Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a net profit of SR103.37 billion ($27.52 billion) for the third quarter of this year, exceeding analyst expectations of $26.9 billion. Despite this, net profit fell 15.40% compared to the same quarter in 2023, attributed to lower market prices for crude oil, refined, and chemical products amid challenging market conditions.
Saudi Arabia’s alignment with OPEC+ included reducing oil output by 500,000 barrels per day in April 2023, a cut now extended until December 2024.
“Aramco delivered robust net income and generated strong free cash flow during the third quarter, despite a lower oil price environment,” said Amin Nasser, Aramco’s president and CEO. He highlighted advancements in upstream developments, the strengthening of the downstream value chain, and progress in the company’s new energies program.
Total revenue from sales reached SR416.63 billion, marking a 1.76% year-on-year decline. Capital investments stood at SR49.6 billion, reflecting Aramco’s ongoing commitment to expansion and production.
Aramco also issued $3 billion in international sukuk, diversifying its investor base and boosting liquidity. “Our recent sukuk issuance highlighted strong investor confidence in Aramco,” Nasser remarked, emphasizing the company’s focus on strategic growth and diversification.
For the first nine months of 2024, Aramco posted a net profit of SR314.65 billion, down 11.25% from 2023, with total revenue at SR1.24 trillion, a slight increase of 0.02%.
Additionally, Aramco declared dividends totaling SR76.06 billion, alongside performance-linked dividends of SR40.39 billion, while advancing renewable energy projects, including three solar PV projects with a capacity of 5.5 gigawatts.