LONDON: Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said that “all the work-streams” needed for the oil giant’s public listing would be completed by the second half of 2018. But the Aramco boss did not reveal any clues about the likely location for the listing. “On the question of where we will be listed, I will park that,” he said. 
The London Stock Exchange, as well as exchanges in New York and Hong Kong are competing to be the international location for the initial public offering that could raise about $100 billion and value the state-owned oil from at as much as $2 trillion. Nasser told the London forum that Aramco viewed gas as a “significant” growth area, and he was trying to capture growth in different parts of the world, both upstream and downstream. There has been speculation Aramco might do gas deals with Russia and even buy shale assets in the US. During a panel discussion about KSA “giga-projects,” Nasser flagged up major projects in KSA where the oil company was active in promoting development and growth. For example, he talked about a new maritime industries complex in the Kingdom that is a joint project with global companies such as Hyundai Heavy Industries. “When fully operational in 2022, this integrated maritime yard will be one of the largest full-service maritime facilities,” he said. He also mentioned King Salman Energy City. “The industrial manufacturing center will be developed over 500,000 square meters on land allocated for energy-related industries,” he said. The first phase is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018. Last year, US-based drilling and oil service firm Schlumberger said it would develop a manufacturing facility within the park. Nasser said the new development would bring major manufacturing capacity to the Kingdom, with the potential to develop export markets. He added the idea was “to bring the jobs and investment that are crucial to both Saudi Aramco’s IKTVA (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) development program, and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.” He estimated that the two giga projets would create 180,000 jobs in KSA and contribute $16 billion to national GDP.