Al Rasheed expands into oilfield logistics with Taif acquisition

Saudi Arabia’s Al Rasheed is buying into its own supply chain. Industrial silica sand miner Mohammed Hadi Al Rasheed & Partners signed an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Taif Shipping for SAR 92.5 mn, according to a Tadawul filing.

Why this matters: It’s a vertical integration play. Al Rasheed mines and processes the silica, and Taif ships and blends it for oilfield customers. Owning half the logistics chain gives Al Rasheed direct access to downstream marketing channels for its products.

What’s next? The acquisition, once cleared by the regulator, will be funded through Al Rasheed’s own resources and available financing facilities.

About Taif: Established in 2018 and headquartered in Al Khobar, Taif Shipping provides oilfield services including the transportation and blending of silica sand and chemicals used in conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction.

Al Rasheed’s been on a tear: The Saudi firm secured a five-year contract last year worth more than SAR 1.1 bn to supply National Petroleum Technology Co. with high-quality silica sand for unconventional gas extraction at Saudi Arabia’s Jafurah field. Al Rasheed is targeting silica sand production capacity of around 4.5 mn tons by 2026, up from roughly 1.4 mn tons previously, alongside a new high-quality silica powder production line, according to its 2025 annual report (pdf).