Saudi Aramco completes $2.65bn purchase of Valvoline Inc.’s global products business
Updated 02 March 2023
SPA
Dhahran: Saudi Aramco has completed through a wholly owned subsidiary the acquisition of US company Valvoline Inc.’s global products business for $2.65 billion.
Under the deal, which came after the two companies signed a share purchase agreement announced on Aug. 1, last year, Aramco aims to become one of the most prominent integrated brands in the world in the field of lubricants.
Aramco will own the Valvoline brand in connection with its product business, while Valvoline will own the brand in connection with its retail services business, and the two firms plan to work together to further spread ownership of the Valvoline brand globally.
Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Valvoline Global Operations will continue to be a world leader in automotive and industrial solutions, creating future-ready products and best-in-class services for partners around the globe.
The acquisition is expected to enhance Aramco’s growing presence in the premium brand lubricants market, while opening global horizons to promote the established name and provide a foundation for future growth and integration of its refining, chemicals, and marketing business portfolio.
Graduation of logistics academy trainees celebrated
Ceremony, held under the patronage of Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser, also featured the inauguration of two new branches of the academy
Updated 39 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: The Saudi Logistics Academy in Riyadh recently celebrated the graduation of more than 490 trainees from various programs.
The ceremony, held under the patronage of Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser, also featured the inauguration of two new branches of the academy in Jeddah and the Eastern Province, and the signing of five agreements with the private sector for training and rehabilitation in the academy.
Moreover, the academy received the final institutional accreditation from the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, in the presence of ministers, deputies and representatives of logistics companies.
The academy clarified that it granted the entry-level employment associate diploma to 435 trainees in eight training specialities.
This includes supply chain and logistics management, marketing and customer service, shipping brokerage, warehouse management, customs clearance, port operations, procurement, e-commerce, and last-mile delivery.
Tickets for SmackDown, Night of Champions now available through Webook
Riyadh Season, WWE co-organizing events, sponsored by Esports World Cup
Updated 11 min 29 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: Riyadh is gearing up to host two World Wrestling Entertainment events at the Kingdom Arena: its first-ever SmackDown on June 27, and Night of Champions the following day.
The events are being organized jointly by Riyadh Season and WWE, and are sponsored by the Esports World Cup.
Wrestling fans will be eagerly anticipating the events with the confirmed appearance of global icon John Cena.
SmackDown will feature a star-studded lineup including Cody Rhodes, Omos, Bianca Belair, and Charlotte Flair, in a show to be broadcast live on USA Network in the US.
Night of Champions will stream exclusively on Peacock in the US, while fans in Saudi Arabia and most international markets can watch both events live on Netflix, as part of WWE’s new partnership with the platform.
Tickets are now available for purchase through the Webook platform.
Both events mark major highlights of Riyadh Season, which was launched in 2019 and has rapidly grown to become one of the largest entertainment festivals in the world, attracting millions of visitors to premier sports, entertainment, and music events.
Deputy governor of Qassim launches ‘World No Smoking Day’ events
Events were organized by the anti-smoking association Tadarak
Updated 26 min 29 sec ago
Arab News
BURAIDAH: Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Faisal bin Saad, deputy governor of the Al-Qassim region, launched the “World No Smoking Day” events on Thursday.
Organized by Tadarak, an anti-smoking association, the events were launched during a visit by Ayman Al-Raqiba, director general at the Health Ministry in Qassim, to the deputy governor’s office.
During the meeting, Prince Fahd was briefed on the association’s awareness efforts in collaboration with health authorities. These efforts include high-quality programs focused on smoking prevention, treatment and education, aimed at enhancing quality of life and aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Israel kills another journalist in Gaza as global criticism intensifies
Moataz Mohammed Rajab was killed by an airstrike on a civilian vehicle
Latest casualty comes amid mounting international calls for sanctions on Israel
Updated 38 min 16 sec ago
Arab News
LONDON: Israeli forces killed Moataz Mohammed Rajab, a Palestinian photojournalist and video editor for Al-Quds Al-Youm TV, in an airstrike on Gaza City late Wednesday, amid mounting international condemnation of Israel’s conduct in the war.
According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Rajab was killed while covering Israeli attacks near Al-Nafaq Street, when an airstrike hit a civilian vehicle. He died instantly along with other civilians.
The Government Media Office in Gaza condemned what it called the “systematic targeting and assassination” of Palestinian journalists, accusing Israel of a deliberate campaign against the press.
“This is not random,” the office said in a statement. “Israel is deliberately assassinating Palestinian journalists.”
It urged the International Federation of Journalists, the Arab Journalists Union and global press freedom organizations to move beyond statements and take tangible action.
Rajab’s death comes amid mounting pressure on Israel to deescalate its assault on Gaza and ease a months-long blockade that has plunged the enclave’s 2.3 million residents into a severe humanitarian crisis.
Calls for restraint have grown increasingly urgent in recent days. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Israeli actions had taken “tragic and unacceptable forms,” and urged an immediate end to the bombings and resumption of humanitarian aid. He added that the forced displacement of Palestinians “is not and never will be an acceptable option.”
In one of the strongest public criticisms yet from a close ally, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier this week questioned the justification for continued Israeli airstrikes, calling them “no longer comprehensible” and suggesting they go beyond the stated aim of defeating Hamas. Observers say the remarks reflect a growing shift in German public opinion.
As the war passes the 600-day mark, international calls for a ceasefire are gaining traction.
At least 44 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The latest attacks came a day after desperate civilians looted a World Food Programme warehouse in central Gaza, highlighting the deepening humanitarian crisis.
Since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 54,000 people have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, including thousands of children.
The toll on journalists has also been staggering. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 181 media workers have been confirmed killed: 173 Palestinian, six Lebanese and two Israeli.
The organization said that at least 17 journalists and two media workers were deliberately targeted by Israeli forces in what CPJ classifies as murder.
In a report issued Wednesday, CPJ said Israel’s blockade and hunger crisis are severely hampering the ability of the press to cover the war, with Gaza’s media sector now described as “dismantled” and “exhausted.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has finalized arrangements for its Hajj pilgrims in coordination with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rajhi company, upgrading tents and amenities at key pilgrimage sites under a new agreement aimed at improving services for those traveling under the Government Hajj Scheme, an official confirmed Thursday.
The deal with Al-Rajhi, a licensed Tawafa company responsible for assisting foreign pilgrims in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, marks a significant step in elevating standards traditionally reserved for private tour groups.
The move comes as Pakistan seeks to improve the experience for nearly 89,000 pilgrims performing Hajj this year under the state-run scheme.
In total, 114,698 Pakistanis are expected to perform Hajj beginning June 4, including 25,698 under private operators. As of Thursday, 84,638 government-sponsored pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia on 329 flights, while 17,959 private pilgrims had also reached the kingdom.
Pre-Hajj flight operations are scheduled to conclude on May 31.
“An agreement was signed with the Tawafa company Al-Rajhi for Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, and all arrangements and facilities at the sacred sites are being finalized for this year’s Hajj,” Muhammad Umer Butt, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News from Makkah over the phone.
Officials from Pakistani Hajj Mission brief Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf about this year’s Hajj arrangement at the Pakistani camps in Mina, Saudi Arabia on May 29, 2025. (Handout/MORA)
He said pilgrims under the Government Hajj Scheme will now benefit from upgraded camp infrastructure.
“Air conditioners and extra fans have been added to the tents along with air coolers,” he informed, adding that modern sofa-cum-beds with partitions on both sides have been introduced to prevent the spread of infections caused by breathing or sweating.
Additional improvements include luggage racks, sliding doors in place of traditional tarpaulin sheets, gypsum board tent walls, artificial grass carpeting in corridors, protective sunshades, fans along walkways and designated shoe racks.
For the first time, Pakistani medical teams will be stationed at each camp to provide support in addition to Saudi medical services.
“A first aid team will be added to every camp, where doctors and medical staff will be available at all times,” Butt said.
He said Pakistan’s Hajj mission had also worked closely with Saudi authorities and the Maktab system to implement a transport strategy across the sacred sites, or Mashair, to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims.
“Saudi authorities have issued special instructions to protect pilgrims from the extreme weather conditions, and our mission ensures that these instructions are communicated clearly and understandably to all Pakistani pilgrims,” he added.
A dedicated complaint management cell has been set up to address pilgrims’ concerns in real time.
“A total of 2,241 complaints were received regarding lost luggage, out of which 2,209 were resolved with the luggage delivered to the concerned pilgrims,” Butt said.
“In Madinah, 636 bags were misplaced during handling, of which 630 were recovered and returned,” he continued.
He said that around two dozen pilgrims who had gone missing from their groups in Makkah and Madinah were also successfully located and reunited.
More than 39,000 Pakistani pilgrims completed their visit to Riyad al-Jannah — the sacred area in Masjid al-Nabawi believed to be a garden from Paradise — mostly using the official Nusuk app in Madinah.
For those unfamiliar with the digital system, special permits were arranged for 14,000 individuals.
Butt praised Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj infrastructure and logistical planning, which he said had greatly eased the pilgrimage experience for visitors from around the world.
