Aramco appoints new heads for upstream and downstream businesses  

The newly created positions and appointments have been approved by the company’s board of directors, and the appointments will be effective from July 1, 2023.  (File)
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Updated 18 May 2023
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Aramco appoints new heads for upstream and downstream businesses  

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Oil Co. has named new presidents for its upstream and downstream businesses as the oil giant looks to materialize its long-term strategies across the global portfolio and value chain.   

According to a press statement, Saudi Aramco has appointed Nasir K. Al-Naimi as the president of its upstream business and Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani as the president of the downstream business.   

The company’s board has approved the newly created positions and appointments of directors, and the changes will be effective from July 1, 2023.   

Al-Naimi and Al-Qahtani will report to Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco.   

“I am delighted to announce these appointments, which demonstrate our emphasis on the upstream and downstream components of our business as Aramco continues to transform to meet the world’s energy demand,” said Nasser.   

He added: “We expect this decision to help drive operational and financial performance, supporting our upstream capacity growth and our downstream expansion, together with our ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across wholly-owned operated assets by 2050.” 

Both Al-Naimi and Al-Qahtani have been handling crucial roles in Saudi Aramco for the past few years.  

Al-Naimi has been the executive vice president of the upstream business since April 2021, while Al-Qahtani has served as the executive vice president of downstream since September 2020.

“We continue to identify ways to further optimize and innovate across the Aramco group, and I am confident these newly created roles will help us deliver on our objectives,” Nasser added.  

Earlier this month, Aramco reported a net profit of SR119.54 billion ($31.88 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, up 3.75 percent from SR115.22 billion recorded in the previous quarter.    

This was more than three-quarters of the $40.5 billion in combined first-quarter profits reported by five oil majors: BP and Shell in Britain, ExxonMobil and Chevron in the US, and TotalEnergies in France.  

The company, in a Tadawul statement, noted that the rise in quarter-on-quarter net profit was driven by lower income taxes and zakat, lower operating costs, and higher finance and other income.


Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

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Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower at the end of the trading week on Thursday, falling 1.34 percent, or 152.54 points, to finish at 11,188.73. 

The benchmark index opened at 11,320.52 and trended lower throughout the session, finishing well below its previous close of 11,341.27.  

Market breadth was sharply negative, with only 28 gainers compared with 236 decliners. Trading activity saw a volume of 239 million shares exchanged, with total turnover reaching SR5.5 billion ($1.47 billion). 

In the parallel market, Nomu closed higher, rising 0.23 percent to 23,865.95, although decliners continued to outnumber advancers. The MT30 index closed at 1,508.60, down 1.46 percent, shedding 22.38 points by the end of the session. 

Among the session’s top gainers, Dar Al Majed Real Estate Co. led advances, rising 5.43 percent to close at SR9.91. 

Al Aziziah REIT Fund added 4.67 percent to SR4.48, while Al Majed Oud Co. gained 2.81 percent to SR161.20. AFG International Co. advanced 2.45 percent to SR17.17, and Al Mawarid Manpower Co. rose 1.37 percent to SR125.70.

On the losing side, Saudi Research and Media Group posted the steepest decline, falling 6.88 percent to SR107. Cherry Trading Co. dropped 6.23 percent to SR28.88, while Saudi Arabian Mining Co. slipped 5.41 percent to SR72.55.  

Almasane Alkobra Mining Co. declined 5.38 percent to SR102, and Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu ended 4.56 percent lower at SR31.36. 

On the announcements front, Saudi Industrial Investment Group released its interim financial results for the twelve-month period ended Dec. 31, 2025, reporting a return to profitability on an annual basis despite posting a quarterly loss.  

The company recorded a net loss of SR104 million in the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of SR201 million in the same quarter of the previous year, which it attributed mainly to lower selling prices, higher operating costs, and increased general and administrative expenses.  

For the full year, however, the group posted a net profit attributable to shareholders of SR197 million, compared with SR161 million a year earlier, supported by higher sales volumes and improved operational performance at several subsidiaries. The stock last traded at SR14.77, down 3.59 percent. 

Separately, Saudi Exchange Co. announced the approval of a request by Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to terminate its market-making activities for Saudi Arabian Oil Co., effective Feb. 8.

The exchange said the termination relates specifically to the market-making agreement for Saudi Aramco shares and was approved in line with applicable market-making regulations.