Company Insights Sabic Petrochemicals Latest Sabic DevelopmentsAI Insights Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) posted a net loss of SAR1.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025 compared to a net profit of SAR250 million in the same period in the previous year. This shift was attributed to higher feedstock costs and increased operating expenses, which exceeded SAR1 billion due to restructuring1. The company's annual revenue increased six percent to SAR34.59 billion for the first quarter of the year. This growth was driven by higher sales volumes despite reduced average selling prices. In 2024 the Saudi Aramco-owned company reported a profit of SAR1.5 billion, a turnaround from a loss of SAR2.8 billion in 2023. Over the same period, annual revenue dropped one percent to SAR140 billion4. At the start of the year shareholders of Saudi Arabian Mining Company approved a $1 billion agreement to acquire Sabic's entire stake in Aluminium Bahrain3. Sabic continues to invest in growth projects such as the Petrokemya MTBE plant, the Fujian complex and the Ibn Zahr LTRS-1 project aimed at optimising feedstock use. Sabic Overview Founded by royal decree in 1976, Sabic, or Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, is now among the world’s largest petrochemicals manufacturers and is Saudi Arabia’s third-largest listed company. It is traded on the Saudi Tadawul stock exchange – 70% of its shares are owned by state oil company Saudi Aramco and the remaining 30% are publicly traded. Its headquarters are in Riyadh, and it has major industrial operations in the industrial city of Al-Jubail on the Arabian Gulf, as well as in Yanbu on the Red Sea, which is also home to its subsidiary Yanbu National Petrochemical Company. With around 31,000 employes, it operates in more than 140 countries and operates in four main sectors: chemicals, polymers, fertilisers and advanced materials. Sabic is a self-described global leader in materials such as methanol, granular urea, polypropylene and polyethylene. It is working with Aramco to develop technology to turn crude oil into chemicals. The aim is to funnel more crude into chemicals that will produce plastics for lightweight vehicles, batteries or mobile phones. Subsidiaries include the Arabian Petrochemical Company, Saudi Iron and Steel Company, Saudi European Petrochemical Company, Saudi Methanol Company, Yanbu National Petrochemical, Arabian Industrial Fibers Company and Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company. In 2023 it reported its first annual loss since at least 1990 as a result of supply-demand imbalance for its products but its performance has improved since then. Sabic News Opinion Economy How GCC investors should prepare for the coming US recession The troubled US housing market signals a clear warning for the global economy June 12, 2025 Analysis Petrochemicals Adnoc bets big on petrochems as sector struggles Abu Dhabi National Co.’s (Adnoc) multibillion-dollar bet to expand its petrochemical capabilities comes at a fraught time for the sector. The numbers may not immediately add up in terms of return on investment but the focus should boost the company’s global reach and technological capabilities, analysts say. “Abu Dhabi is trying to create a global […] May 22, 2025 Petrochemicals Sabic explores listing industrial gas unit Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), which is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, is reportedly planning to sell a stake in its industrial gas subsidiary through an initial public offering. The company is in early talks with potential advisers including Lazard, HSBC Holdings, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley on a possible listing of National Industrial Gases Company this year, Bloomberg […] May 19, 2025 Analysis Petrochemicals Global slowdown offers way out for Gulf petrochemicals Top executives at Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical producers probably have little in common with Russian Marxist Georgi Plekhanov. Yet the revolutionary’s mantra “the worse, the better” may prove the unlikely route to salvation for their beleaguered industry. First-quarter results among Saudi petrochemical producers, which were forecast to be poor, proved to be even worse than expected. Margins […] May 19, 2025 Analysis Petrochemicals Clouds still not lifting on Saudi petrochem industry Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical companies underperformed in the first quarter and little improvement is expected for the remainder of the year, analysts say. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic), the world’s seventh largest chemicals manufacturer by sales, made a net loss of $323 million in the three months to March 31, compared with a near $70 million […] May 14, 2025 Oil & Gas Aramco to post lower profit and may slash dividend National oil company Saudi Aramco is forecast to post lower first-quarter profit and may cut its 2025 dividend further as oil prices dip below its self-funding breakeven point, analysts have said. The world’s biggest oil company by production is likely to maintain its guidance for capital expenditure, however. Aramco is expected to post at least […] May 9, 2025 Petrochemicals Sabic to invest $4bn despite first-quarter losses Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, which is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, swung to a loss in the first quarter of 2025 but intends to push ahead with a capital expenditure plan worth up to $4 billion. The petrochemicals giant, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, reported a net loss of SAR1.2 billion ($320 million) […] May 5, 2025 Oil & Gas Aramco and Sinopec move ahead with petrochemical expansion Saudi Aramco says it has signed an agreement to move forward with expanding a petrochemical complex on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The oil major, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, has signed a venture framework agreement with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (Yasref) to carry out engineering […] April 9, 2025 Finance International investors target Saudi IPOs and smaller caps Emerging market investors are increasingly targeting Saudi Arabia’s smaller listed companies and initial public offerings, because of their better stock price performance versus their bigger peers. Since early 2020, foreign investors have been net buyers of almost $34 billion of Saudi Arabian equities, a report by the Dubai-based consultancy Iridium Advisors has revealed. Much of […] March 24, 2025 Petrochemicals Gulf oil companies turn up petrochemicals investment Gulf national oil companies (NOCs) are increasingly focusing their investment attention on petrochemicals as they seek to move up the value chain and as global demand growth for crude slows, experts say. The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the petrochemical industry to account for one third of global oil demand growth by 2030 and […] March 18, 2025 Posts navigation 1 2 … 9 Next
Opinion Economy How GCC investors should prepare for the coming US recession The troubled US housing market signals a clear warning for the global economy June 12, 2025
Analysis Petrochemicals Adnoc bets big on petrochems as sector struggles Abu Dhabi National Co.’s (Adnoc) multibillion-dollar bet to expand its petrochemical capabilities comes at a fraught time for the sector. The numbers may not immediately add up in terms of return on investment but the focus should boost the company’s global reach and technological capabilities, analysts say. “Abu Dhabi is trying to create a global […] May 22, 2025
Petrochemicals Sabic explores listing industrial gas unit Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), which is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, is reportedly planning to sell a stake in its industrial gas subsidiary through an initial public offering. The company is in early talks with potential advisers including Lazard, HSBC Holdings, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley on a possible listing of National Industrial Gases Company this year, Bloomberg […] May 19, 2025
Analysis Petrochemicals Global slowdown offers way out for Gulf petrochemicals Top executives at Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical producers probably have little in common with Russian Marxist Georgi Plekhanov. Yet the revolutionary’s mantra “the worse, the better” may prove the unlikely route to salvation for their beleaguered industry. First-quarter results among Saudi petrochemical producers, which were forecast to be poor, proved to be even worse than expected. Margins […] May 19, 2025
Analysis Petrochemicals Clouds still not lifting on Saudi petrochem industry Saudi Arabia’s petrochemical companies underperformed in the first quarter and little improvement is expected for the remainder of the year, analysts say. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (Sabic), the world’s seventh largest chemicals manufacturer by sales, made a net loss of $323 million in the three months to March 31, compared with a near $70 million […] May 14, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco to post lower profit and may slash dividend National oil company Saudi Aramco is forecast to post lower first-quarter profit and may cut its 2025 dividend further as oil prices dip below its self-funding breakeven point, analysts have said. The world’s biggest oil company by production is likely to maintain its guidance for capital expenditure, however. Aramco is expected to post at least […] May 9, 2025
Petrochemicals Sabic to invest $4bn despite first-quarter losses Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, which is 70 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, swung to a loss in the first quarter of 2025 but intends to push ahead with a capital expenditure plan worth up to $4 billion. The petrochemicals giant, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, reported a net loss of SAR1.2 billion ($320 million) […] May 5, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco and Sinopec move ahead with petrochemical expansion Saudi Aramco says it has signed an agreement to move forward with expanding a petrochemical complex on the west coast of Saudi Arabia. The oil major, which trades on the Saudi stock exchange, has signed a venture framework agreement with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (Yasref) to carry out engineering […] April 9, 2025
Finance International investors target Saudi IPOs and smaller caps Emerging market investors are increasingly targeting Saudi Arabia’s smaller listed companies and initial public offerings, because of their better stock price performance versus their bigger peers. Since early 2020, foreign investors have been net buyers of almost $34 billion of Saudi Arabian equities, a report by the Dubai-based consultancy Iridium Advisors has revealed. Much of […] March 24, 2025
Petrochemicals Gulf oil companies turn up petrochemicals investment Gulf national oil companies (NOCs) are increasingly focusing their investment attention on petrochemicals as they seek to move up the value chain and as global demand growth for crude slows, experts say. The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) expects the petrochemical industry to account for one third of global oil demand growth by 2030 and […] March 18, 2025
