Yanbu Refinery shutdown sparks gas ​crisis, says CEO

The temporary suspension of Yanbu Refinery for maintenance, coupled with the breakdown of some plants at the National Gas and Industrialization Co. (GASCO) sparked Saudi Arabia's recent Gas crisis, said Eyas Al Hajeri, GASCO's newly appointed ​chief executive.

"These factors together pushed demand higher,​but locking out 19 of ​the company'semployees and freezing their base salarieshasnothing to do with that crisis,"

​ Al-Hajeri told AlArabiya TV ​in a phone interview.

GASCO's management team​ Had thrown the blame on the terminated employees

​​for the recent ​gas shortage that hit Jeddah, the kingdom's​ second largest city Saudi's ministry of labor, however, ordered the employees back to work after considering their complaints and finding that GASCO’s management was behind the unexpected shortage.

“Yesterday’s gas production was higher than the normal rate of the previous month,” Al-Hajeri added. “Output is expected to increase over the next few days to fulfill demand.”Al-Hajari was appointed the ​new executiveat the helm this week​,after ​GASCO's former ​chairmanSalman bin Mohammed Al-Jeshiwas sacked following the gas crisis.