Saudi Aramco Joins World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’

Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
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Saudi Aramco Joins World Bank’s ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’

Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo
Saudi Aramco's logo is pictured at the company's oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Reuters file photo

Saudi Aramco has announced that it is joining the World Bank Initiative ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’.

The company also has a strong focus on flaring reduction, which remained at less than 1 percent of its total raw gas production in the first half of 2019.

“We are proud to join the ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ Initiative, which we view as an important global effort to eliminate flaring. We have been taking active steps to reduce flaring in our operations for the past 40 years and have invested in a range of flaring reduction technologies and programs to achieve our excellent performance,” Ahmad A. Al-Saadi, Saudi Aramco Senior Vice-President, Technical Services said.

“Beyond this initiative, we are also investing in advanced technologies to enable greater efficiency and lower emissions in transport, carbon-free hydrogen fuels, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). This is all part of our broader effort to enable the circular carbon economy and deliver clean, reliable and affordable energy to the world while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions,” he noted.

Saudi Aramco’s low flaring levels are a result of its decades-long focus on sustainability, which encompasses the development of the Kingdom’s Master Gas System in the 1970’s, rolling out a Company-wide Flaring Minimization Roadmap, using innovative flaring reduction technologies and establishing a Fourth Industrial Revolution Center that monitors all the Company’s operations including flaring in real-time.

In addition, and as a result of Saudi Aramco’s reservoir management best practices, flaring minimization and energy efficiency programs, the Company’s 2018 upstream carbon intensity figure is among the lowest globally at 10.2 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per barrel of oil equivalent.

Launched in April 2015, the ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ Initiative is a World Bank climate collaboration that brings together governments, oil and gas companies, and development institutions from around the world to eliminate routine flaring by 2030. Over 80 governments and organizations have joined the initiative, including the Government of Saudi Arabia, which joined in December 2018.



SAMA: Saudi Arabia Unites Regional Efforts to Combat Money Laundering

A group photo during the MENAFATF conference in Riyadh (X)
A group photo during the MENAFATF conference in Riyadh (X)
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SAMA: Saudi Arabia Unites Regional Efforts to Combat Money Laundering

A group photo during the MENAFATF conference in Riyadh (X)
A group photo during the MENAFATF conference in Riyadh (X)

Governor of the Saudi Central Bank Ayman Al-Sayari reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to unifying regional efforts to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons, as well as addressing challenges faced by all nations in these areas.

Al-Sayari was speaking on Tuesday during the opening of the conference “Latest Developments in Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Weapons Proliferation,” held on the sidelines of the 39th General Meeting of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).

He highlighted the 20th anniversary of MENAFATF’s establishment, praising its role in raising awareness and deepening understanding of international requirements across the region, which he said has helped relevant agencies in member states strengthen their compliance with global standards.

Al-Sayari commended the efforts of Saudi authorities, particularly through specialized permanent committees, to enhance the effectiveness of anti-money laundering measures and improve the Kingdom’s adherence to international obligations.

He emphasized that as money laundering, terrorist financing, and weapons proliferation crimes continue to evolve rapidly, with increasingly complex methods, countries are striving to update their legislative and regulatory frameworks to keep pace with these changes.

Al-Sayari also underscored Saudi Arabia’s support for the goals of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) under Mexico’s presidency, aimed at combating financial flows that fuel money laundering and terrorism. These efforts, he stressed, contribute to the integrity, stability, and sustainable growth of the global economy.

Saudi Arabia actively participates in FATF discussions to ensure that cross-border transactions are more efficient, transparent, and inclusive, while maintaining compliance with due diligence requirements and other necessary safeguards.

Separately, Al-Sayari held discussions with FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo on key updates and mutual areas of interest in combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and weapons proliferation.