Hala Saghbini

Hala Saghbini
Business Ousmane Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region, speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. (Turky Al-Agili) p-circle 05:41

World Bank: $12 Billion Needed Annually to Turn Food Security into an Economic Opportunity

Food security in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan is no longer merely a question of how much food is available on people’s tables. It…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on September 02, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

‘Nomura’ to Asharq Al-Awsat: Bond Yields Reshape Region’s Cost of Capital

Global debt markets are entering a new era of higher borrowing costs, with US, Japanese and British bond yields climbing to levels not seen in years amid three…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Pipes at the landfall facilities of the “Nord Stream 1” gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, Germany, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)

Winter Tests European Energy Security... Algeria Advances to the Forefront

Europe is approaching winter facing a more complex gas equation than in previous years: lower-than-usual inventories, prices that have surged to levels the…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Chris Wright at KAPSARC (Saudi Energy Ministry)

Saudi-US Nuclear Cooperation Anchors Kingdom’s Economic, Industrial Transformation

Saudi-US relations have entered a new phase of strategic cooperation with the signing of a peaceful nuclear energy agreement, known as a 123 Agreement, and a…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Saudi flags fly along a street in the Saudi capital. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

How Saudi Arabia's Buffers Shielded Its Economy from the Fires of War

At a time when the conflict between the United States and Iran plunged the region into one of its most severe periods of tension in years, closed the Strait of…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group, speaks to Asharq Al-Awsat. Photo: Turky Alagili

World Bank to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia is Evolving from Driving Growth to Exporting Development Knowledge

The transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia's labor market is no longer measured solely by the decline in unemployment to a historic low of 2.8 percent, or…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business  A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 8, 2026. (Reuters)

Middle East Bears Brunt of Tanker War as Saudi Arabia Weathers Crisis with Alternative Logistics Network

At a time when the global economy is struggling to avoid a sharp recession, the International Monetary Fund’s updated World Economic Outlook showed a deeply…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)
Business A view of the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. (Public Investment Fund)

Saudi Banks Maintain Resilience, Credit Growth Offsets Interest Rate Pressures

The Saudi banking sector has once again demonstrated its robust financial fundamentals and high capacity to adapt to geopolitical challenges and global…

Hala Saghbini (Riyadh)