Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil-exporting company, completed the acquisition of 70 per cent of shares in Sabic, the region’s biggest petrochemicals firm.
Aramco announced last year its purchase of the stake worth $69.1 billion (Dh253bn) from the kingdom's sovereign Public Investment Fund. The share purchase deal works out at 123.39 riyals per share.
The transaction will provide capital for the PIF’s "long-term investment strategy” as it drives economic growth and transformation in the kingdom, the fund's governor Yasir Al Rumayyan said in a statement.
“It supports Aramco’s continued growth in downstream and enhances its international footprint; and, it provides Sabic a new strategic energy industry focused shareholder with the ability to support growth projects,” he added.
Aramco’s acquisition is in line with its long-term strategy to drive growth through an enhanced downstream portfolio by increasing global refining capacity from 4.9 million to 8 million-to-10 million barrels per day by 2030, of which 2m bpd to 3m bpd will be converted into petrochemical products. This downstream portfolio will consume significant quantities of Saudi Arabia's crude oil.
Aramco and Sabic registered 90 million tonnes of petrochemicals production, including agri-nutrient and specialty products in 2019, the companies said.
PIF, which has about $300bn in assets under management, is involved in the economic diversification process and plans to boost its international investments to help raise assets to $2 trillion by 2030.
PIF is tasked with enabling the creation of new sectors and opportunities that will shape the future global economy, while driving the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia.
Working alongside its global strategic partners and investment managers, PIF acts as the kingdom’s main investment arm to deliver a strategy focused on achieving attractive financial returns and long-term value for Saudi Arabia, in line with Vision 2030.
The transaction was a "significant leap forward” for Saudi Aramco’s downstream strategy, the company’s president and chief executive, Amin Nasser said.
The deal will place the company in the league of one of the world’s major petrochemicals players, he added.
“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic forcing many companies to rethink or revise their long term strategies, our long-term focus, financial strength and resilience have enabled us to complete this historic deal," Mr Nasser said.
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Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus
To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.
The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.
SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.
But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More on Quran memorisation:
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.