SANAD
SANAD is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors Drilling Company that provides onshore oil and gas drilling services exclusively to Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, operating a fleet of 50+ rigs and committed to acquiring 50 locally-sourced new rigs over a decade.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersAl Khobar, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SANAD does
SANAD (Saudi Aramco Nabors Drilling Company) is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors Drilling Company, incorporated in Saudi Arabia and headquartered in Ad-Dammam, with a stated Al Khobar city location. Founded in 2018, the company provides onshore drilling services for oil and gas extraction, operating a fleet of more than 50 drilling rigs spanning Nabors platforms (NA-series including NA-18S, NA-128S, NA-207S, NA-393S; NBR-series such as NBR-16S, NBR-20S, NBR-210S, NBR-633S, NBR-797S and others; PA-series including PA-70S, PA-622S, PA-785S and PA-866S) and proprietary SANAD models (SND-1201, SND-2010–2019, SND-3001–3003, SND-1501–1502, SND-2001–2009, M1212) as well as NBP-115S. Its sole enterprise customer is Saudi Aramco, served under long-term drilling service contracts at defined contracted economics, and the JV partners have committed SANAD to purchase and operate 50 locally-sourced newly constructed rigs over a ten-year period.
The company employs 4,000+ staff with a 75% Saudization rate, reflecting deliberate alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 local-content and workforce-nationalization priorities. Revenue is generated exclusively through subscription-style recurring drilling service contracts with Saudi Aramco; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Beyond core drilling, SANAD offers QHSE (Quality, Health, Safety, Security, Environment), Sustainability, and Supplier Code of Ethical Conduct programs, plus a confidential Audit and Integrity Hotline launched October 23, 2018. The leadership team comprises CEO Miguel Sanchez, CFO Mohammed Alhassar, COO Gagan Singhal, VP Corporate Services Bandar Kaaki, QHSE Director Muslim Al Heleimi, HR Director Hazza Alshammari, General Counsel Mark Chambers, and General Auditor Nizar-Mansour, with Faisal Al-Nuğaimish serving as Board Chairman. SANAD is positioned as an anchor project for introducing world-class onshore drilling capabilities, technology transfer, and economic growth into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a stated long-term vision of becoming the driller of choice in KSA and the broader Middle East.
SANAD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SANAD
- Legal name
- Saudi Aramco Nabors Drilling Company
- Website
- https://sanad.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- SANAD is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors Drilling Company that provides onshore oil and gas drilling services exclusively to Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, operating a fleet of 50+ rigs and committed to acquiring 50 locally-sourced new rigs over a decade.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SANAD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Onshore Drilling Services
- NAICS
- Drilling Oil and Gas Wells (213111)
- SIC
- Drilling Oil & Gas Wells (1381)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drilling & Well Construction (E&P Operator-led) (EUALAAAD)
Keywords
Where SANAD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Al Khobar
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices1 record
Markets served
SANAD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Drilling Services Contract: SANAD generates revenue through long-term drilling service contracts with Saudi Aramco for onshore oil and gas extraction operations. The company operates under defined contracted economics as part of its 50/50 joint venture structure, with planned rig deployment over a ten-year period.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
SANAD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SANAD provides onshore drilling services for oil and gas extraction, operating a fleet of drilling rigs (including NA, NBR, PA, SND, M1212 and NBP series models) under long-term contracted economics. It is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors Drilling Company, with an obligation to purchase and operate fifty locally-sourced newly constructed rigs over a ten-year period, primarily serving Saudi Aramco's onshore upstream energy needs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Product overview
SANAD (Saudi Aramco Nabors Drilling Company) is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors, providing onshore drilling services for oil and gas extraction. The company operates a diverse fleet of over 50 drilling rigs (including NA-series, NBR-series, PA-series, and SND-series models) and offers complementary services including QHSE management, sustainability initiatives, and ethical sourcing programs. SANAD plans to purchase and operate fifty locally-sourced newly constructed rigs over a ten-year period at defined contracted economics. The company's primary offering is onshore drilling operations for Saudi Aramco.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Onshore Drilling Services Onshore drilling services for oil and gas extraction, operating a fleet of drilling rigs to help Saudi Aramco meet the energy needs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. Provided under long-term contracted economics as part of the 50/50 Saudi Aramco–Nabors joint venture.
- Onshore Drilling Fleet Fleet of onshore drilling rigs including NA-series (NA-18S, NA-128S, NA-207S, NA-393S), NBR-series (NBR-16S, NBR-20S, NBR-210S, NBR-304S, NBR-633S, NBR-654S, NBR-797S, NBR-575S, NBR-783S, NBR-987S), PA-series (PA-70S, PA-622S, PA-218S, PA-326S, PA-529S, PA-604S, PA-785S, PA-861S, PA-866S), SND-series (SND-1201, SND-2010-2019, SND-3001-3003, SND-1501-1502, SND-2001-2009), M1212, and NBP-115S models deployed for onshore oil and gas drilling in Saudi Arabia.
Companies that use SANAD
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SANAD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SANAD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Saudi AramcocoreSaudi Aramco is the 50% joint venture partner in SANAD. The partnership combines Saudi Aramco's national oil company expertise and regional market knowledge with Nabors' global drilling technology and operational methodologies. Both partners have made contributions of equal value consisting of cash and/or assets into the entity.
- Nabors Drilling CompanycoreNabors Drilling Company is the 50% joint venture partner in SANAD. The partnership combines Nabors' global drilling contractor expertise and proprietary drilling technology with Saudi Aramco's national oil company positioning. Both partners have made contributions of equal value consisting of cash and/or assets into the entity.
- Al Salam HospitalminorCollaboration with Al Salam Hospital for organizing blood donation stations available to all SANAD employees at headquarters, demonstrating commitment to social responsibility and community engagement.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
SANAD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Patterson-UTI Energy: Patterson-UTI is a major US-based onshore drilling and completions services provider operating a large land rig fleet. It competes with SANAD in the broader onshore drilling services category for oil and gas operators.
- Helmerich & Payne (H&P): H&P is one of the largest US-based onshore drilling contractors with a global FlexRig fleet. It is directly comparable to SANAD as a land-drilling specialist serving national oil company and IOC customers with high-spec AC rigs under long-term contracts.
- Precision Drilling: Precision Drilling is a leading Canadian-based onshore drilling contractor with a significant international footprint, including operations in the Middle East. Its high-spec AC rig fleet and long-term contract model closely mirror SANAD's positioning.
- Nabors Industries: Nabors is one of SANAD's two 50/50 parent companies and one of the world's largest onshore drilling contractors. While Nabors' remaining global fleet competes in many of the same categories (land rigs, high-spec drilling), SANAD itself operates Nabors-derived rig technology, making it both a subsidiary and operational peer in the onshore drilling space.
Broad incumbents
- Halliburton: Halliburton is one of the world's three largest oilfield services companies, providing drilling, completions, and production services. It operates a global onshore drilling presence and is a broad incumbent in the same upstream services market SANAD serves.
- SLB (Schlumberger): SLB is the world's largest oilfield services company, offering drilling, completions, production, and digital services globally. While not a direct land-drilling peer, SLB competes across the broader upstream services value chain that SANAD's customers procure from.
- Saudi Aramco (Upstream Operations): Saudi Aramco is SANAD's 50% parent and primary customer. While not a direct peer in drilling services, Aramco operates its own substantial in-house drilling capability alongside JVs like SANAD, and represents the principal counterparty whose in-house vs. outsourced mix shapes SANAD's market opportunity.
Emerging players
- Borr Drilling: Borr Drilling is a pure-play jackup (offshore) drilling contractor with a modern fleet focused on international markets. While offshore-focused rather than onshore, it is a comparable premium drilling pure-play serving NOCs and IOCs in similar emerging-market geographies.
Regional players
- ADNOC Drilling: ADNOC Drilling is the UAE's national drilling company and a regional peer operating a large fleet of onshore and offshore rigs primarily for ADNOC. It serves as the closest geographic analog to SANAD's Aramco-centric model within the GCC.
- ADES Group: ADES is a leading Middle East and North Africa-focused drilling and oilfield services contractor with a large onshore and offshore rig fleet. It competes for NOC contracts across the region and is a comparable regional alternative to SANAD.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SANAD social profiles
Digital presenceSANAD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SANAD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SANAD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SANAD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SANAD
What does SANAD do?
SANAD provides onshore drilling services for oil and gas extraction, operating a fleet of drilling rigs (including NA, NBR, PA, SND, M1212 and NBP series models) under long-term contracted economics. It is a 50/50 joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Nabors Drilling Company, with an obligation to purchase and operate fifty locally-sourced newly constructed rigs over a ten-year period, primarily serving Saudi Aramco's onshore upstream energy needs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Is SANAD a public or private company?
SANAD is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was SANAD founded?
SANAD was founded in 2018. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is SANAD based?
SANAD is headquartered in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does SANAD make money?
One revenue line is on record: drilling Services Contract.
Who are SANAD's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Patterson-UTI Energy, Helmerich & Payne (H&P), Precision Drilling and Nabors Industries. Broad incumbents are Halliburton, SLB (Schlumberger) and Saudi Aramco (Upstream Operations). Borr Drilling is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are ADNOC Drilling and ADES Group.
Does SANAD have an API?
No public API is recorded for SANAD.
What industry is SANAD in?
SANAD's product category is Onshore Drilling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUALAAAD, Drilling & Well Construction (E&P Operator-led). Its NAICS code is 213111 and its SIC code is 1381.