Saudi Aramco signed deals with several foreign companies as part of a drive to expand the kingdom's industrial base and manufacture a bigger share of products domestically. Deals include local manufacturing development with Jubail Energy Services Company (JESCO) and ArcelorMittal in Jubail on the Gulf coast for tubes used in oil and gas production. The company also signed an agreement to set up joint ventures with U.S.-listed firms Rowan Companies and Nabors Industries to own, manage, and operate drilling rigs in Saudi Arabia. It signed another agreement with J-Power Systems Corporation Japan for submarine electrical cables. No financial details were disclosed. The deals are part of a wider plan (IKTVA) to double the contribution of locally-produced energy-related goods and services to 70% by 2021 and to export 30% of the total energy goods and services domestically produced over the same time frame. Aramco’s local manufacturing share has reached SAR10bn (43%) - the highest level of local content in the company's history, up from 16% from 2015, CEO Amin Nasser said. (Reuters)