Saudi Arabia








Energy Markets

Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

Aramco's weight on Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries is a major factor in the red coloration of most Gulf markets due to global trade war concerns.

The Gulf's stock markets fell on Tuesday morning as U.S. trade tariffs threatened an increase in global trade tensions. Saudi Aramco also disappointed investors with its disappointing earnings. The new tariffs of 25% on imports to the United States from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 20% increase on Chinese goods, went into effect on Tuesday. This sparked new trade disputes with three of the U.S.'s top trading partners. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 1.1%. Saudi Aramco fell 2.2% after a decline in profit. The oil giant reported Tuesday a net loss of $106.2 billion for 2024. This...

Oil & Gas

Aramco anticipates a sharp fall in dividends for 2025 as profit drops from 2024

Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, said it expected to declare dividends totaling $85.4 billion by 2025. This is a drop of nearly 30% from 2024 payouts due to lower sales and increased costs. Aramco will pay out about $124.25 Billion in dividends by 2024, and $97.78 Billion in 2023. Aramco’s dividends in 2024 included approximately $43,1 billion in performance-linked bonuses, a mechanism that was introduced in 2023 and is paid on top of the base dividends which are paid regardless. The company announced $200 million in performance linked dividends that will be paid out in the first quarter 2025. This...

Oil & Gas

PMI data shows that Saudi Arabia's private non-oil sector grew strongly in February.

A survey released on Tuesday showed that the Saudi Arabian non-oil sector's growth continued to be robust in February. This was due to strong sales by customers and higher activity levels. However, the rate of growth has slowed since the previous month. The Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers' Index fell from a decade high reading of 60.5 to 58.4 at the end of February, but remained above 50. This indicates strong growth. The small drop in the headline PMI can be attributed to the slowing of new business growth that had soared at the beginning of the year. The...

Oil & Gas

Saudi chemical group SABIC reports worse-than-expected quarterly loss

Saudi Arabian chemical giant SABIC announced worse-than-expected fourth quarter results on Wednesday, against a backdrop of margin pressures in the sector. Chemicals industry is struggling with low demand and high input cost, which has led to lower prices and squeezed profit margins. SABIC reported a net loss for the three-month period ending December 31 of 1,89 billion riyals (US$504 million), compared to a loss in the same period last year of 1,73 billion riyals. LSEG data indicates that analysts had predicted a profit of a bit more than 1 billion riyals. Salah Al-Hareky is the executive vice president of corporate...

Oil & Gas Refining

Major Gulf markets decline amid Trump tariff plan worries

Investors waited for more details about U.S. president Donald Trump's plans to impose reciprocal tariffs, and were concerned that global trade tensions could escalate. Trump re-invigorated his tariff threats on Friday, warning that auto levies may kick in as early as April 2. Trump also instructed commerce and economic officials in the U.S. to investigate reciprocal tariffs against countries that impose tariffs on U.S. products, with an April 1 deadline for recommendations. Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index fell 0.5%. The biggest lender, Saudi National Bank, saw a 0.7% drop and ACWA Power dropped 1.2%. Saudi Aramco Base Oil Company also...

Oil & Gas Refining

Sources say that the price of Saudi crude oil to China will fall in March, after prices reached a two-year high.

Trade sources reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia's crude supply to China will decline in March compared to the previous month after the kingdom raised its prices to their highest level in over two years. A tally of Saudi Aramco's allocations to Chinese refiners revealed that the company will ship around 41 million barrels in March. This is down from 43.5 million barrels in February. This is the second consecutive month that Aramco has seen its allocation to China drop. The sources stated that Sinopec, a joint venture between Aramco and the Chinese state-owned company, and Aramco’s joint venture Fujian...

Oil & Gas

Pakistan signss agreement to defer $1.2 Billion payment for Saudi Oil

The Pakistani Prime Minister's Office announced that the Pakistan signed an agreement on Monday with the Saudi Fund for Development, delaying by one year the payment of $1.2 billion on oil imports. The state-run Pakistani television broadcast the signing ceremony in real time before a delegation of the fund, led by its CEO Sultan Bin Abdul Rehman Al Marshad, visited Prime Minister Shehbaz Shariff. The office issued a press release in which Sharif expressed his appreciation for the signing of the Oil Import Financing Facility. The office said that Pakistan would receive oil with a one-year deferred payment. The Prime...

Oil & Gas

Saudi economy minister says $600 bln package with US consists of financial investments, procurement

Saudi Economy Minister Faisal Alibrahim said on Friday that the $600 billion of expanded financial investment and trade with the United States discussed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman includes investments as well as procurement from the public and private sectors. The state news firm said on Thursday that the crown prince had affirmed the kingdom's objective to widen its financial investments and trade with the United States over the next four years, in the amount of $600 billion, and possibly beyond that. This number represents investments, procurement, public and private sector, and it's simply a mirror reflection of...

Oil & Gas

Trump calls for $1 trillion Saudi financial investment, lower oil prices

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday stated he will demand Saudi Arabia and OPEC lower the expense of oil and will ask Riyadh to increase a scheduled U.S. investment bundle to $1 trillion from an initial reported $600. billion. His remarks come one day after Trump and Saudi Arabian Crown. Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed what the White House called. the kingdom's global financial ambitions along with. trade concerns. Previously on Thursday, the Saudi State news agency stated. the kingdom wants to put $600 billion into expanded investment. and trade with the U.S. over the next 4 years. But I'll...

Oil & Gas

Saudi foreign minister states Trump does not raise risk of Iran-Israel war

Saudi Arabia's. foreign minister stated on Tuesday he did not see Donald Trump's. new administration increasing the danger of an IsraelIran. dispute, attending to a problem the area has actually feared since the. start of Israel's war in Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also stated in Davos that he. hoped President Trump's method to Iran would be consulted with a. willingness by Tehran to favorably engage with the U.S. administration and address the problem of its nuclear programme. Certainly a war in between Iran and Israel, any war in our. area is something we ought to try to...

Oil & Gas

IMF lowers 2025 Saudi Arabia development projection on prolonged oil production cuts

The International Monetary Fund has actually decreased its 2025 GDP development projection for Saudi Arabia to 3.3%, primarily due to prolonged oil production cuts, it said on Friday in the most recent upgrade to its global outlook. It also trimmed its 2024 development quote for the Gulf state to 1.4%. In its October Regional Economic Outlook report, the IMF had estimated development would accelerate to 4.6% this year, from a. forecasted 1.5% in 2024. The cut to Saudi Arabia's GDP forecast resulted in an overall. lowering of the IMF's development projection for the Middle East and. Central Asia area to...

Oil & Gas

US sanctions on Russia could push oil over $85, Goldman Sachs says

Brent crude oil costs might rise above $85 a barrel in the shortterm if the most recent round of U.S. sanctions against Moscow cause reduce Russian oil output, Goldman Sachs stated on Sunday. Rates could touch $90 a barrel if the decrease in Russian output accompanies a reduction in Iranian production, the bank said. U.S. President Joe Biden imposed the broadest package of sanctions so far targeting Russia's oil and gas earnings on Friday, in an effort to provide Kyiv and Donald Trump's incoming administration take advantage of to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine. Brent crude rates were...

Fossil Fuels

Oil & Gas Drilling

Bloomberg News reports that Saudi Aramco is considering a bid for BP Castrol.

Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that Saudi Aramco was evaluating a possible offer for the Castrol lubricants division of oil giant BP. The report was based on people familiar with the matter. According to a report, the Saudi Arabian state oil company is evaluating whether it should bid on part or the entire business that operates under the Castrol name. Aramco is still deliberating and has not made a decision about the structure of the bid. A BP spokesperson refused to comment, while Aramco didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. BP is exploring all possible options for its Castrol...

Fossil Fuels

OPEC+ will proceed with its planned April oil production hike

OPEC+ announced on Monday that it would proceed with a planned increase in April oil production. This decision follows the renewed pressure from Donald Trump on OPEC, Saudi Arabia, and other countries to lower prices. This is the first increase since 2022 by OPEC+. OPEC+ includes the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and allies. At 1900 GMT, oil was trading 2% below $71 per barrel. OPEC announced that eight OPEC+ member countries who are cutting the most recent layer in the group's output held a virtual conference on Monday. They agreed to continue with the increase for April....

Fossil Fuels

Platts says that the Brent crude oil benchmark is working as expected and no changes are planned.

S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts), a commodities reporting agency that provides information on commodity prices, stated Monday that the dated Brent crude oil market is working well since U.S. WTI was added to it. Further changes are not expected, Platts said. The first year that WTI Midland was included in the Brent benchmark date after its inclusion in the basket began in May 2023 due to falling North Sea production, was also the first year in which it was the first crude oil grade outside of the North Sea. Platts announced on Monday that Brent oil 2024 is a smooth...

Crude Oil

Refined Products

Refined Products

Sources say that Kazakh overproduction influenced OPEC+ to approve a production increase.

Sources said that as OPEC+ debated if they should keep oil production steady because of weak global demand, or increase it in response to pressure from the U.S. president Donald Trump and internal pressure, a record output from Kazakhstan helped sway their decision. OPEC, along with its allies, including Russia, a collective known as OPEC+ decided to increase production for the first since 2022. It stated that its decision was based on a healthy market and positive market prospects, without mentioning Kazakhstan. The group plans to increase production by 138,000 barrels a day starting in April. This is the first...

Refined Products

Sources say sanctions and tariffs are making OPEC+ hesitant about an April oil price hike.

Eight OPEC+ sources have said that OPEC+ members are debating whether or not to increase oil production in April, as planned, or to freeze it, as they struggle to understand the global supply situation due to new U.S. sanctions against Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. OPEC+ confirms its policy of supply a month in advance, so that buyers have enough time to order crude. The group has until the end of March to decide on its April production, but some sources claim that no consensus has yet been reached. Several sources have said that the United Arab Emirates would also like...

Refined Products

OPEC's oil production falls in Nigeria and Iran for the second consecutive month, according to a survey

A survey shows that OPEC's oil production fell for a second consecutive month in January. This was due to a decline in exports, primarily from Nigeria and Iran, which offset a recovery in the United Arab Emirates, where maintenance on fields had reduced output in December. According to a survey released on Wednesday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped 26,53 million barrels of oil per day in December, a decrease of 50,000 bpd compared with the revised December total. Nigeria and Iran saw the biggest drops. The modest drop in production came at a time when the...

Refined Products

OPEC's share in India's yearly oil imports rises after 8-yr drop

OPEC's share in India's. petroleum imports edged up in 2024, increasing for the very first time in. nine years, after top supplier Russia's share dipped, information. gotten from trade sources showed. Russia's share in the world's third-biggest oil importer and. consumer is expected to drop further in 2025 after Washington. last Friday announced sweeping sanctions targeting Russian. manufacturers and tankers, interrupting supply from the world's No. 2. manufacturer to India and China and tightening up ship schedule. India imported 4.84 million barrels daily of oil in 2024,. up 4.3% from the previous year, the information showed. The share of Organization...

Refined Products

OPEC oil output rises in November as Libya recuperates, study finds

OPEC oil output increased for a. 2nd month in November as Libya's production recovered after. resolution of a political crisis, a Reuters survey discovered, however. members making cuts vowed to the broader OPEC+ alliance kept. output broadly constant. The Company of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped. 26.51 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up 180,000 bpd. from October, the study revealed on Tuesday, with Libya once again. posting the biggest boost. Libyan output recovered after resolution of a dispute over. control of the central bank, allowing complete production to resume. at oilfields and applying down pressure on rates. The....

Oil Refineries

China's Nov petroleum imports to rebound as low prices enhance buying

China's crude oil imports are set to rebound in November after sharp price cuts increased demand for Iraqi and Saudi oil, offsetting a drop in Iranian supply, according to experts, traders and shiptracking data. A downturn of 17% in global oil rates in the 3rd quarter likewise stimulated Chinese stockpiling demand while refiners prepare for greater seasonal fuel usage ahead of the Lunar New Year vacation looking in late January, analysts say. The November rebound in volumes for the world's leading crude oil importer comes after 6 successive months of yearly declines as Chinese refiners dealt with weak margins and...

Refined Products

Saudi Arabia's petroleum exports in September hit three-month peak

Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports in September rose to their highest level in 3 months, information from the Joint Organizations Data Effort (JODI) revealed on Monday. The country's exports in September increased by 0.080 million barrels daily (bpd) to 5.751 million bpd from 5.671 million bpd in August. Saudi Arabia is the world's largest exporter of crude. At the same time, Saudi's production fell to 8.975 million bpd from 8.992 million bpd in August. Saudi refineries' unrefined throughput rose by 0.035 million bpd to 2.756 million bpd, the information showed, while direct crude burning decreased by 296,000 bpd to 518,000...

Coal

A trillion dollar question - fossil fuel aids

Federal governments around the globe are ploughing billions of dollars into fossil fuel subsidies to shelter people from higher energy costs, but that comes at a. financial burden, develops ineffectiveness, and obstructs the objective of. decreasing total usage. At the U.N.'s COP29 environment top in Baku, conversations are. continuous over decreasing distortions and inefficiencies produced by. aids - a crucial to decrease the production and use of fossil. fuels, which contribute significantly to climate modification and. pollution. JUST HOW MUCH DO GOVERNMENTS SPEND ON FOSSIL FUELS? The International Energy Company (IEA) computed that fossil. fuel consumption aids stood at $620...

Refined Products

China's weak crude imports, Trump risks offer OPEC+ headaches: Russell

The scale of OPEC+'s China problem appears in yet another month of weak petroleum arrivals, with the world's biggest importer recording a 6th successive decline in October. Customs data last week revealed imports of 44.7 million metric loads in October, equivalent to 10.53 million barrels each day ( bpd), below 11.07 million bpd in September and 11.53 million bpd in October last year. For the very first 10 months of the year China's imports were 10.94 million bpd, down 3.7% on a daily basis from the 11.36 million bpd for the exact same duration in 2023. That decrease of 420,000...

Refined Products

Exxon's $8.6 billion revenue beats as volume offsets rate weakness

Exxon Mobil on Friday beat Wall Street's 3rd quarter earnings price quote, boosted by strong oil output in its first complete quarter that consists of volumes from U.S. shale manufacturer Pioneer Natural Resources. Oil market revenues have been squeezed this year by slowing need and weak margins on fuel and diesel. However Exxon's year-over-year revenue fell 5%, a much smaller drop than at rivals BP and TotalEnergies, which posted dramatically lower quarterly outcomes. The U.S. oil producer reported earnings of $8.61 billion, down from $9.07 billion a year ago. Its $1.92 per share profit topped Wall Street's outlook of $1.88...

Refined Products

OPEC+ could delay organized December oil output walking, sources say

OPEC+ could postpone a. planned hike in oil production arranged to take effect in. December by a month or more, three sources informed Reuters on. Wednesday, pointing out concern about soft oil need and increasing. supply. The prepared 180,000 barrels per day hike in December, which. is arranged to come from the 8 OPEC+ members who have been. making the group's newest layer of output cuts, was already. postponed from October in the middle of falling rates. Two of the sources, who are people familiar with OPEC+. talks, stated the December increase might be postponed for a month. a minimum...

Refined Products

China's petroleum imports rebound, but it's rates, not consumption: Russell

China's crude oil imports staged a rebound in August, rising to the highest in a year, however the increase is mainly due to previously lower costs instead of any healing in usage. The world's biggest unrefined importer saw arrivals of 49.1 million metric lots in August, comparable to 11.56 million barrels per day (bpd), according to custom-mades information launched on Sept. 10. This was the greatest monthly total because August last year, and likewise a strong gain on the 9.97 million bpd seen in July, which was the weakest month-to-month total for practically 2 years. While the August imports look...