12 hours of business news coverage with the latest market, economic, and company updates

  • Expanded focus on the Saudi market, featuring interviews with key business leaders. 
  • Renowned media personality Rima Najjar joins Asharq News for a revamped ‘The First Session’. 

Riyadh, Dubai, 16 September 2024 – ‘Asharq Business with Bloomberg,’ the primary source of business and economic news in the Arab world, is launching new and expanded business programming with an array of new shows and segments. From 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM Saudi time every weekday, ‘Asharq Business with Bloomberg’, which is part of ‘Asharq Network’, will cover all aspects of the economy, markets, and companies. 

‘Asharq Business with Bloomberg’ has recently recorded a notable surge in viewership for its market updates during daytime hours. In response, the new strategy will cover regional markets throughout the day, focusing on Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy and financial hub. 

Commenting on the new programming plan, Nabeel Alkhatib, General Manager of Asharq News, said: “At Asharq News, our foremost priority is to deliver unparalleled value to our audiences. The revamped schedule represents a pivotal advancement towards this objective, significantly enhancing our capability to cover and analyze market developments comprehensively. These adjustments came when ‘Asharq Business with Bloomberg’ emerged as the leading economic news source, as demonstrated by the notable increase in viewership statistics during daytime hours. Alkhatib further emphasized: “This growth underscores the increasing demand for trustworthy economic news and in-depth analysis, solidifying our commitment to delivering content that addresses the evolving needs of our audience in a rapidly changing global market.”

As a result, ‘Asharq Business with Bloomberg’ is introducing exceptional new shows including: 

  1. ‘The First Session’: Renowned media personality Rima Najjar joins Asharq News to host the program, which airs from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Saudi time. The show highlights the opening of Saudi markets and provides updates on Gulf and Egyptian markets. Rima brings a wealth of experience from her tenure at Al Arabiya, where she conducted numerous high-profile interviews with prominent business leaders and economic experts. 
  2.  ‘Market Radar’: Broadcasting from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Saudi time, the show is hosted by anchor Nour Amache and provides comprehensive updates on the Saudi, Gulf, and Egyptian markets. There will also be segments on European markets, commodities, and currencies. 
  3. ‘Market Updates’: This program will air twice daily, from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM and from 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM Saudi Time. The first segment will cover Saudi market updates and Gulf market closures, alongside developments within the oil sector, presented by Emad Al-Muqbil. The second segment provides coverage of the Egyptian market closure and exclusive updates, as well as European market updates and pre-opening news from the American markets, hosted by presenter and analyst Mohammed Adel. 
  4. ‘Asharq Businessweek’: hosted by Nadia Bsat, the show joins the roster of successful weekly shows on ’Asharq Business with Bloomberg’, airing every Friday at 2:00 PM KSA time with a re-run on Saturday at 9:00 AM KSA time. 

Riad Hamade, Director of Business News at Asharq News, also commented: “At Asharq Business with Bloomberg, we are committed to delivering comprehensive and reliable coverage that is in line with the needs of our audience. With the launch of the new programming, we aim to enhance our ability to offer audiences accurate and up-to-date insights, helping them understand complex economic and market dynamics and make data-driven decisions. We’re excited to offer this new level of coverage that confirms our ongoing commitment to advancing the economic media landscape in the region.” 

Additional Segments 

In addition to program adjustments, several daily and weekly fixed segments on broader topics will be introduced, including the business of sports, business entertainment, real estate, health, economics, and many more. 

Existing Distinguished Programmes 

‘Markets of the East’; hosted by Abdullah Al-Subaie and Sahar Al-Mizari, the successful show is extended by 30 minutes to two hours. This extension will feature an in-depth focus on the Saudi economy and markets, including a comprehensive and detailed analysis. In addition to the newly revamped and successful ‘Tech+’show, hosted by media personality Abdullah Al-Sabea, ‘Taqa+’ presented by Mohamed Fathy, ‘Asia Report’ featuring Maya Hojeij from Dubai and Maan Fadel from Singapore, and ‘Weekend Al Qahira’ broadcast from Egypt and presented by anchor Zeina Soufan with a focus on Egyptian economic affairs. 

Digital and Social Media Platforms 

All platforms reflect on-screen content, including breaking news, updates, and market alerts, delivered via social media posts, video formats, or website stories.