A process for upgrading crude oil comprising: mixing a crude oil stream with a hydrogen stream to yield a crude oil and hydrogen mixture; passing the crude oil and hydrogen mixture to a hydroprocessing reactor operating at a temperature from 300 to 450 °C and a pressure from 30 to 200 bars, the hydroprocessing reactor comprising hydroprocessing catalysts which desulfurize and demetallize the crude oil and hydrogen mixture to produce a hydrotreated mixture; passing the hydrotreated mixture to a separator unit to separate the hydrotreated mixture into a lower boiling point fraction and a higher boiling point fraction, where the higher boiling fraction has a greater concentration of aromatics and a greater boiling point than the lower boiling point fraction, and where the higher boiling point fraction has a boiling point of at least 500 °C, where separation by the separator unit comprises: a flash vessel which separates the hydrotreated mixture into a first lower boiling point fraction and a first higher boiling point fraction, where the first lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of less than 350 °C, and the first higher boiling point fraction has a boiling range of greater than 350° C; and a distillation vessel which separates the first higher boiling point fraction into a second lower boiling point fraction and the higher boiling point fraction, where the second lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of greater than 350 °C to less than 500 °C and the higher boiling point fraction has a boiling point greater than 500 °C; combining the first lower boiling point fraction and the second lower boiling point fraction to yield the lower boiling point fraction; thermally cracking the lower boiling point fraction in a steam cracking furnace operating at a temperature from 700 to 900 °C to yield a cracking effluent comprising olefins and aromatics; and recycling the higher boiling point fraction exiting the separator unit for mixing with the crude oil and hydrogen mixture upstream of the hydroprocessing reactor to facilitate further upgrading of the crude oil. mixing a crude oil stream with a hydrogen stream to yield a crude oil and hydrogen mixture; passing the crude oil and hydrogen mixture to a hydroprocessing reactor operating at a temperature from 300 to 450 °C and a pressure from 30 to 200 bars, the hydroprocessing reactor comprising hydroprocessing catalysts which desulfurize and demetallize the crude oil and hydrogen mixture to produce a hydrotreated mixture; passing the hydrotreated mixture to a separator unit to separate the hydrotreated mixture into a lower boiling point fraction and a higher boiling point fraction, where the higher boiling fraction has a greater concentration of aromatics and a greater boiling point than the lower boiling point fraction, and where the higher boiling point fraction has a boiling point of at least 500 °C, where separation by the separator unit comprises: a flash vessel which separates the hydrotreated mixture into a first lower boiling point fraction and a first higher boiling point fraction, where the first lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of less than 350 °C, and the first higher boiling point fraction has a boiling range of greater than 350° C; and a distillation vessel which separates the first higher boiling point fraction into a second lower boiling point fraction and the higher boiling point fraction, where the second lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of greater than 350 °C to less than 500 °C and the higher boiling point fraction has a boiling point greater than 500 °C; a flash vessel which separates the hydrotreated mixture into a first lower boiling point fraction and a first higher boiling point fraction, where the first lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of less than 350 °C, and the first higher boiling point fraction has a boiling range of greater than 350° C; and a distillation vessel which separates the first higher boiling point fraction into a second lower boiling point fraction and the higher boiling point fraction, where the second lower boiling point fraction has a boiling point range of greater than 350 °C to less than 500 °C and the higher boiling point fraction has a boiling point greater than 500 °C; combining the first lower boiling point fraction and the second lower boiling point fraction to yield the lower boiling point fraction; thermally cracking the lower boiling point fraction in a steam cracking furnace operating at a temperature from 700 to 900 °C to yield a cracking effluent comprising olefins and aromatics; and recycling the higher boiling point fraction exiting the separator unit for mixing with the crude oil and hydrogen mixture upstream of the hydroprocessing reactor to facilitate further upgrading of the crude oil.