Saudi Aramco’s Amin Nasser: a homegrown engineer who reached the top

Saudi Aramco’s Amin Nasser: a homegrown engineer who reached the top

At an industry event this year in Riyadh, the Saudi energy minister paused at about 9 p.m. in front of some 1,000 people and told them it was bedtime for Amin Nasser, the chief executive of state-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco.

He was not joking.

Over a career of four decades, Nasser has earned a reputation for a style of dedication that means he will be making sure he’s prepared for the challenges of the day ahead, not mingling into the early hours.

“It was kind of embarrassing you know with protocol and all these things, but it goes to show his work ethic and all that he tends to do to stand out,” an industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity said.

Aramco on Sunday reported a soaring 90 percent rise in second-quarter profit, beating analyst expectations, boosted by higher oil prices, volumes sold and refining margins.

The company expects “oil demand to continue to grow for the rest of the decade, despite downward economic pressures on short-term global forecasts,” Nasser said in Aramco’s earnings report.

The Saudi oil giant vies with Apple Inc (AAPL.O) as the world’s most valuable company. It temporarily grabbed the top spot in May, helped by a rise in oil