Lower sales cut into Sabic profit

Drop for petrochemical giant was almost 5% last year, in part due to lower sales prices

Saudi petrochemical giant Sabic’s net profits fell almost five per cent last year, in part due to lower sales prices, the firm announced yesterday.

Petrochemical prices are influenced by trends in global crude prices, which recovered in 2016 after a fall the previous year.

Sabic, one of the world’s largest producers of petrochemicals, fertilisers, plastics and metals, is the largest publicly traded firm in the Gulf states.

The company’s net profit drop of 4.95 per cent last year compared with a sharp fall of almost 19 per cent for 2015.

In a statement to the Saudi Stock Exchange, Sabic reported net profits of 17.84 billion riyals (Dh17.5 billion, $4.76 billion) in 2016 against 18.77 billion riyals the previous year.

Sabic blamed “lower average sales prices” for the fall in net income for the period ending December 31.

It also cited an increase in “zakat” provisions, or religious alms giving, as well as an additional impairment against its Arabian Industrial Fibres Co affiliate.

Production cut

Global crude prices have stabilised above $50 a barrel after Opec and non-Opec countries agreed late last year to jointly cut production.

Prices collapsed from above $100 a barrel in 2014 before rallying from around $30 at the beginning of 2016.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest oil exporter but companies like Sabic reflect the direction the kingdom aims for as it diversifies its industrial, business and investment base under reforms launched last year.