Dangote Fuel Exports Rise as Middle East Refineries Shut Down

A senior official at the $20bn Lekki-based plant, who requested anonymity, disclosed on Monday that the refinery exported significant volumes of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), Automotive Gas Oil (diesel), and Jet A1 (aviation fuel) to foreign buyers in August.

Industry sources revealed that between June and July, the refinery supplied two long-range cargoes of fuel to the Gulf region. According to Argus Media, a heavy refinery turnaround in the Middle East Gulf is expected to tighten gasoline supply in the fourth quarter, compelling major players to increase imports.

Saudi Arabia has already shut down two of its refineries and plans further closures, including a 60-day maintenance at the 460,000 bpd Satorp refinery in Jubail from November to December, as well as work at its Riyadh refinery. Earlier, its 400,000 bpd Jizan facility and Yasref refinery in Yanbu had faced operational constraints. Kuwait’s Mina Abdullah refinery and rising domestic demand in India are also expected to add pressure on regional supply.

As a result, the Gulf region’s gasoline imports surged to 1.03 million tonnes in July — a 35 per cent rise from June and the highest since January. Saudi Arabia’s imports alone rose to 478,000 tonnes in July, up from 144,000 tonnes in June, while the UAE boosted purchases to 864,000 tonnes in August.

Meanwhile, Argus noted that operational issues at the 650,000 bpd Dangote refinery may persist until early September. However, the company denied any problems, insisting it plans to scale output to 700,000 bpd by December.

The refinery, which began operations in 2024, has steadily expanded exports. In February, Alhaji Aliko Dangote confirmed the sale of two jet fuel cargoes to Saudi Aramco. More recently, he disclosed that Nigeria had become a net exporter of refined products, with about 1 million tonnes of petrol shipped abroad between June and July 2025.

Analysts believe the ongoing refinery shutdowns in the Middle East will create further opportunities for the Dangote refinery to expand its export footprint.