
Saudi oil production cost up 11% in 2024
Crude oil production costs in Saudi Arabia increased by around 11 percent in 2024 but they remained among the world's lowest costs.
Saudi Aramco's figures published by the Saudi daily Aliqtisadia on Wednesday showed production and exploration costs averaged around $3.53 in 2024 per barrel compared with nearly $3.19 in 2023.
Costs last year were the highest since 2018, when they stood at around $3.05 per barrel, the paper said, citing a recent report by Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company.
The report showed capital expenditure by Saudi Aramco on oil and gas exploration and production averaged nearly $8.3 per barrel equivalent last year.
'Saudi Aramco noted in a recent report that production costs in Saudi Arabia remain among the lowest in the world,' the paper said.
Saudi Aramco controls the world's second largest proven oil deposits of around 255 billion barrels and produces more than 9 million barrels per day (bpd), far below its sustainable output capacity of nearly 12 million bpd.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Zawya
2 hours ago
- Zawya
Saudi's NWC expected to award water network project in Hail region in Q3 2025
Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC) is expected to award the construction contract for Hail Region Water Networks Construction Project (Contract No. 5) in the third quarter of 2025, a source aware of the details said. The tender was issued on 22 May 2025, with a bid submission deadline of 19 June 2025. 'Contract award is expected in September 2025, with project completion scheduled for the second quarter of 2027,' the source told Zawya Projects. The project scope includes: ·Construction of network lines with diameters ranging from 100 mm to 400 mm, spanning a total length of approximately 105 kilometres ·Installation of a water tank ·Deployment of two pumping stations (Reporting by Deva Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon) (


Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
Iraq set to launch first LNG import terminal
Iraq is moving closer to launching its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal as it advances negotiations with US-based Excelerate Energy, officials have said. Shafaq news agency quoted officials as saying the state-run South Gas Company is overseeing the project, which centers on establishing a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at the Khor Al-Zubair port in Basra. The proposed facility would enable the country to receive, store, and convert LNG into natural gas for use in its power sector, the report said. Excelerate Energy, which develops and operates floating LNG terminals and infrastructure, is one of the top bidders for the project, and discussions are reportedly in an advanced phase. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon) ( Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.


Arabian Post
5 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Saudi FDI Soars as Unemployment Plummets
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Net foreign direct investment surged to SAR 22.2 billion in Q1 2025, marking a 44 per cent year‑on‑year rise, the General Authority for Statistics reported on Sunday. Though slightly down from SAR 24 billion in Q4 2024, the inflows underscore robust investor interest. Meanwhile, unemployment eased across the board, with significant gains for women and youth. Government data show inward FDI at SAR 24 billion in Q1, a 24 per cent increase year‑on‑year but a 6 per cent dip compared to late 2024. Despite this quarterly slowdown, inflows remain well above Q1 2024's SAR 19.4 billion. The rebound follows strategic efforts under Vision 2030, including high-profile giga‑projects in tourism, sports and entertainment and regulatory reforms aimed at boosting foreign investor confidence. ADVERTISEMENT Analysts caution that current FDI levels are still far short of Saudi Arabia's $100 billion annual target. Obstacles such as a complex legal environment and perceptions of the Kingdom as a capital exporter persist. The government has responded by conditioning state‑contract awards on regional headquarters being based locally, along with plans to overhaul investment laws to increase transparency. On the labour front, the overall unemployment rate for people aged 15 and above dropped to 7.8 per cent in Q1, down from 8.5 per cent in Q4 2024. Among Saudi nationals, unemployment eased to 7.6 per cent, compared to 8.4 per cent in the previous quarter; male unemployment declined from 5.1 per cent to 4.7 per cent and female unemployment from 14.3 per cent to 13 per cent. These figures follow earlier statistics showing an even lower unemployment rate among Saudi nationals: 6.3 per cent, the lowest on record, driven in part by historic falls in female joblessness, which reached 10.5 per cent. GASTAT's labour bulletin also highlighted a rise in overall participation to 68.2 per cent, up 1.8 points from Q4 2024. Within that, Saudi male participation climbed to 66.4 per cent, while female participation rose to 36.3 per cent. The youth labour market showed varied outcomes: unemployment among young Saudi women fell to 11.6 per cent, while male youth unemployment dropped to 11.6 per cent as well, even as their participation rate declined. Experts link these shifts to targeted labour reforms, including expanded digital employment platforms such as Jadarat, and programmes that encourage female workforce inclusion under Vision 2030. Economic diversification is evident in the deeper GDP breakdown. Non‑oil sectors grew by 4.2 per cent in Q1, significantly outpacing oil activity, which fell by 1.4 per cent, according to GASTAT. Government services also rose by 3.2 per cent, driving overall GDP growth of 2.7 per cent year‑on‑year. These shifts highlight the evolving composition of the economy away from hydrocarbons. The resilience in FDI and labour metrics comes amid projected fiscal pressures. Saudi Arabia is expected to run a SAR 101 billion deficit in 2025, to be funded largely through debt. Even so, credit agencies note that net public debt remains low at approximately 17 per cent of GDP, leaving room for continued borrowing. Policy-makers point to dynamic growth in private‑sector activity and infrastructure investment as evidence of broader momentum. Nonetheless, flows remain below long‑term targets, and uncertainties linger over the pace of regulatory liberalisation and investor protections. Combined, these indicators illustrate an economy in transition. FDI strength and labour market improvement reflect clear progress, especially on domestic policy fronts aligned with Vision 2030 goals. Yet government targets for transformative investment and full private‑sector integration remain distant, and persistent structural rigidities could slow advancement. Moving forward, success will hinge on deepening institutional reforms—such as streamlined licensing, improved legal frameworks, and enhanced foreign equity rights—and sustaining social policies that widen labour force inclusivity, notably among women and youth. Economic forecasts anticipate moderating oil prices and slower government expenditure later in 2025, placing even greater emphasis on private capital inflows and sustainable domestic job creation. These emerging trends offer insight into Saudi Arabia's efforts to recalibrate its economic model—balancing fiscal constraints with bold ambitions. While the pace of change remains uneven, the current data points to structural momentum that, if sustained, could reshape the Kingdom's economy over the remainder of the decade.