Saudi Arabia is not only capturing its own emissions. It is building the foundations to become a regional and global storage hub. The strategy goes beyond pipelines and industrial clusters. It now includes cross-border carbon flows, where CO₂ from Asia could be transported by sea and permanently stored in Saudi geological reservoirs.
The vision is bold. By 2035, Saudi Arabia aims to capture and store 44 million tons of CO₂ per year. That scale rivals North America’s total CCS capacity. It also positions the Kingdom as a serious player in global decarbonization markets.
At the center of this strategy is the Saudi Aramco-led Jubail project.
From Domestic Capture to Cross-Border Carbon Shipping
The Jubail CCS Hub is designed as shared infrastructure. By 2027–2028, it is expected to store up to 9 million tons of CO₂ annually. That is equal to removing nearly 2 million passenger cars from the road every year. This single project shows how serious Saudi Arabia is about scaling fast.
The Kingdom already operates the Uthmaniyah CCS project, targeting 800,000 tons of CO₂ per year. This operational base gives Saudi Arabia real experience, not just plans on paper.
But the bigger ambition is clear. Saudi Arabia is pitching itself as a Saudi carbon capture storage (CCS) hub for Asia.
High-emission industries in Japan and South Korea, especially in petrochemicals, face storage constraints at home. Geological space is limited. Public acceptance is complex. Saudi Arabia, by contrast, has vast reservoirs and established energy infrastructure.
Its CCUS capacity today stands at 0.8 million tons per year operational. Two additional projects, each targeting 2.8 million tons per year, are expected online by 2027–2028. This creates a growing network of storage sites that could receive imported CO₂.
This is where “carbon shipping” becomes important.
Instead of only relying on pipelines, CO₂ can be liquefied, loaded onto specialized ships, and transported across borders. The Jubail hub’s shared model supports this approach. Multiple emitters can connect into one system. Over time, Asian producers could ship captured CO₂ to Saudi ports for permanent storage underground.
This shifts Saudi Arabia from a domestic decarbonization player to a service provider.
A Market Expanding at Double-Digit Speed
The numbers support this transformation.
Saudi Arabia’s CCS market is valued at USD 107.93 million in 2025. It is growing at a 15.2% CAGR, projected to reach USD 334.79 million by 2033. That growth rate reflects strong policy backing and industrial demand.
Another forecast shows the broader CCUS market expanding from USD 68.9 million in 2025 to USD 146.0 million by 2032, at an 11.6% CAGR. These projections underline how the Saudi carbon capture storage (CCS) hub is not just a climate narrative. It is also an economic sector.
Investment is significant. $1.5 billion in Aramco-backed projects are accelerating deployment. Policy frameworks such as the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) support industrial scale-up. Together, they create an ecosystem that can handle trans-Asian CO₂ transport.
The most striking figure remains the 44 million tons annual storage target by 2035. That number signals Saudi Arabia’s leap from national decarbonization to global storage ambition.
Carbon Shipping: A New Maritime Industry
If CO₂ begins moving regularly from Asia to the Gulf, a new maritime segment will emerge.
Carbon shipping requires specialized vessels. It needs port handling systems. It demands regulatory frameworks for cross-border carbon accounting. This adds a new layer to global trade flows.
The Saudi carbon capture storage (CCS) hub therefore touches multiple sectors. Energy. Shipping. Infrastructure. Engineering services. Each part of the value chain can expand as volumes rise.
For industrial Asia, Saudi Arabia offers geological scale. For the Kingdom, Asia offers demand.
This mutual need explains why Saudi Arabia is positioning itself early. The combination of 9 million tons at Jubail, rapid market growth, and a 44 million-ton national target gives the strategy credibility.
Saudi Arabia is not just storing carbon. It is building a carbon logistics platform.
