Petroleum Products Suppliers, Saudi Arabia

What petroleum products do Saudi buyers source?

In Saudi Arabia, petroleum products bought by industry are base oils, paving bitumen, petroleum coke, fuels and LPG, together with the depot and refuelling equipment used for aviation fuel. Most come from Aramco refineries and their affiliates on the Gulf and Red Sea coasts, and ListGCC files them under downstream oil and gas in Saudi Arabia, next to the refineries that make them.

Each buyer group works to a different specification. Blenders buy base stocks by API group, road contractors buy binders to the road authority's grade, smelters buy calcined coke against strict chemistry, and airports buy fuel handling equipment to international aviation standards. The main types and what to specify are below.

Refinery hardware such as hydrotreaters, cokers and vacuum units is on the refinery equipment page for Saudi plants. Finished oils and greases are in lubricants and oils, and bulk storage is under tanks and terminals for petroleum storage.

Base oils from Yanbu and Jeddah

Saudi base oil supply centres on Luberef, owned 70 percent by Aramco and 30 percent by Jadwa Investment. Lube Report wrote in February 2018 that its upgraded Yanbu plant had begun shipping API Group II under the aramcoPrima name, the first large Group II output in the Middle East, with Group I also made at Yanbu and at a separate Jeddah plant. Under API 1509 Annex E, Group II needs at least 90 percent saturates, no more than 0.03 percent sulfur and a viscosity index from 80 to below 120, while Group III needs a viscosity index of at least 120.

Binders for Saudi roads

Research at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in 1997 found that locally produced 60/70 penetration bitumen suited less than 30 percent of the Gulf countries' area, air blowing was needed for about another 25 percent, and polymer modification for the rest, including eastern Saudi Arabia. Contractors on the Gulf coast and in hot inland regions should expect to specify modified or harder binders.

Calcined coke for aluminium

Ma'aden Aluminium signed a five-year agreement in 2021 with Saudi Calcined Petroleum Coke Company for 100,000 t/y of calcined coke for its Ras Al-Khair smelter, as part of a goal to localise about 320,000 t/y. Ma'aden called petroleum coke one of its largest and most critical raw materials, historically sourced from overseas.

How do Saudi heat, dust and humidity affect petroleum products?

Saudi conditions affect petroleum products mostly after they leave the refinery. Inland heat and coastal humidity on the Gulf and Red Sea, plus blowing dust, decide how binders are graded and how base oils, jet fuel, coke and LPG must be stored and handled.

• Base oils: Jeddah, Yanbu and Dammam storage sees high humidity; fit tank breathers that keep water out, store drums covered, and check water and appearance on delivery.
• Bitumen: long hauls from refinery to remote road projects mean holding hot binder for days; agree maximum storage temperature and time, and test before laying.
• Jet fuel: dust and condensed water are the main contaminants, controlled by filtration, sumping and quality checks under JIG procedures at every transfer.
• Coke: dust suppression and covered handling at ports such as Jubail and Ras Al-Khair protect both workers and anode quality.
• LPG: cylinders and bulk tanks need shade, ventilation and separation from ignition sources in summer.

Which standards and approvals apply to petroleum products in Saudi Arabia?

As of 2026, every activity involving petroleum products in Saudi Arabia, from buying and selling to transport, storage, import and processing, needs a prior licence from the Ministry of Energy under the Petroleum and Petrochemical Materials Law. SASO standards and SABER certificates govern product and equipment conformity, and aviation, API and road authority specifications set grades.

Ministry of Energy licensing

The Ministry of Energy has said that all petroleum and petrochemical activities need prior licensing under the law issued by Royal Decree M/139, which replaced the older Law of Trade in Petroleum Products, and it issues licences through an online service. Traders, transporters and storage operators should hold the licence for each activity they perform, and buyers should ask to see it.

Aviation fuel

SASO 2263 sets requirements for Jet A-1 aviation turbine fuel for civil use and can be used to describe quality from the refinery through the supply chain to the airport. A draft 2023 revision was circulated to replace the 2021 edition, so confirm which edition is in force. Depot and refuelling equipment is usually specified to JIG standards and Energy Institute filtration specifications such as EI 1596 for filter vessels. Imported equipment needs SABER documents; our guide to SASO and SABER certificates for industrial equipment explains which apply.

Selling to Aramco

Aramco registration and iktva localisation are explained on the Saudi oil and gas sector hub; both apply to suppliers of products and services into Aramco refineries and terminals.

Who supplies petroleum products in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi petroleum products are supplied by Aramco and its affiliates, by international oil company brands working through Saudi distributors, and by licensed traders and blenders in the Eastern Province, Riyadh and Jeddah. Large volumes come direct from refiners; smaller lots and specialist grades usually come through distributors.

• Refinery affiliates: Luberef base oils from Yanbu and Jeddah, and refinery bitumen and coke from Aramco and joint venture refineries.
• International brands: Chevron lubricants, greases and base oils, Texaco Havoline and HDAX lubricants and Caltex fuels and lubricants, marketed by Chevron's regional distributors.
• Traders and blenders: imported base stocks, modified binders, packaged bitumen and fuels for industrial users.

Ask every supplier for its Ministry of Energy licence for the activity concerned, the batch certificate of analysis and the refinery of origin. The guide to sourcing industrial suppliers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE covers commercial registration checks, and you can post a petroleum products requirement to collect quotes from Saudi suppliers.

What affects the price and lead time of petroleum products in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi prices for petroleum products follow international benchmarks and the grade bought, adjusted for packaging, inland freight and import paperwork. ListGCC does not publish prices, which move with daily market assessments and each contract's terms.

• Grade: Group III base oils, polymer modified binders and low sulfur coke cost more and have fewer sources than standard grades.
• Origin: in-Kingdom refinery supply avoids import clearance, while imported grades add SABER and customs time.
• Distance: trucking from Yanbu, Jeddah or the Eastern Province to inland projects adds cost and days, especially for hot bitumen.
• Packaging: bulk, drums, flexitanks and IBCs carry different handling and freight costs.
• Licensing: a supplier without the right Ministry of Energy licence for transport or storage can delay delivery.

For term supply, fix a pricing formula, accepted test methods, quantity tolerance and an independent laboratory for disputes before the first lifting.

Sources

• Zawya, Saudi Energy Ministry mandates licences for all petroleum and petrochemical operations
• SASO, draft SASO 2263:2023 Aviation turbine fuels
• SASO, SABER platform
• API 1509, 21st edition, Annex E base stock categories
• Lube Report, Group II output begins in Yanbu (February 2018)
• Al-Abdul Wahhab et al., Performance-based bitumen specifications for the Gulf countries (1997)
• Ajel, Ma'aden signs agreement with SCPC for calcined petroleum coke (2021)
• JIG, Standards and publications