Saudi Aramco's Luberef Set for IPO

Aramco's base oil subsidiary, Luberef, has won approval from the Kingdom's stock market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA), to launch its IPO. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Aramco's base oil subsidiary, Luberef, has won approval from the Kingdom's stock market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA), to launch its IPO. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Aramco's Luberef Set for IPO

Aramco's base oil subsidiary, Luberef, has won approval from the Kingdom's stock market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA), to launch its IPO. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Aramco's base oil subsidiary, Luberef, has won approval from the Kingdom's stock market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA), to launch its IPO. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Al-Ahli Tadawul announced a potential initial public offering (IPO) for one of Saudi Aramco's subsidiaries.

Ahli Capital announced its capacity as the underwriting manager, financial advisor, institutional underwriting book manager, international coordinator, and underwriter of Citigroup Saudi Arabia, HSBC Saudi Arabia, and Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia as the financial advisers, global coordinators, and underwriters of public offerings.

The company said that Aramco's base oil subsidiary, Luberef, has won approval from the Kingdom's stock market regulator, Capital Market Authority (CMA), to launch its IPO and list its shares on the primary market of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

Luberef is one of the world's largest producers of base oils and produces one of every eight barrels of base oils globally, with a total capacity to produce 1.3 metric tons per year of base oils.

Luberef will sell 50 million shares, or 29.7 percent of the company's issued share capital, through the IPO on the Tadawul stock exchange, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

The final pricing of the offer shares will be determined at the end of the book-building period, it stated.

The company obtained Tadawul's approval for its request to list its shares in the main market on November 24 and also received the approval of the Capital Market Authority for its bid to offer 50 million ordinary shares.

The shares are open for subscription by institutional, individual, and qualified foreign investors.

Luberef pointed out that the shares will be offered for subscription to individual and institutional investors, including institutional investors outside the US, in offshore transactions following Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act).

A maximum of 12.5 million shares, or 25 percent of the total share offering, will be allocated to individual investors, the company said.

Meanwhile, the main Saudi stock index fell 142.29 points to close at 10796.46 points, with transactions worth SR2 billion.

About 74 million shares were traded through more than 241,000 deals, in which 33 companies recorded an increase in value, while 173 companies closed in decline.

The Saudi parallel market (Nomu) plunged 300.87 points to close at 18866.13 points, with a value of SR68 million, and the number of shares reached more than 392,000 shares shared by 1157 transactions.



Türkiye's Central Bank Lifts 2026 Inflation Forecasts

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Türkiye's Central Bank Lifts 2026 Inflation Forecasts

Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Türkiye's Central Bank headquarters is seen in Ankara, Türkiye in this January 24, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Türkiye's central bank on Thursday increased its estimates for inflation as officials try to rein in soaring price increases that have weighed on the economy for years.

The official inflation rate is now seen falling to between 15 and 21 percent by the end of this year, up from a previous forecast of 13 to 19 percent.

"We have increased our forecast range because of better visibility on certain risks," the central bank's governor Fatih Karahan said in a statement, without further detail, Reuters reported.

The forecast would still be a sharp decline from the annual inflation rate of 30.7 percent in January, following years of interest rate hikes in a bid to slow runaway price increases.

However, the official figures are disputed by ENAG, a group of independent economists that publishes its own data every month, with the organisation saying year-on-year inflation stood at 53.4 percent in January.

Türkiye has experienced double-digit inflation since 2019, making life increasingly more expensive for millions of people, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered interest rate cuts in a bid to spur growth.

The cuts sent the lira plunging on currency markets, further fuelling inflation and leading Erdogan to reverse his unorthodox policy in 2023.

But in January the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to 37 percent, citing a continued slowing of price increases.

 

 

 

 


Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026
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Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Mawani Reports 2.01% Increase in Container Throughput for January 2026

Ports overseen by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported a 2.01% increase in container handling for January 2026, totaling 738,111 TEUs, up from 723,571 TEUs in January 2025. Transshipment containers rose significantly by 22.44%, reaching 184,019 TEUs compared to 150,295 TEUs the previous year.

However, the number of imported containers decreased by 3.23% to 284,375 TEUs, and exported containers dropped by 3.47% to 269,717 TEUs year-over-year, SPA reported.

Passenger numbers surged by 42.27%, totaling 143,566 passengers compared to 100,909 last year. Vehicle volumes increased by 3.31% to 109,097, and the ports received 886,908 heads of livestock, a 49.86% increase from the same period in 2025.

In terms of cargo tonnage, liquid bulk cargo rose by 0.28% to 14,102,495 tons, general cargo totaled 839,987 tons, and solid bulk cargo reached 4,263,168 tons. The total tonnage handled was 19,205,650 tons, reflecting a 3.04% decrease from the previous year. Vessel traffic recorded 1,121 ships, a slight decrease of 1.75%.

This increase in container throughput supports trade, stimulates the maritime transport industry, and enhances supply chains and food security. These achievements align with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's position as a global logistics hub.

In 2025, Mawani ports achieved a 10.58% increase in total handled containers, reaching 8,317,235 TEUs, while transshipment containers for the year rose by 11.78% to 1,927,348 TEUs.


Oil Prices Edge Lower as IEA Reduces Demand Forecast

Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
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Oil Prices Edge Lower as IEA Reduces Demand Forecast

Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo
Oil platforms and pumpjacks at Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela, January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

Oil prices slipped on Thursday as investors weighed the International Energy Agency's lowering of its global oil demand forecast for 2026 against potential escalation of US-Iran tensions.

Brent crude oil futures were down 19 cents, or 0.27%, at $69.21 a barrel by 1232 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 8 cents, or 0.12%, to $64.55.

Global oil demand will rise more slowly than previously expected this year, the IEA said on Thursday while projecting a sizeable surplus despite outages that cut supply in January.

The Brent and WTI benchmarks reversed gains to turn negative after the IEA's monthly report, having derived support earlier from concerns over the US-Iran backdrop.

US President Donald Trump said after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday that they had yet to reach a definitive agreement on how to move forward with Iran but that negotiations with Tehran would continue.

Trump had said on Tuesday that he was considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the Middle East if a deal is not reached with Iran. The date and venue of the next round of talks have yet to be announced.

A hefty build in US crude inventories had capped the early price gains. US crude inventories rose by 8.5 million barrels to 428.8 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, far exceeding the 793,000 increase expected by analysts in a Reuters poll.

US refinery utilization rates dropped by 1.1 percentage points in the week to 89.4%, EIA data showed.

On the supply side, Russia's seaborne oil products exports in January rose by 0.7% from December to 9.12 million metric tons on high fuel output and a seasonal drop in domestic demand, data from industry sources and Reuters calculations showed.