Aramco Re-Enters Philippine Market with Inaugural Station Opening in Parañaque

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco), the world’s largest oil producer, officially marked its return to the Philippine downstream petroleum market today, July 16, 2026, with the grand opening of its first branded retail gasoline station in Parañaque City.

The opening of the inaugural facility along Sucat Road (Dr. A. Santos Avenue) in Barangay San Antonio represents a direct comeback for the Dhahran-based company to local downstream operations. The company had previously spent 17 years away from the local retail market after offloading its 40% stake in Petron Corporation back in 2008.

Strategic ₱4-Billion Capital Deployment

The newly converted service station operates as a direct product of Unioil Petroleum Philippines partnering with Aramco. It stems from a definitive corporate deal where the Saudi energy giant acquired a 25% equity stake in Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. (UPPI) and Unioil Energy Pte. Ltd. (UEPL). 

Financial document records reveal Aramco injected roughly 295 million Saudi riyals (over ₱4 billion) to bankroll and support this aggressive local footprint expansion.

Leveraging Local Infrastructure

The partnership lets the global oil behemoth instantly maximize local reach across the country by tapping into Unioil's pre-existing, mature logistics framework. Unioil holds an operational, homegrown downstream portfolio spanning more than 160 retail fuel stations across the archipelago.

Moving forward, select stations within the retail grid will systematically undergo brand conversions to re-emerge under official Aramco naming conventions. The physical retail rollout introduces Aramco’s signature ProForce line of high-performance fuels alongside an official retail distribution channel for Valvoline-branded lubricants to Filipino motorists.