Aral AG (previously Veba Öl AG) is a German oil company established in 1898 as Westdeutsche Benzol-Verkaufs-Vereinigung GmbH (West German Benzene Marketing Corporation). The company is currently owned by British conglomerate BP[1] after it was purchased in 2002.
The Aral brand of petrol stations has presence in Germany and Luxembourg, but formerly used to be in most countries of Western and Central Europe.
History
The Aral brand was introduced in 1924 and is a portmanteau of the German words "Aromaten" and "Aliphaten", alluding to the aromatic and aliphatic components found in gasoline, respectively. With around 2,400 petrol stations operating, Aral is the market leader in Germany.
On 15 July 2001 Deutsche BP AG agreed to acquire 51% of Veba Öl AG. The acquisition was completed on 1 February 2002. The Aral brand name was retained, and 650 BP stations in Germany were rebranded "Aral".[2]