Sadara Chemical Company's facility in Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Aramco’s domestic petchems path remains bumpy
The firm still faces challenges balancing economics with politics
Ethane scarcity, which forced the domestic Saudi petrochemicals industry to increasingly switch to naphtha feedstock, was a key factor in upstream heavyweight Saudi Aramco beginning to take the lead in the expansion of local petchems production in the second half of last decade. The completion of the 3mn t/yr Sadara Chemical Company plant, in partnership with the US’ Dow Chemicals, at Jubail in 2017 cemented Aramco’s pivotal role. But, just as with its international plans, the expansion process at home has not been entirely smooth. Aramco and its merger partner Sabic formally cancelled a first-ever crude-to-chemicals plant—a putative landmark deliberately symbolic of the desire to convert an
Also in this section
18 February 2026
With Texas LNG approaching financial close, Alaska LNG advancing towards a phased buildout and Magnolia LNG positioned for future optionality, Glenfarne CEO Brendan Duval says the coming year will demonstrate how the company’s more focused, owner-operator approach is reshaping LNG infrastructure development in the North America
18 February 2026
The global gas industry is no longer on the backfoot, hesitantly justifying the value of its product, but has greater confidence in gas remaining a core part of the global energy mix for decades
18 February 2026
With marketable supply unlikely to grow significantly and limited scope for pipeline imports, Brazil is expected to continue relying on LNG to cover supply shortfalls, Ieda Gomes, senior adviser of Brazilian thinktank FGV Energia,
tells Petroleum Economist
17 February 2026
The 25th WPC Energy Congress, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 26–30 April 2026, will bring together leaders from the political, industrial, financial and technology sectors under the unifying theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All”
