ALKHOBAR: Saudi Aramco has extended the deadline for companies to bid for construction of a clean fuels and aromatics project at its largest refinery in Ras Tanura, three industry sources said.
Bids are now due by Oct. 20, pushed back from Sept. 8, for the multi-billion-dollar project.
“Bidders requested an extension as there were so many additions to the scope of work,” one of the sources said.
Saudi Aramco has embarked on a program to upgrade its refineries as part of a shift by Middle Eastern refiners to produce cleaner fuels for export markets.
Aramco has also extended the date for bids to build a 2,400 megawatt power plant to supply electricity to its new 400,000 bpd refinery in Jizan, sources said, after companies asked for more time to prepare their offers.
The Ras Tanura clean fuels and aromatics project due on line by 2016 is part of Aramco’s second phase of its refineries upgrade. It will also help supply a new petrochemicals joint venture with Dow Chemical.
It includes a naphtha hydrotreater among other units and will have an annual production capacity of around 1 million metric tons of aromatics.
In March, Aramco shut its joint venture refinery with Exxon Mobil for nearly two months to bring a $2 billion clean fuels project on line.
The firm is building three new refineries in Saudi Arabia, one in the East with France’s Total, one near the Red Sea city of Yanbu with China’s Sinopec, and another at Jazan, near the border with Yemen. All will produce cleaner fuels and some petrochemicals.
The new power plant to supply the Jazan refinery will use integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology to convert vacuum residue fuel from the refinery into a synthetic gas.
Construction of the project is split into four parts. Bids for three have been extended to Oct. 9, while the remaining package known as the gasification unit is extended to Oct. 23.
The Jazan refinery, currently under construction, is likely to be delayed by six to 12 months, because work on associated infrastructure is behind schedule, sources said in July.
Aramco extends bidding for Ras Tanura clean fuels project
Aramco extends bidding for Ras Tanura clean fuels project
Jordan’s industry fuels 39% of Q2 GDP growth
JEDDAH: Jordan’s industrial sector emerged as a major contributor to economic performance in 2025, accounting for 39 percent of gross domestic product growth in the second quarter and 92 percent of national exports.
Manufactured exports increased 8.9 percent year on year during the first nine months of 2025, reaching 6.4 billion Jordanian dinars ($9 billion), driven by stronger external demand. The expansion aligns with the country’s Economic Modernization Vision, which aims to position the country as a regional hub for high-value industrial exports, the Jordan News Agency, known as Petra, quoted the Jordan Chamber of Industry President Fathi Jaghbir as saying.
Export growth was broad-based, with eight of 10 industrial subsectors posting gains. Food manufacturing, construction materials, packaging, and engineering industries led performance, supported by expanded market access across Europe, Arab countries, and Africa.
In 2025, Jordanian industrial products reached more than 144 export destinations, including emerging Asian and African markets such as Ethiopia, Djibouti, Thailand, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Arab countries accounted for 42 percent of industrial exports, with Saudi Arabia remaining the largest market at 955 million dinars.
Exports to Syria rose sharply to nearly 174 million dinars, while shipments to Iraq and Lebanon totaled approximately 745 million dinars. Demand from advanced markets also strengthened, with exports to India reaching 859 million dinars and Italy about 141 million dinars.
Industrial output also showed steady improvement. The industrial production index rose 1.47 percent during the first nine months of 2025, led by construction industries at 2.7 percent, packaging at 2.3 percent, and food and livestock-related industries at 1.7 percent.
Employment gains accompanied the sector’s expansion, with more than 6,000 net new manufacturing jobs created during the period, lifting total industrial employment to approximately 270,000 workers. Nearly half of the new jobs were generated in food manufacturing, reflecting export-driven growth.
Jaghbir said industrial exports remain among the economy’s highest value-added activities, noting that every dinar invested generates an estimated 2.17 dinars through employment, logistics, finance, and supply-chain linkages. The sector also plays a critical role in narrowing the trade deficit and supporting macroeconomic stability.
Investment activity accelerated across several subsectors in 2025, including food processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, mining, textiles, and leather, as manufacturers expanded capacity and upgraded production lines to meet rising demand.
Jaghbir attributed part of the sector’s momentum to government measures aimed at strengthening competitiveness and improving the business environment. Key steps included freezing reductions in customs duties for selected industries, maintaining exemptions for production inputs, reinstating tariffs on goods with local alternatives, and imposing a 16 percent customs duty on postal parcels to support domestic producers.
Additional incentives in industrial cities and broader structural reforms were also cited as improving the investment climate, reducing operational burdens, and balancing consumer needs with protection of local industries.
