Saudi energy minister expects Aramco bond demand above $30 billion

The move is designed to help raise funds for a down payment on the oil giant’s $69.1 billion purchase of a majority stake in Saudi petrochemicals firm Sabic.

Aramco, the world’s top oil producer, earlier this month received an “A+” rating from Fitch and an “A1” rating from Moody’s in its first ever credit ratings, following 2018 earnings that dwarfed those of international oil majors.

Saudi Arabia has already seen formidable success in its recent tapping of the bond market: It issued $7.5 billion in sovereign bonds in January which drew an impressive $27 billion in orders. Saudi Arabia has “A1” and “A+” ratings from agencies Moody’s and Fitch, respectively, a sign of reliability and low risk for investors.

—Reuters contributed to this report.