Aramco to Acquire 40% Stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan

The planned acquisition is Aramco’s first entry into the Pakistani fuels retail market. Aramco website
The planned acquisition is Aramco’s first entry into the Pakistani fuels retail market. Aramco website
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Aramco to Acquire 40% Stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan

The planned acquisition is Aramco’s first entry into the Pakistani fuels retail market. Aramco website
The planned acquisition is Aramco’s first entry into the Pakistani fuels retail market. Aramco website

Saudi Aramco has signed definitive agreements to acquire a 40% equity stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (“GO”).

GO, a diversified downstream fuels, lubricants and convenience stores operator, is one of the largest retail and storage companies in Pakistan. The transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

The planned acquisition is Aramco’s first entry into the Pakistani fuels retail market, advancing the Company’s strategy to strengthen its downstream value chain internationally, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

This transaction would enable Aramco to secure additional outlets for its refined products and further provide new market opportunities for Valvoline-branded lubricants, following Aramco’s acquisition of the Valvoline Inc. global products business in February 2023, it said.

“Our second planned retail acquisition this year aligns with Aramco’s downstream expansion strategy, with a clear path ahead for growing an integrated refining, marketing, lubricants, trading and chemicals portfolio worldwide,” said Aramco Downstream President Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani.

“GO has a significant storage capacity, high-quality assets and growth potential, which will help launch the Aramco brand in Pakistan,” he added.



Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
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Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, has agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion with European firms and is in talks to attract more foreign capital, its CEO said.

Diriyah, located at a UNESCO World Heritage site outside the capital Riyadh, has been backed by PIF investments worth a total of around 20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion) in 2023 and 2024, and should get 12 billion riyals more next year, its CEO said.

It has recently agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion in total with an Italian developer and a French company and is in talks with several foreign investors looking to buy equity stakes in hotels and other real estate developments, Jerry Inzerillo told Reuters in New York this week.

"There's a lot of interest from America, a lot of interest from every country," he said. "We'll work with any country that can deliver quality and stay on time."

Foreign investors have already bought stakes in several projects in Diriyah, said Inzerillo, with more to come.

"A lot of people can see that it's built, it's doable; it's no longer renderings, no longer 'you wait and see' ... So now we're seeing a big spike in interest in foreign investment".

Inzerillo said investment priorities have changed because of upcoming events such as the Expo 2030 world fair, which Riyadh last year won the right to host. But the pace and scope of the Saudi giga-projects have not been scaled back, he said.

"It's a realignment, a re-prioritization ... not a reduction," he added.