Saudi Arabian Government News

Saudi Aramco and its partners have appointed Fathi K. Al-Saleem as chief executive of a joint venture to build a shipyard on the kingdom’s east coast, part of the Saudi Arabian government’s drive to diversify the economy beyond oil. The state-owned oil giant said in a statement on Friday that International Maritime Industries (IMI) had been officially launched in partnership with National Shipping Co of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), engineering firm Lamprell Plc, and South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.

Oil giant Saudi Aramco has selected JPMorgan Chase & Co, Morgan Stanley, and HSBC Holdings Plc as lead underwriters on the firm's planned initial public share offering, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Saudi Arabian Oil Co, known as Saudi Aramco, was not immediately available for comment. Saudi authorities are aiming to list up to 5 percent of the world's largest oil producer on both the Saudi stock exchange in Riyadh, the Tadawul, and one or more international markets in an IPO that could raise $100 billion. The listing is the centerpiece of a Saudi Arabian government plan to transform the kingdom by enticing investment and diversifying the economy away from reliance on oil.

Recognising the vital role of the region’s ports in providing trade links between the Far East, Asia, Europe and the US, international shipping and cargo experts are set to gather in Abu Dhabi on 28-30 March, for the World Ports and Trade Summit 2011. Multi-billion dollar investment in port operations across the Middle East is again surging forward in the post-recessionary environment, including Saudi Arabia, where total port throughput, increased almost 10% for the twelve months to the end of Q3 2010, according to figures released by the Saudi Ports Authority.