Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) produced 53.9 million metric tons of chemicals in 2025, generating SAR 116.5 billion (approximately $31bn) in revenue across petrochemicals, polymers, and agri-nutrients — making it one of the largest chemical manufacturers in the world by output. Founded by royal decree in 1976 to convert oil by-products into higher-value products, this SABIC company profile covers its ownership structure, storage infrastructure, global footprint, and 2026 strategic direction.
Ownership, Structure, and Market Position
Saudi Aramco holds a 70% controlling stake in SABIC, acquired from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in 2019 in a transaction valued at $69.1 billion — one of the largest deals in chemical industry history. The remaining 30% trades on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), where SABIC ranks as the second-largest listed company in the Kingdom. The Saudi Aramco company profile covers the parent company’s broader upstream and midstream operations, which feed directly into SABIC’s feedstock supply chain.
SABIC structures its operations across three strategic business units: Chemicals (ethylene, methanol, ethylene glycol, and oxygenates), Polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, and advanced thermoplastics), and Agri-Nutrients (urea, ammonia, and fertilizers). The company serves customers in more than 140 countries and maintains manufacturing, sales, and technology facilities across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.
The company holds more than 11,000 patents and pending applications, operating dedicated innovation centres across five regions. In 2024, SABIC received five Edison Award wins for material science and consumer applications — the fourth consecutive year it has been recognised by that programme.
Storage and Terminal Infrastructure: Jubail and Yanbu
SABIC’s primary industrial operations are concentrated in two locations: Al-Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea, both within Saudi Arabia’s designated industrial cities. These sites anchor a significant bulk liquid storage and logistics network serving SABIC’s own production and third-party petrochemical clients.
The most significant storage asset associated with SABIC is the Jubail Chemical Storage and Services Company (JCSSC), known commercially as Chemtank — a joint venture between SABIC, Royal Vopak, and Jubail Yanbu Industrial Company. The 568,000 m³ terminal at King Fahd Industrial Port in Al-Jubail operates 71 tanks and provides import and export storage via vessel, truck, rail, and pipeline connection. The facility serves SABIC, Sadara Chemical Company, and other regional petrochemical producers.
SABIC also operates Sabtank (Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation Terminal Services Company), the main petrochemical storage operator at Jubail Industrial Port. Sabtank manages approximately 1.3 million cubic metres of storage across 77 tanks at that facility, with Vopak holding a minority operating stake. The scale of storage infrastructure at Jubail makes it one of the most significant petrochemical logistics hubs in the Middle East — a point covered in more depth in the Saudi Arabia Downstream Petrochemicals 2026 analysis.
2025 Financial Performance and 2026 Outlook
SABIC’s 2025 full-year results presented a mixed picture. Revenue declined 1% year-on-year to SAR 116.5 billion, with lower average selling prices partly offset by higher sales volumes. The company reported an adjusted net income of SAR 2.1 billion for the year, while free cash flow reached SAR 7.2 billion — a 17% increase year-on-year, supported by disciplined capital expenditure management. A large Q4 2025 impairment charge drove the statutory net loss figure significantly, which SABIC has attributed to one-off accounting effects rather than underlying operational performance.
The year’s most significant operational milestone was the startup of the MTBE project at the Petrokemya affiliate in Jubail — a one million metric ton per year capacity plant now in commercial operation. The Fujian Petrochemical Complex in China, a flagship joint venture expansion, was nearing completion at year-end 2025. Additional projects in the pipeline include an engineering thermoplastics compounds plant in China and an ethylene oxide catalyst facility in Saudi Arabia targeting technology localisation.
Capital expenditure for 2026 is projected in the range of $3.5 to $4 billion. SABIC has also signalled strategic portfolio optimisation activity, including the closure of its cracker at Teesside in the UK and ongoing review of its Gas affiliate, with a potential IPO under consideration. Among the broader landscape of top petrochemical companies globally, SABIC remains one of the few with direct feedstock integration through a national oil company parent.
Global Manufacturing Footprint and Europe Presence
SABIC’s European manufacturing base traces to the $2 billion acquisition of DSM’s petrochemicals business in 2002, followed by the $11.6 billion acquisition of GE Plastics in 2007 — a deal that brought the Noryl™ and Ultem™ high-performance resin portfolios into the group. Today, SABIC Europe operates major production sites at Geleen in the Netherlands and Gelsenkirchen in Germany, producing over 2 million tonnes of polymers and 5 million tonnes of base chemicals annually. The Teesside, UK cracker — part of the former Huntsman acquisition — is being closed as part of the current transformation programme.
In Asia, the Fujian complex represents SABIC’s largest single growth investment outside the Kingdom. The company’s Asia operations are integral to its position as a supplier to the automotive, packaging, electronics, and clean energy sectors — markets where the company is positioning its Noryl™ and Ultem™ materials for electric vehicle and AI data centre applications.
SABIC’s agri-nutrients business, which produces fertilizers and ammonia, gives it a direct relevance to global food security supply chains — a category with growing strategic weight as governments scrutinise fertilizer import dependency. The QatarEnergy profile covers a neighbouring state producer with overlapping ammonia and LNG export interests in the same Gulf industrial corridor.
SABIC Company Profile: Key Facts 2026
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 (royal decree) |
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Majority shareholder | Saudi Aramco (70%) |
| 2025 Revenue | SAR 116.5bn (~$31bn) |
| 2025 Production | 53.9 million metric tons |
| Employees | 31,000+ |
| Countries served | 140+ |
| Patents | 11,000+ filed or pending |
| Key storage JV | Chemtank / JCSSC (568,000 m³, Jubail) |
| Sabtank capacity | ~1.3 million m³ (Jubail Industrial Port) |
| 2026 CapEx guidance | $3.5–4bn |
Who owns SABIC?
Saudi Aramco holds a 70% controlling stake in SABIC, acquired from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2019 for $69.1 billion. The remaining 30% is publicly traded on the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul). Prior to the Aramco acquisition, SABIC was owned directly by the Saudi government.
What does SABIC produce?
SABIC produces chemicals, polymers, and agri-nutrients, including ethylene, methanol, ethylene glycol, polyethylene, polypropylene, urea, and ammonia. The company also produces engineering thermoplastics under brands including Noryl™ and Ultem™, used in automotive, electronics, and clean energy applications.
What is Sabtank and how does it relate to SABIC’s storage operations?
Sabtank (Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation Terminal Services Company) is SABIC’s bulk liquid storage affiliate operating at Jubail Industrial Port on the Arabian Gulf. The facility holds approximately 1.3 million cubic metres of petrochemical storage capacity across 77 tanks, with Royal Vopak acting as a minority operator partner. Sabtank serves SABIC’s production affiliates and third-party petrochemical clients.
What is SABIC’s financial performance in 2025 and 2026 outlook?
SABIC reported 2025 revenue of SAR 116.5 billion (~$31bn) and an adjusted net income of SAR 2.1 billion. Free cash flow rose 17% year-on-year to SAR 7.2 billion. For 2026, the company has guided capital expenditure of $3.5 to $4 billion, with growth projects in Saudi Arabia and China and ongoing portfolio optimisation including the closure of its Teesside cracker in the UK.
Where are SABIC’s main manufacturing sites?
SABIC’s primary industrial base is in Al-Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. Outside the Kingdom, major manufacturing sites include Geleen in the Netherlands, Gelsenkirchen in Germany, and a large joint venture petrochemical complex under development in Fujian, China. The company operates in around 50 countries and serves customers in more than 140.