“(The IPO) will increase our international visibility as the leading company in the world,” CEO Amin Nasser said at a press conference. He declined to comment on the company’s valuation, which executives said would be determined following consultation with potential investors.
Aramco has vast oil reserves and massive daily output. It holds a monopoly in Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil.
The Saudi government initially discussed floating 5% of the company in 2018 in a deal that would raise as much as $100 billion. It was looking at international markets such as New York or London, as well as Riyadh.
But executives made clear on Sunday that they intend to move forward.
“The question could be, ‘Why not now?'” chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan told reporters at the press conference. “I think this is the right time for us — coming to a juncture where we want to take Aramco to be a public company, to have more disclosure.”
— Sugam Pokharel contributed reporting.