Saudi Oil Giant Aramco Posts Third-Quarter Profits of $27.5 Billion

The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. (Reuters)
The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. (Reuters)
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Saudi Oil Giant Aramco Posts Third-Quarter Profits of $27.5 Billion

The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. (Reuters)
The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco reported third-quarter profits of $27.5 billion on Tuesday, down about 15% from last year as low oil prices ate into its revenues.

Aramco had revenues of $111.1 billion over the quarter, the company said in a filing on Riyadh's Tadawul stock exchange. It had $113 billion in revenues the same quarter last year.

Profits for the third quarter last year were $32.5 billion.

The profit decrease “was mainly due to the impact of lower crude oil prices and weakening refining margins,” Aramco said.

Profit for the first nine months of 2024 was $83.9 billion, down from $94.5 billion the year before.

Oil prices have been depressed over recent days as tensions in the Middle East appear to have receded slightly and as China's economy has slowed. Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday at around $75 a barrel.

Aramco will pay dividends of $20.28 billion for the third quarter and a performance-linked dividend of $10.77 billion, the company said. It has said it hopes its overall dividend for the year will be over $124 billion.



Kazakhstan Anticipates Completion of ACWA Power’s Wind Energy Project

ACWA Power announced in March that it would execute the project, which will aid Kazakhstan in reaching its goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from clean resources by 2050. (Photo: ACWA Power)
ACWA Power announced in March that it would execute the project, which will aid Kazakhstan in reaching its goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from clean resources by 2050. (Photo: ACWA Power)
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Kazakhstan Anticipates Completion of ACWA Power’s Wind Energy Project

ACWA Power announced in March that it would execute the project, which will aid Kazakhstan in reaching its goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from clean resources by 2050. (Photo: ACWA Power)
ACWA Power announced in March that it would execute the project, which will aid Kazakhstan in reaching its goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from clean resources by 2050. (Photo: ACWA Power)

Kazakh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Madiyar Menilbekov, announced that his country eagerly anticipates the completion of ACWA Power’s first wind energy project in the Zhetysu region. This project, led by the Saudi company, will have a total capacity of 1 gigawatt and an investment value of approximately $1.5 billion.
ACWA Power announced last March that it would execute this project, which will aid Kazakhstan in reaching its goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from clean resources by 2050. Construction is expected to commence in the summer of 2025.
Menilbekov told Asharq Al-Awsat that both countries “have established a solid political dialogue at a high level, along with cooperation in trade, economics, culture, and parliamentary exchange.” He expects this high-level dialogue to continue at the upcoming COP 16 summit in Riyadh.
He further emphasized that trade, economic, and investment cooperation is the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, noting: “Both countries share a similar outlook on economic development, reflected in Kazakhstan’s Strategic Program 2050 and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”
The Kazakh ambassador highlighted that last September, the Islamic Development Bank approved financing for projects in Kazakhstan focused on water resource development, enhancing agricultural productivity, and ensuring food security, with total allocations amounting to $1.153 billion.
In tourism, he noted significant progress toward establishing direct flights between the two countries. Air Astana launched flights between Shymkent and Jeddah in October and announced a route from Almaty to Medina, bringing the total to six direct flights. Additionally, Kazakh companies in construction, oil services, and IT have recently opened offices across Saudi Arabia. The Farabi Innovation Center was inaugurated in Riyadh to attract talented entrepreneurs and innovative startups from Nur-Sultan and Central Asia to the Kingdom.
Menilbekov explained that since gaining independence, Kazakhstan’s GDP has grown 17-fold, with foreign trade reaching $139.8 billion last year. He added: “Since 1993, Kazakhstan has attracted a total of $441 billion in foreign direct investment, allowing our economy to remain one of the most dynamic in Central Asia and the post-Soviet region.”
According to Menilbekov, Kazakhstan is the world’s largest producer and exporter of natural uranium, responsible for more than 45% of global production and exports. He also noted that Kazakhstan produces 18 of the 34 raw materials identified by the European Union as “critical materials.”
Menilbekov further mentioned that Kazakhstan possesses 200 million hectares of agricultural land, with about 100 million hectares currently under regular cultivation.