Business

Dollar Set for Weekly Gain on Stalled US-Iran Talks and Middle East Uncertainty

Business US dollar banknotes (Reuters)

Dollar Set for Weekly Gain on Stalled US-Iran Talks and Middle East Uncertainty

The dollar was on track for its first weekly gain in three weeks on Friday in broadly muted trading, as stalled peace negotiations between the US and Iran…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business One of two gold bracelets is displayed during a media presentation at the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest, Romania, 21 April 2026.EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT

Gold on Track for First Weekly Decline in Five as Iran War Drags On

Gold prices fell on Friday and were on course for their first weekly decline after a four-week winning streak, as a US-Iran deadlock kept oil prices elevated…

Asharq Al Awsat
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  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…

Business Donald trump said he had pushed back the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once again following a request from Tehran. IRIB TV/AFP

Oil Drops as Trump Pauses Iran Strikes, but Stock Traders Nervous

Oil prices fell Friday after Donald Trump again pushed back a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though most equities also dropped as traders…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Iranian civilians are turning en masse to bitcoin, which can be stored in personal wallets beyond the authorities' reach. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP/File

Cryptocurrencies Aiding Iran during War

Since the start of the Middle East conflict, Iran has witnessed massive cryptocurrency flows. Experts say they are being used to circumvent sanctions placed…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Future Investment Initiative summit opens in Miami (Asharq Al-Awsat)

FII Summit in Miami: Al-Jadaan Says Saudi Economy Resilient, Able to Manage Crises

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 took center stage as the Future Investment Initiative (FII) summit opened in Miami, with the kingdom delivering a balanced message…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Miami)
Business Vehicles complete crossing procedures on King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Bypasses ‘Hormuz’ Disruption with Transcontinental Network

As global supply chains face unprecedented strain, and the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical chokepoints, is disrupted, Saudi Arabia has…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business Spanish Foreing Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares speaks during a press conference after the Cabinet meeting at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, 24 March 2026.  EPA/CHEMA MOYA

Sources: Spain, Algeria in Talks to Increase Pipeline Gas Supply by Up to 10%

Spain and Algeria are in talks to increase the supply of natural gas via the Medgaz pipeline from Algeria by as much ⁠as 10%, two ⁠sources familiar with 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 Honor All LNG Contracts Despite Qatar Outages

TotalEnergies' CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Thursday that the company made a decision not to declare force majeure to any of its liquefied natural gas…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Small boats sail loaded with goods in front of a container ship in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman, June 25, 2025 (AFP)

India Secures 60 Days of Oil Supply amid Hormuz Disruption

India has secured crude oil supplies for the next 60 days, ensuring stable fuel supplies in the country despite disruption in shipments from the Middle East,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business SAMA Licenses Two Companies to Provide Open Banking Services

SAMA Licenses Two Companies to Provide Open Banking Services

The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) announced the licensing of “Altknwlwjya aljadydh llhulul albrmjyh” and “lyn tknwlwjyz Company Saudi Arabia litqniyat nuzum…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business This overhead view shows buildings along the River Thames in London on March 25, 2026. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

UK Suffers OECD's Biggest Growth Downgrade as Iran War Pushes Up Energy Costs

Britain's economic ‌growth prospects this year received the sharpest downgrade of any major economy in the OECD's interim forecast update on Thursday…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business FILED - 16 March 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Gold bars and coins lie on the table at the Precious metal dealership Pro Aurum. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

Gold Drops More than 1% as Markets Assess Mideast Ceasefire Prospects

Gold prices fell on Thursday, weighed down by increased expectations of US Federal Reserve rate hikes this year as elevated oil prices stoked inflation worries…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business The European Parliament will vote on whether to cut EU tariffs on some US imports. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP/File

EU to Vote on Trump Tariff Deal -- but Eyes Rest of World

European Union lawmakers are on track to give a green light -- with conditions -- Thursday to the bloc's tariff deal with US President Donald Trump, which…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A cargo ship operated by Cosco Shipping is docked at the foreign trade container terminal of Qingdao Port, operated by Shandong Port Group, in China's eastern Shandong province on March 25, 2026. (Photo by CN-STR / AFP)

China Shipping Giant Cosco Resumes Bookings to Some Gulf Countries

Chinese shipping giant Cosco said on Wednesday that it was resuming new bookings for container shipments to some Gulf countries, after a three-week suspension…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business People visit a mall in Doha on March 23, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Qatar Emir Makes Minor Changes to QIA Board

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a decree on Wednesday ⁠making minor changes to ⁠the board of the ⁠Qatar Investment Authority, while keeping…

Asharq Al Awsat (Doha)
Business A man fills his car with petrol at the petrol station in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia, 25 March 2026. EPA/FAZRY ISMAIL

Oil Falls More Than 5% and World Shares Gain Over Possible de-escalation of Iran War

Oil prices fell more than 5% and world shares gained on Wednesday over the possibility of a de-escalation of the Iran war and negotiations between the United…

Asharq Al Awsat
Business A satellite image captured by Planet Labs shows oil infrastructure at Yanbu Port on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast on March 4, 2026 (AFP)

Yanbu Port Secures 4 Million Barrels of Oil Per Day for Global Markets

Yanbu Port on the Red Sea has emerged as a vital hub for international trade, stepping in to stabilize global energy and commodity supplies amid the near-total…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business 16 March 2026, Türkiye, Istanbul: Oil tankers and cargo ships transit the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Photo: Tolga Ildun/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Türkiye Says its Mideast Oil Dependence Manageable at 10% Amid War

Türkiye's dependence on Middle East oil is at a "manageable" level of 10% of overall supplies and there are no supply problems at the moment despite the Iran …

Asharq Al Awsat
Business Fruit is displayed for sale inside a supermarket in London (Reuters)

UK Inflation Holds at 3% in February Ahead of Likely Iran War Jump

British consumer price inflation held at an annual rate of 3.0% in February, unchanged from January's rate, official figures showed on Wednesday, ahead of a…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Business PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan during a previous FII summit in Miami. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Miami Hosts FII Summit on Wednesday, Eyes Role of Capital in Global Shifts

Miami will host the fourth FII PRIORITY summit from March 25 to 27 under the theme “Capital in Motion,” as global economic and geopolitical shifts accelerate…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Miami)
Business The group said it is working closely with clients and relevant stakeholders to monitor developments. Photo: ADES

Saudi ADES Suspends Some Offshore Rigs in the Gulf

Saudi Arabia’s ADES Holding Company announced it has temporarily suspended some of its offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf Cooperation Council due to ongoing…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Business FILE PHOTO: People walk on a zebra crossing in front of the buliding of Bank of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, July 14, 2016.  REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

South Korea Seeks Omani Support on Oil, LNG

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Tuesday asked his ⁠Omani counterpart for support ⁠on crude oil ⁠and LNG supplies, Cho's office said, due to shipment…

Asharq Al Awsat (Seoul)
Business QatarEnergy's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar March 2, 2026. (Reuters)

QatarEnergy Declares Force Majeure on LNG Contracts

QatarEnergy declared on Tuesday force ‌majeure ‌on some ‌of ⁠its affected long-term ⁠LNG ⁠supply contracts, ‌with ‌counterparties…