Around 4.9 million Saudi retail investors have bought shares in the oil giant.

Saudi banks have been offering citizens easy loans to bid for shares in Aramco.

Aramco cannot sell its shares directly to investors in the United States and other markets, as the IPO will be restricted to Saudis.

Bankers have told the Saudi government that investors will likely value the company at around USD 1.5 trillion.

Aramco was expected to launch the first part of a two-stage IPO earlier in October.

The govt has taken a string of policy measures over the past couple of months to shore up the economy and revive credit.

The IPO will be a gift from the government to the Saudi people and they will want as many of them as possible to take part in it.

Saudi Aramco officials as a matter of policy do not comment on the kingdom’s monthly OSPs.

A massive drone strike on the world's largest crude-processing facility operated by Saudi Arabia's Aramco has driven up oil prices.

Aramco has lost half of its production capacity after attacks on its facilities on Saturday.