Negative Outlook

Global ratings agency Fitch reaffirmed Israel's long-term foreign-currency rating at "A" with a negative outlook on Friday, adding that rising public debt…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILE PHOTO: The logo of SoftBank is displayed at a company shop in Tokyo, Japan January 28, 2025.  REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

SoftBank Secures $40 Billion Loan to Boost OpenAI Investments

Softbank Group said on Friday it has secured a $40 billion bridge loan to bolster investments in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and for general corporate purposes,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tokyo)
Business Delegates applaud during the opening of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 14th ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, on 26th March, 2026.  (WTO/Handout via Reuters)

WTO Reform Talks Face US-Indian Obstacles

Large differences remain between most countries and the US and India as trade ministers meet to discuss reforms at the World Trade Organization, two diplomats…

Asharq Al Awsat (Yaounde)
Business A view shows the logo of the European Central Bank outside its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany (Reuters)

European Central Bank Member: No Rush to Hike Interest Rates

The European Central Bank should not rush to raise rates in response to surging energy costs, as its “baseline” outlook remains intact and there is no sign yet…

Asharq Al Awsat (Frankfurt)
Business Cairo was forced to raise fuel prices by more than 30 percent, after strikes on regional oil infrastructure and threats against the Strait of Hormuz (File Photo)

Egypt Imposes Business Curfew to Counter Soaring Fuel Costs

Egypt has ordered shops, restaurants and shopping malls to close from 9:00 pm from Saturday, hoping to curb energy bills that have more than doubled because of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Turkish Central Bank (official website)

Turkish Central Bank Forex Sales since Start of Iran War Close to $45 Billion

The Turkish Central Bank's balance sheet for this week will show foreign exchange sales amounting to near $20 billion, bringing the total forex sales since the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port

Mawani Adds Marsa Ocean Shipping's RSX Service to Jeddah Islamic Port

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced the addition of the RSX service by Marsa Ocean Shipping to Jeddah Islamic Port, featuring a capacity of up to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  A street cleaner walks by food delivery riders gather outside restaurants waiting for their online orders, in Beijing, China, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP)

China Says Hopes to Boost Trade Cooperation with US

China wishes to strengthen economic cooperation with the United States to avoid "vicious competition", commerce minister Wang Wentao told US Trade…

Business An electronic panel displays US Dollar currency symbol at an exchange office in Podolsk, outside Moscow, Russia, 26 March 2026. (EPA)

Dollar Rides Haven Demand as Middle East Talks Ring Hollow

The dollar hovered near multi-month peaks on Friday as investors sought safety in the shadow of an intensifying Middle East war and mounting doubts over any…