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Saudi Arabia Forges Ahead with Jafurah Shale Gas Field Development  

A view of the Jafurah Shale Gas Field. (Saudi Aramco)
A view of the Jafurah Shale Gas Field. (Saudi Aramco)
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Saudi Arabia Forges Ahead with Jafurah Shale Gas Field Development  

A view of the Jafurah Shale Gas Field. (Saudi Aramco)
A view of the Jafurah Shale Gas Field. (Saudi Aramco)

Saudi Aramco is pressing ahead with one of its most ambitious energy initiatives to date: the development of the Jafurah unconventional gas field, the largest of its kind in the Middle East, as part of a broader strategy to diversify the Kingdom’s energy mix and boost domestic gas output.

Located in the Eastern Province’s Jafurah Basin, which spans around 17,000 square kilometers, the project is seen as a cornerstone of Aramco’s transformation. The first phase is scheduled for completion in 2025, with plans to ramp up production to a sustained 2 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of gas by 2030, alongside large volumes of ethane, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and condensates.

Speaking during the company’s second-quarter earnings announcement on Monday, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser confirmed that development at the Jafurah Gas Plant remains on track. The company posted net profits of $24.5 billion for the quarter, down from $29.07 billion a year earlier.

Jafurah holds an estimated 200 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas, making it the richest shale gas play in the region. Aramco plans to invest more than $100 billion over the next 15 years to fully develop the field.

At the Al-Ahsa Investment Forum 2025, Nasser said the project is expected to contribute approximately $23 billion annually to Saudi Arabia’s GDP. It also aligns with Aramco’s goal to increase gas production capacity by over 60% by the end of the decade.

Global partnerships

According to former Saudi oil ministry adviser Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabban, the Jafurah field contains significant unconventional gas reserves, specifically shale gas, and may open the door to further technological partnerships.

“Given the complexity of the geology, Aramco could seek international partners with advanced expertise in shale gas extraction,” Al-Sabban told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added that Saudi Arabia’s simultaneous expansion in oil, gas, and renewable energy investments positions the Kingdom as a comprehensive energy provider, rather than merely an oil exporter.

Decarbonization and industrial integration

The Jafurah project is also central to Aramco’s decarbonization drive, supporting the company's net-zero emissions target by 2050. It will provide high-value feedstock for the refining, processing, and petrochemicals sectors, including ethane, NGLs, and condensates.

Due to the low permeability and porosity of the basin’s shale formations, the project depends on advanced horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques to extract gas from the sedimentary rocks of the Tuwaiq Mountain.

These technical demands classify Jafurah as an unconventional field, requiring specialized equipment and risk management protocols.

Aramco began by drilling both horizontal and vertical wells after confirming vast hydrocarbon deposits, alongside developing talent and creating detailed geologic maps to guide a three-year appraisal phase.

Billion-dollar contracts

On the ground, Aramco has introduced a suite of innovations to boost efficiency and safety. It has deployed mobile drilling rigs that can be relocated in one piece, and implemented advanced fracking practices that allowed the company to drill and complete wells more than five times faster, without traditional rigs, cutting costs and accelerating production timelines.

More than $10 billion in contracts have been awarded for the project’s initial phase, covering the construction of a fully integrated gas supply system. This includes a gas processing facility, an NGL fractionation plant, a gas compression network, and about 1,500 kilometers of pipelines for transportation and distribution, as well as a central power station and electrical infrastructure.

Turning point

Jafurah is not only a gas development megaproject; it is poised to reshape Saudi Arabia’s energy security. Once fully operational, it is expected to offset the equivalent of 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil used for domestic power generation, freeing up those volumes for value-added sectors such as refining and petrochemicals.

By 2030, the field is projected to produce more than 420 million scfd of ethane and up to 630,000 barrels per day of NGLs and condensates, helping to meet surging feedstock demand in the petrochemical industry.

The project is also expected to complement Aramco’s broader plans to scale up production of low-carbon hydrogen and blue ammonia.

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Business

What Does the Inclusion of Saudi Bonds in the J.P. Morgan Index Mean?

Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters
Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters
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What Does the Inclusion of Saudi Bonds in the J.P. Morgan Index Mean?

Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters
Saudi woman walks at the Saudi stock market in Riyadh - Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s debt market is set for a strategic shift in early 2027, following J.P. Morgan’s announcement that local-currency bonds will be included in its global emerging markets bond index. The move represents a vote of confidence in the Kingdom’s structural reforms and is expected to open the door to substantial capital inflows that will help finance major economic transformation projects.

In a note, J.P. Morgan said the move follows a series of reforms to improve foreign investor access and enhance local market capabilities.

The bank added that Saudi sukuk, Shariah-compliant debt instruments that function similarly to bonds, with a remaining maturity of up to 15 years, will be eligible for inclusion in the Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM), the most widely tracked benchmark of its kind, with $233 billion in assets tracking it.

J.P. Morgan said eight sukuk issues would be eligible for inclusion, with a total value of $69 billion.

The Kingdom’s inclusion in the index is expected to boost liquidity and demand for sovereign debt, contributing to lower borrowing costs.

In September, J.P. Morgan had placed Saudi Arabia on “Positive Index Watch,” paving the way for its eventual inclusion in the GBI-EM.

Commenting on the decision, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told Bloomberg that the move reflects continued confidence in the Kingdom’s economic transformation trajectory. He said the inclusion marks a new milestone in Saudi Arabia’s integration into global financial markets, adding that its immediate impact will be seen in broadening and diversifying the investor base and supporting long-term capital inflows into the domestic debt market, thereby strengthening the resilience and stability of the national economy.

The Significance of the Index

The importance of J.P. Morgan’s index lies in its role as a benchmark guiding major global fund allocations, particularly passive funds that track indices automatically. With an expected weighting of around 2.52 percent, Saudi bonds will become a core component of international investor portfolios, increasing government bond liquidity and reducing borrowing costs over the long term, a critical factor for the Kingdom’s economy.

Passive funds play a key role in ensuring steady inflows. Trillions of dollars globally are managed through such funds. Once Saudi Arabia is included in the index, these funds will purchase Saudi bonds to remain aligned with it. Unlike active investors, they do not rapidly buy or sell based on daily news or market sentiment, but continue to hold bonds as long as they remain in the index, providing significant stability to the Saudi debt market. Their participation also ensures a constant base of large-scale buyers, facilitating bond trading at any time.

Reforms That Paved the Way

This inclusion is the result of a series of regulatory reforms highlighted by the bank in its note. Saudi Arabia has improved international investor access by linking to the global Euroclear system, expanding its network of primary dealers to include international banks, and facilitating cross-border settlement and trading. These measures have enhanced legal certainty and transparency, making the Saudi debt market an attractive and secure destination for foreign capital.

Financial Stability Amid Regional Challenges

Beyond its economic dimensions, the move carries strategic significance amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region. Increased inflows into local bonds are expected to strengthen the government’s ability to manage any economic fallout from regional instability. It underscores the resilience and attractiveness of the Saudi economy, demonstrating its capacity to attract quality investment and secure the financing needed for its development plans regardless of external challenges.

Business

S&P Warns African Sovereign Credit Rating Risks Likely to Worsen

Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)
Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)
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S&P Warns African Sovereign Credit Rating Risks Likely to Worsen

Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)
Central Bank of Egypt building (A.P.)

S&P Global Ratings warned on Thursday that the risks to African sovereign credit scores were likely to worsen the longer the Middle East war drags on.

The ratings agency said that higher fuel and fertilizer import costs would increase inflation and fiscal strains for countries, "potentially leading to rating pressure".

Egypt, Mozambique and Rwanda are among the "most exposed" the agency said, although Egypt's deep domestic capital markets and Rwanda's high levels of concessional debt provide some offset, according to Reuters.

Less exposed are net-oil exporters Nigeria, Angola and Congo-Brazzaville as well as Morocco, due to stronger foreign-currency reserves.

S&P's "base case" assumed that the conflict will peak and that the Strait of Hormuz will gradually reopen but related disruptions will likely persist for months. A resumption of hostilities and a more prolonged conflict would present a greater threat to many African sovereigns.

The ratings agency said it expected Africa's borrowing costs to increase due to war's impacts and as a result of global risk aversion.

S&P in recent weeks kept Egypt's credit rating on a "stable" outlook and affirmed ratings for Morocco, Ghana and Mozambique.

Business

Gold Slips on Inflation Concerns as High Oil Prices and Stronger Dollar Weigh

An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Gold Slips on Inflation Concerns as High Oil Prices and Stronger Dollar Weigh

An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
An image made with a drone shows oil gas and fuel storage units at the Navigator Terminal in Grays, Britain, 14 April 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Gold prices fell on Thursday, pressured by a stronger dollar and elevated oil prices that stoked inflation worries, as investors tried to assess the conflict direction from stalled US-Iran talks.

Spot gold was down 0.9% at $4,696.71 per ounce, as of 1135 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery fell 0.8% to $4,714.0.

The dollar inched higher, making greenback-priced bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies, while benchmark 10-year US Treasury yields rose to an over one-week high, raising the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

"Gold continues to take its cues from the oil market, with rising energy costs keeping the risk of near-term dollar strength and elevated inflation in focus," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz as it tightened its grip on the strategic waterway after US President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting.

Iranian officials did not say they had agreed to any extension of the truce, accusing Washington of violating it by maintaining a blockade on Iranian trade by sea.

Brent crude oil prices rose above $100 a barrel on the stalled peace talks and as both nations maintained their restrictions on the flow of trade through the strait.

Higher crude oil prices can add to inflationary pressures, increasing the likelihood that interest rates remain elevated. While gold is often seen as an inflation hedge, higher rates dampen bullion’s appeal as it offers no yield.

Meanwhile, a Reuters poll of economists showed the US Federal Reserve will likely wait at least six months before cutting interest rates this year as war-driven energy shocks reignite already-elevated inflation.

"The current consolidation appears more a pause driven by rate uncertainty than a structural shift, and we maintain the view that gold is likely to reach a fresh record high later this year or in early 2027," Hansen added.

Spot silver fell 3.9% to $74.63 per ounce, while platinum lost 3.2% to $2,007.98, a more than one-week low for both metals. Palladium was down 4.8% at $1,470.79, a more than two-week low.