RIYADH: Bahrain’s economy registered an annual increase of 2.4 percent in 2023 to hit 13.66 billion dinars ($36.24 billion), driven by financial project expansions, official data showed.   

RIYADH: Qatar’s international reserves increased by 5.2 percent annually to 247.4 billion Qatari riyals ($67.94 billion) in March, despite a decrease in balances held in foreign banks.  

HOUSTON/BEIJING: Oil prices rose on Wednesday after two straight days of losses, as the deadlock in Gaza ceasefire talks renewed uncertainty about the security of supplies from the Middle East, offsetting a bigger-than-expected build in US crude inventories, according to Reuters.

RIYADH: China’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating has been revised to negative from stable by Fitch Ratings, citing increased uncertainty regarding its economic growth. 

The share of the Chinese yuan on Russia’s foreign exchange market hit an all-time high in March, the Bank of Russia (CBR) reported in its financial risk review on Monday.

For 2025, it predicted gross domestic product (GDP) in the eurozone’s third-largest economy would increase by 1.2 percent, compared to a previous forecast of 1.4 percent