Azerbaijan's non-oil sector reaches 70% of the economy in the first nine months of 2026
Official figures show that the non-oil and gas sector accounted for approximately 70% of the country's economy in the first three quarters, reflecting ongoing diversification efforts and expanding non-oil exports (apa.az, apa.az).
President Aliyev signs law updating business inspection and environmental assessment rules
A newly enacted law amends regulations on the suspension of business inspections and environmental impact assessments, establishing clear thresholds for agricultural production facilities (axar.az, apa.az).
Markets & trade
ABB launches a new tranche of manat bonds totaling 15 million AZN
The International Bank of Azerbaijan has kicked off the 8th and 9th issues of its local currency corporate bonds, each with a nominal value of 100 AZN, to further deepen capital markets (apa.az).
Azerbaijani banking sector logs over 1 billion AZN in net profit in nine months
Local banks accumulated robust financial results with total assets expanding by over 13% to reach 63.62 billion AZN by October 1, supported by solid transaction volumes (apa.az, apa.az).
Companies & deals
AZCON Holding concludes executive management program with IE Business School
Strategic leadership teams from AZCON Holding and its subsidiaries successfully wrapped up the Global Senior Management training conducted alongside Spain's IE University (apa.az).
Baku to host AIREX 2026 real estate and investment exhibition
Scheduled for November 4-6, the specialized event will bring together over 70 domestic and international firms from Europe and Asia, anticipating 20,000 visitors (apa.az).
Market signals
Cashless payments via payment cards in Azerbaijan neared 9 billion AZN in September, while active payment cards approached 23.4 million units (axar.az, apa.az).
Fitch Solutions forecasts Azerbaijan's Central Bank policy rate to gradually decline to 6% by the end of 2026 (apa.az).
Global energy markets see Brent crude trading around $114.66 per barrel, while natural gas and regional oil benchmarks remain volatile amid Middle Eastern supply concerns (apa.az, apa.az, apa.az).
Risks to watch
Artificial intelligence is increasingly exploited in cyberattacks, with security experts noting that roughly one in every six cyber incidents involves AI tools (apa.az).
Geopolitical frictions and artificial bottlenecks on energy exports continue to threaten global economic stability and commodity pricing (apa.az).
Actionable insights
Review corporate liquidity and balance sheet exposure against fluctuating central bank interest rate forecasts (apa.az, apa.az).
Audit internal cybersecurity protocols and employee digital hygiene to protect against AI-driven cyberthreats (apa.az).
Evaluate capital market instruments, such as newly issued corporate bonds, for short-term treasury yield optimization (apa.az).
Assess supply chain vulnerabilities and transport logistics in light of shifting regional energy and transit developments (axar.az, apa.az).
