Bigger boss: Amin Nasser will soon preside over a vast petchems branch of the state energy giant
Saudi Aramco set to spread its wings
The firm’s industrial slate will be broadened and its global reach extended when the Sabic deal is complete
Saudi Aramco's acquisition of a 70pc stake in Sabic, the kingdom's giant petrochemicals group, for $69bn has industrial logic in that it gives the upstream purchaser a massive downstream hedge against oil price volatility. But no less interesting is what Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the seller and current holder of that 70pc share, intends to do with the money. Officially, the line is that it gives the PIF, headed by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS), funds to diversify the Saudi economy to make it less dependent on oil in line with his much-touted Vision 2030. That means two things. First, focusing domestically on sectors such as tourism, entertainment and the developme
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16 December 2025
The December 2025/January 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
16 December 2025
Abdullah Aljarboua serves as a senior fellow in the energy macro & microeconomics programme at KAPSARC. His work spans macroeconomics, energy-economic modelling, large-scale optimisation and advanced computational techniques for modelling complex energy policy dynamics. Here he speaks with Petroleum Economist about the Gulf region’s role in shaping the energy landscape over the coming decades
16 December 2025
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh in April 2026 brings together global leaders, scientists, policymakers and innovators at a pivotal moment in the world’s energy evolution.
15 December 2025
As contradictory as it might seem, US oil output has continued to grow over the last several years, even as drilling in the shale plays has maintained a slow decline. This improbable dichotomy is a testimony to the industry’s technological prowess
