Business

Saudi Crown Prince’s Directives Cut Riyadh Property Prices by 3%

Business A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince’s Directives Cut Riyadh Property Prices by 3%

Real estate prices in Saudi Arabia’s capital fell 3% in the final quarter of last year, reversing a 1% rise in the previous quarter, in a shift that highlights…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global business leaders at the World Economic Forum. (SPA)

Saudi Industry Minister Meets with Global Leaders at World Economic Forum to Advance Partnerships

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef held on Tuesday a series of high-level meetings with government officials and global…

Business Chaired by the GAFT, the Saudi-US Trade and Investment Council aims to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries by reviewing trade and investment policies, addressing barriers, and supporting technical dialogue among relevant entities. (SPA)

Saudi-US Trade and Investment Council Meetings Kick Off in Riyadh

Technical team meetings of the Saudi-US Trade and Investment Council (TIFA) kicked off in Riyadh on Tuesday. Held under the theme “A Platform for Dialogue,…

Business Oil flows through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline resumed in late September (Reuters)

Iraq to Export More Kirkuk Crude Oil Next Month

Iraq will export a ​total of 223,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February, up by 21% on the month, ‌loading programs show

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The logo of the World Economic Forum at the Davos Conference Center (AFP)

From Davos: The World Looks to Saudi Vision, from Reform to Delivery

At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Saudi Arabia offered a compelling account of how long-term ambition can be translated into measurable results. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Davos)

Business Amazon trailer trucks are seen at Cherbourg Harbor, France January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Europe Aims for Simpler Import Procedures

Every day, more than 12 million packages enter the European Union – making it increasingly difficult for customs officers to check for illegal or undeclared…

Asharq Al Awsat (Brussels)
Business Saudi Smart Grid Conference 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh on Monday

Saudi Smart Grid Conference 2025 Kicks Off in Riyadh on Monday

The 13th Saudi Smart Grid Conference (SASG 2025) is set to kick off in Riyadh from December 15 to 17 under the theme "Innovation Today for a Sustainable…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business US President Donald Trump makes a statement to reporters as he heads into the White House after landing on the South Lawn in Marine One in Washington, DC, USA, 13 December 2025. EPA/Samuel Corum / POOL

Trump Reportedly Unsure Whether Impact of Economic Policies Will be Felt in Time for Midterms

US Donald President Trump expressed uncertainty about whether Republicans would keep control of the House of Representatives in next year's midterm elections…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Business A woman walks in Ritan park one day after a heavy snowfall in Beijing on December 13, 2025. (AFP)

China to Boost Exports, Imports in 2026, Seeking ‘Sustainable’ Trade, Official Says

China plans to expand exports and imports next year as part of efforts to promote "sustainable" trade, a senior economic official said on Saturday, state…

Business People exit the London Underground station at Bank, outside the Bank of England (L) and the Royal Exchange building (back R) in central London on December 12, 2025. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

UK Economy Unexpectedly Shrinks in October

Britain's economy unexpectedly contracted again in October, official data showed Friday, dealing a blow to the Labour government's hopes of reviving economic…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILE PHOTO: A goldsmith works on a gold necklace at a workshop in Ahmedabad, India, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo

Gold Hits Seven-week High on Safe-haven Demand; Silver Notches Peak

Gold prices rose to a seven-week high on Friday, bolstered by a soft dollar, expectations of interest rate cuts and safe-haven demand prompted by geopolitical…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business International Air Transport Association (IATA) flags

IATA: Middle East Will Lead the World in Airline Profitability in 2026

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said the Middle East will lead the world in airline profitability next year. According to its…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business The memoranda of understanding aim to establish a unified development-finance model that serves small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across various economic sectors - SPA

SME Bank Signs 19 Agreements Worth over SAR3 Billion to Strengthen Finance, Development

The Small and Medium Enterprises Bank (SME Bank) signed 19 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding with entities from both the public and private…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Seals 62 Market Access Deals Since Joining WTO

Saudi Arabia has secured 62 market access deals in goods and services since joining the World Trade Organization, alongside 379 rounds of in person and virtual…

Bandar al-Mosalam (Riyadh)
Business NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08: Silver jewelry is displayed in the Manhattan Jewelry district on December 9, 2025, in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

Gold Climbs to Over One-month High after Fed Rate Cut; Silver Hits Fresh Record

Gold rose on Thursday to hit its highest level in more than a month after the US Federal Reserve's quarter-point rate cut pushed the dollar lower, while silver…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business  A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) (Photo: the company’s website) 

Saudi Industrial Production Jumps 8.9% in October, Driven by Mining Sector

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) released preliminary data for the Industrial Production Index (IPI) for October 2025, reporting a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: A worker walks past infrastructure on D Island, the main processing hub, at the Kashagan offshore oil field in the Caspian sea in western Kazakhstan August 21, 2013.  REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Oil Extends Gains after US Seizure of Tanker off Venezuela

Oil rose for a second straight session on Thursday after the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, escalating tensions between the two…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A Riyadh Air aircraft (The company’s website)

Riyadh Air, IBM Build the World’s First Airline Founded on AI

The Middle East’s aviation sector has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, driven by network expansion, advanced digital technologies, and growing…

Abir Hamdi (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: Representations of cryptocurrency bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/File Photo

Bitcoin Dips Below $90,000 as AI Worries Dent Risk Appetite

Cryptocurrencies tumbled on Thursday and bitcoin fell back below the $90,000 threshold in a renewed signal of market jitters as fresh concerns about artificial…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business FILE PHOTO: US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell holds a press conference in Washington, D.C., US, October 29, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Fed Signals Pause on Rate Cuts as Investors Navigate Data Darkness and Leadership Change

After three consecutive interest rate cuts, investors now confront an uncertain US monetary policy outlook for the year ahead, clouded by persistent inflation,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Saudi and Syrian officials are seen at Tuesday's signing ceremony. (SANA)

Four Saudi Companies Sign Agreements to Develop Syrian Oil and Gas Fields 

Under the supervision and follow-up of the Saudi Ministry of Energy, four Saudi companies, TAQA, ADES Holding, Arabian Drilling, and the Arabian Geophysical…

Business Boats sail on the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt, December 9, 2025. (Reuters)

Egypt’s Inflation Eases to 12.3% in November 

Egypt's annual urban consumer inflation slowed slightly to 12.3% in November after a month-on-month drop in food prices, statistics agency CAPMAS said on…

Business Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visiting the Leviathan platform in October. (Israeli Energy Ministry)

Egypt, Israel in Advanced Talks to Approve Israeli $35 Billion Gas Agreement

Israel’s Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday that negotiations over a natural gas supply agreement with Egypt have reached an “advanced stage,” though some…

Business A shopper browses past shelves at a supermarket in Beijing on December 10, 2025. (AFP)

China’s Deflationary Strains Persist Even as Consumer Inflation Hits 21-Month High 

China's annual consumer inflation accelerated to a 21-month peak in November, mainly driven by food prices, while factory-gate deflation deepened, with…

Business Riyadh governor attends launch of Development Finance Conference Momentum 2025 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia Builds Momentum for Diverse, Sustainable Development Finance

Saudi Arabia is moving into a pivotal phase driven by development financing that prioritizes impact, diversification, sustainability and the growth of human…

Abir Hamdi (Riyadh)
Business Signing of Saudi-Qatar high speed rail deal attended by Saudi Crown Prince and Qatar Emir (SPA)

Saudi-Qatar Electric Rail Project to Deepen Economic, Logistics Ties

Hussein al-Khawaja, chairman of the land transport committee at the Al-Ahsa Chamber, said the agreement to build a high speed electric passenger railway…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)
Business UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola

Gold Prices Dip as Markets Brace for 'Hawkish' Fed Tone

Gold edged down on Tuesday as investors, having mostly priced in a Federal Reserve rate cut, looked ahead for clues that the US central bank might opt for a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye Cenbank Net Reserves Rose $5.5 billion Last Week, Bankers Say

The Turkish Central Bank's net reserves increased by around $5.5 billion last week, due to foreign currency buying and rising gold prices, according to bankers…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Photo of the Saudi capital (SPA) 

Non-Oil Activities Account for Half of Saudi Economic Growth Momentum

The Saudi economy posted real growth of 4.8% in the third quarter of 2025 compared with the same period of the previous year, reflecting the Kingdom’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)