Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment and SATORP have formalized an agreement to advance and expand Amiral downstream industries connected to the Amiral petrochemical complex in Jubail, located on the Kingdom’s east coast. The agreement, signed on 23rd April 2026 under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy, is aimed at strengthening industrial output tied to the $11 billion Amiral project. Owned by SATORP and integrated with its existing 460,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery in Jubail, the initiative is positioned to enhance Amiral downstream industries through increased production of chemicals and semi-finished materials, while also focusing on improving efficiency, reducing logistics and transportation costs, and maximizing the use of domestic natural resources. SATORP itself is owned 62.5 percent by Saudi Aramco and 37.5 percent by TotalEnergies.
According to the Ministry of Energy, the agreement is expected to support diversification of non-oil revenues, reinforce national industrial strategies, and contribute to job creation for Saudi citizens, alongside boosting local content. The commercial start-up of the Amiral complex, which serves as a central element of Saudi Aramco’s liquids to chemicals strategy, is scheduled for 2027. Previous disclosures by TotalEnergies indicate that the project could unlock approximately $4 billion in additional investments tied to Amiral downstream industries, particularly in petrochemical and specialty chemical facilities across the Jubail industrial area. These plants are expected to utilize feedstock from Amiral to support the production of carbon fibres, lubricants, drilling fluids, detergents, food additives, automotive components, and tyres, further reinforcing the role of Amiral downstream industries in industrial expansion.
The project is anticipated to generate at least 7,000 direct and indirect local jobs through the Amiral complex and its associated facilities. The complex itself incorporates a mixed-feed cracker with an ethylene production capacity of 1.65 million tonnes per year, alongside two polyethylene production lines, each with a capacity of 500,000 tonnes per year. Additional infrastructure includes a butadiene extraction unit and several derivative units. Feedstock for these operations will be sourced from refinery off-gases and naphtha produced by SATORP, in addition to ethane and light naphtha supplied by Saudi Aramco.
As part of its decarbonisation approach, hydrogen generated as a by-product of the steam cracker will replace methane currently used as fuel in furnaces at the SATORP refinery. The project reached Final Investment Decision (FID) in December 2022, followed by a series of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract awards in June 2023. Key contractors include Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Maire Tecnimont, Sinopec Engineering Group Saudi Co., and Gulf Consolidated Contractors Co, alongside additional agreements with Mohammed Ali Al-Suwailem Trading & Contracting Co., Mofarreh Marzouq Al Harbi & Partners Co., and Mobarak M. Al Salomi & Partners for Contracting Co.
