SANAD

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.

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

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

• Onshore drilling services
• Oil and gas extraction
• Drilling rig operations
• Upstream energy services
• Drilling contractor services

Headquarters

HQ city

Al Khobar

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saudi AramcocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi 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 CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNabors 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 HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/sanaddrilling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sanaddrilling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SANAD