A method of producing aromatics and light olefins from a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a solvent extraction process in a solvent extraction unit, wherein the solvent is an immiscible solvent selective for aromatics separation, wherein the boiling temperature of the immiscible solvents selective for aromatics separation is higher than the boiling temperature of a fraction containing aromatics and naphthenes, and wherein the solvent is stable at the process temperature; (b) separating from the solvent extracted hydrocarbon feedstock obtained in step (a) a raffinate fraction comprising paraffins and said fraction comprising aromatics and naphtenes; (c) converting said fraction comprising aromatics and naphtenes in a hydrocracking unit and separating the reaction products into a high content aromatics fraction and a stream high in light paraffins, wherein said hydrocracking unit is a selective hydrocracking and hydro-desulphurization unit suitable for preserving aromatic species whilst simultaneously dehydrogenating a portion of naphthenic species into aromatic species, hydrocracking non-aromatic species including remaining naphthenic species and paraffinic species into LPG species and hydro-desulphurising any organo-sulphur species,; (d) converting said raffinate fraction in a steam cracking unit into light olefins. wherein, before carrying out step (c), the fraction comprising aromatics and naphtenes is further fractionated by a stripping process to increase its aromatics and naphtenes content, said stripping process resulting in a solvent stream rich in aromatics and naphthenes and a stream comprising stripped light paraffins, in which said stripping process is based on differences in relative volatility in the presence of said solvent, wherein, before carrying out step (c), the solvent stream rich in aromatics and naphthenes is further fractionated by recovering the solvent resulting in a solvent rich stream and an extract comprising aromatics and naphthenes, and returning said solvent rich stream to said solvent extraction process of step (a), in which said fractionation is based on differences in boiling points; further comprising recovering a pygas containing byproduct from the steam cracking unit and returning said recovered pygas containing byproduct to said solvent extraction process; wherein feeding said hydrocarbon feedstock to the solvent extraction process at a position above the inlet point of the recovered pygas containing byproduct in said solvent extraction unit; and wherein feeding said solvent rich stream to the solvent extraction process at a position above the inlet points of both the recovered pygas containing byproduct and the hydrocarbon feedstock in said solvent extraction unit. (a) subjecting the hydrocarbon feedstock to a solvent extraction process in a solvent extraction unit, wherein the solvent is an immiscible solvent selective for aromatics separation, wherein the boiling temperature of the immiscible solvents selective for aromatics separation is higher than the boiling temperature of a fraction containing aromatics and naphthenes, and wherein the solvent is stable at the process temperature; (b) separating from the solvent extracted hydrocarbon feedstock obtained in step (a) a raffinate fraction comprising paraffins and said fraction comprising aromatics and naphtenes; (c) converting said fraction comprising aromatics and naphtenes in a hydrocracking unit and separating the reaction products into a high content aromatics fraction and a stream high in light paraffins, wherein said hydrocracking unit is a selective hydrocracking and hydro-desulphurization unit suitable for preserving aromatic species whilst simultaneously dehydrogenating a portion of naphthenic species into aromatic species, hydrocracking non-aromatic species including remaining naphthenic species and paraffinic species into LPG species and hydro-desulphurising any organo-sulphur species,; (d) converting said raffinate fraction in a steam cracking unit into light olefins.