Saturday 07 / February / 2026
Duqm: February 7 marks a pivotal milestone in the progress of the Duqm Refinery, coinciding with its official launch on February 7, 2024, in a historic ceremony held under the patronage of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and His Highness Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait.
The visit represented a formal announcement of the transition to a new phase in the refinery’s journey, during which the vision moved from planning to full execution.
It also reaffirmed the foundations of a strategic partnership with regional and long-term economic dimensions.
Abdullah bin Salim Al Ajmi, Chief Executive Officer of Duqm Refinery, said that since the launch of the refinery, efforts have focused on establishing an operational model based on responsibility, efficiency, and the achievement of sustainable value.
Al Ajmi noted that the refinery has achieved tangible progress in operational performance, with production capacity increasing from 230,000 barrels per day to 255,000 barrels per day, reaching 110 percent of its designed operational capacity.
Abdullah bin Salim Al Ajmi explained that since the start of operations, the refinery has exported 633 shipments to international markets, including 284 shipments during 2025.
He explained that this level of performance reflects the effectiveness of operational improvement initiatives and confirms the refinery’s ability to enhance production rates and achieve higher efficiency while maintaining stability, reliability, and operational discipline.
He affirmed that the supply chain has witnessed rapid development, with sources of crude feedstock expanding from two countries during the initial stages to twelve countries. This expansion has strengthened supply chain resilience, supported operational continuity, and enhanced preparedness to address fluctuations in global markets.
On the financial front, he stated that March 2025 marked a significant milestone with the release of the USD 4 billion shareholders’ guarantee, following the successful completion of lenders’ reliability assessments. He explained that this achievement reflects the high level of confidence attained as a result of balanced performance, institutional discipline, and a coherent operational model.
Al Ajmi added that the refinery’s journey reflects its position as a well-established operational model founded on systematic work, sound planning, and continuous development of performance methodologies.
He noted that the features of this journey are evident in the cumulative results achieved and the solid foundations laid to support the sustainability of operations in the next stages.
He further explained that spending on local content in procurement and services during 2025 amounted to 12 percent of total expenditure, contributing to the support of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as part of the refinery’s ongoing commitment to promoting local content and strengthening partnership with the local community.
