Saudi Aramco said it had signed a contract with the UAE firm National Petroleum Construction Co to upgrade facilities in the world's largest offshore oilfield, Safaniya in the Gulf.

The deal includes the installation of subsea power cables and 42 submersible pumps in the northern part of the field, Aramco said in a statement posted on its website.

It did not give a value for the contract or further details.

The Abu Dhabi-based National Petroleum Construction Co was established in April 1973 to provide a facility for the fabrication of steel structures required by the onshore and offshore oil and gas production industry.