Saudi Aramco and French oil company TotalEnergies opened two fuel stations in Riyadh as part of their plans to upgrade a network of 270 units under their joint venture.
The filling stations will feature either Aramco or TotalEnergies branding and will offer premium fuels and retail services.
"As the kingdom scales up tourism projects, we can expect domestic travel to increase, along with demand for hospitality and travel services," said Amin Nasser, president and chief executive of Aramco.
"With our entry into retail, we aim to deliver the best experience possible for customers, while creating opportunities for Saudis to pursue careers in retail and marketing."
The two companies agreed in 2019 to jointly expand their retail offerings by forming a joint venture on equal footing.
Saudi Arabia has opened up the domestic fuel services market to international players. Regional operators such as Emirates National Oil Company and Adnoc are also expanding in the kingdom by either retrofitting existing service stations or building new ones.
“The opening of these two first stations is another step forward in reaffirming our long-standing partnership with Aramco, following our joint investments in Satorp since 2008," said Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and chief executive of TotalEnergies.
Satorp is a 440,000 barrels per day refinery in Jubail, which is owned by Aramco and TotalEnergies, with the former having a 62.5 per cent interest.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
