[PRNewswire] Aramco, Baosteel and PIF sign agreement to establish first

integrated steel plate manufacturing complex in Saudi Arabia

(DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, May 1, 2023 PRNewswire=연합뉴스) Aramco, one of the world's leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (Baosteel), the world's leading steel conglomerate, and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) have signed a shareholders' agreement to establish an integrated steel plate manufacturing complex in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, the joint venture complex is expected to be located in Ras al-Khair Industrial City, one of the four new Special Economic Zones recently announced by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.

The complex would bring together Aramco's unrivaled energy and industrial services ecosystem, Baosteel's advanced steel plate industry capability and PIF's strong financial capabilities and investment expertise. It would be the first facility of its kind in the Kingdom and the GCC region, advancing the regional steel industry ecosystem. The project aims to enhance the domestic manufacturing sector through localizing the production of heavy steel plates, transferring knowledge and creating export opportunities.

The facility is expected to have a steel plate production capacity of up to 1.5 million tons per year. It would also be equipped with a natural gas-based direct reduced iron (DRI) furnace and an electric arc furnace, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions from the steel-making process by up to 60% compared to a traditional blast furnace. The DRI plant would be compatible with hydrogen without the need for major equipment modifications, potentially reducing CO2 emissions by up to 90% in the future.

Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, said: "The Kingdom's first steel plate production facility is expected to enhance Saudi Arabia's steel industry ecosystem and improve supply chain localization. Under Aramco's flagship industrial investment program, Namaat, and supported by the government's Shareek program, this joint venture is expected to create jobs and contribute to economic growth and diversification. This joint venture is also an example of bringing together expertise from other sectors. With Baosteel and PIF supporting in capacity building in the Kingdom's industrial sector, Aramco aims to create additional value for our company and our partners."

Yazeed A. Al-Humied, Deputy Governor and Head of MENA Investments at PIF, said: "PIF is diversifying the Saudi economy by unlocking opportunities and enabling key strategic sectors in the local market. This partnership aims at establishing an integrated steel plate manufacturing facility that will strengthen Saudi Arabia's industrial development and enable its role as a supplier within the metal industry. It will also build on PIF's mandate to establish new strategic partnerships locally and globally; localize technologies and knowledge; enable the private sector; and create more direct and indirect job opportunities in the local market. Since 2017, PIF has invested in 13 strategic sectors and established 77 new companies domestically."

Zou Jixin, Chairman of Baosteel, said: "This project is an active practice by Baosteel to explore lower-carbon paths for the steel industry, a major achievement in promoting the international development strategy of Baosteel. The project aims to contribute positively to the localization of the steel industry chain, job creation and local economic prosperity in Saudi Arabia."

Mr. Chen Derong, Chairman of Baowu Group (the parent company of Baosteel), and Mr. Hu Wangming, President of Baowu Group, have further endorsed the project with full confidence.

Saudi Arabia would be the project's primary target market, with plans to export to the GCC and broader MENA region. It is expected to create new jobs and significantly reduce reliance on imported steel, serving customers in several strategic industrial sectors including pipelines, shipbuilding, rig manufacturing, offshore platform fabrication and tank and pressure vessel manufacturing. It also would aim to serve the construction, renewables and marine sectors.

The investment aligns with PIF's strategy to unlock the capabilities of promising sectors and strategically important industries that can drive the diversification of the local economy. It will support a number of PIF's priority sectors that require steel plate and create a more resilient steel industry in the region.

The steel plate complex is supported by the Kingdom's Shareek program for large companies, which aims to foster greater private-public cooperation, create jobs and enhance the development of the Saudi economy by providing incentives for domestic investment. It also falls under Aramco's Namaat program, which aims to establish strategic partnerships that drive Saudi Arabia's economic, supply chain and industrial investment diversification and expansion.

Photo caption:

Aramco, Baosteel and PIF signing ceremony for the steel plate manufacturing joint venture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on May 1

About Aramco

Aramco is a global integrated energy and chemicals company. We are driven by our core belief that energy is opportunity. From producing approximately one in every eight barrels of the world's oil supply to developing new energy technologies, our global team is dedicated to creating impact in all that we do. We focus on making our resources more dependable, more sustainable and more useful. This helps promote stability and long-term growth around the world. www.aramco.com.

About PIF

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world. Since 2015, when the Board was reconstituted and oversight transferred to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, the Fund's board of directors has been chaired by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund. PIF has a leading role in advancing Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and diversification, as well as contributing to shaping the future of the global economy. Since 2017, PIF has established 77 companies and created, directly and indirectly, more than 500,000 jobs as at the end of 2021.

PIF is building a diversified portfolio by entering into attractive and long-term investment opportunities in 13 strategic sectors in Saudi Arabia and globally. PIF's strategy, as set out in the PIF Program 2021-2025 - one of the Vision 2030 realization programs - aims to enable many promising sectors and contribute to increasing local content by creating partnerships with the private sector, in addition to injecting at least 150 billion riyals annually into the local economy. PIF works to transfer technologies and localize knowledge to build a prosperous and sustainable economy domestically. As the investment arm Saudi Arabia, PIF looks to make unique investments, and is building strategic alliances and partnerships with prestigious international institutions and organizations, which contribute to achieving real long-term value for Saudi Arabia, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. PIF has also created an operational governance model that reflects its main tasks and objectives, in line with best international practices. Applying this model of governance enhances the level of transparency and effectiveness in decision-making and future progress.

More information about PIF can be found at: http://www.pif.gov.sa

About Baosteel

Baosteel is a globally leading modernized integrated iron and steel company. The company possesses the world's first-class manufacturing and service capability and ranks second in crude steel production; first in automotive sheet output; and first in silicon steel output among all the globally listed steel companies. The company is also one of the global steel enterprises with the most complete carbon steel products.

Baosteel attaches great emphasis to cultivating its innovation capacity, actively develops and deploys advanced technologies for manufacturing, energy-conservation and environmental protection and has established a marketing, processing and service network with nationwide coverage and worldwide involvement. Its independently developed high-end products all reach the world's advanced level. With a strategic objective to build itself into the most globally competitive iron and steel enterprise and a listed company with the greatest investment value, Baosteel is devoted to providing prominent products and services to customers, creating the best value for shareholders and society and achieving joint development with stakeholders.

www.baosteel.com

Disclaimer

The press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements relating to historical or current facts included in the press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements give the Company's current expectations and projections relating to its capital expenditures and investments, major projects, upstream performance, including relative to peers, and growth in downstream and chemicals. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could," "continue," "forward" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the expected results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including the following factors: international crude oil supply and demand and the prices at which Aramco sells crude oil; the impact of COVID-19 on business and economic conditions and on supply and demand for crude oil, gas and refined and petrochemical products; adverse economic or political developments that could impact the Company's results of operations; competitive pressures faced by the Company; any significant deviation or changes in existing economic and operating conditions that could affect the estimated quantity and value of proved reserves; operational risks and hazards in the oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals industries; the cyclical nature of the oil and gas, refining and petrochemical industries; weather conditions; political and social instability and unrest and actual or potential armed conflicts in the regions in which Aramco operates and other areas; losses from risks related to insufficient insurance; the Company's ability to deliver on current and future projects; litigation to which the Company is or may be subject; the Company's ability to realize benefits from recent and future acquisitions, including with respect to SABIC; risks related to international operations, including sanctions and trade restrictions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and other laws and regulations; risks related to oil, gas, environmental, health and safety and other regulations that impact the industries in which Aramco operates; the Company's dependence on its senior management and key personnel; the reliability and security of the Company's IT systems; climate change concerns and impacts; risks related to Government-directed projects and other Government requirements, including those related to Government-set maximum level of crude oil production and target MSC; fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates; and other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements in this press release, as set forth in the Company's latest periodic reports filed with the Tadawul. For additional information on the potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted please see the Company's latest periodic reports filed with the Tadawul. Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding the Company's present and future business strategies and the environment in which it will operate in the future. The information contained in the press release, including but not limited to forward-looking statements, applies only as of the date of this press release and is not intended to give any assurances as to future results. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to the press release, including any financial data or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable law or regulation. No person should construe the press release as financial, tax or investment advice. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067167/Aramco_Baosteel.jpg

Aramco, Baosteel and PIF signing ceremony for the steel plate manufacturing joint venture in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, on May 1

Source: Aramco

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