Exclusive Health Altibbi plans healthcare expansion in North Africa and Pakistan Altibbi, the largest AI-based digital health provider in the Arab world, is looking to expand into North Africa and Pakistan after “turbocharging” growth in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, its CEO has told AGBI. Jalill Allabadi said the proceeds from Altibbi’s latest funding round of $44 million – the largest ever single financing round for a […] September 19, 2022
Energy Arabian Drilling plans to list 30% of shares on Saudi exchange Saudi Arabia-based oil and gas drilling contractor Arabian Drilling is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the kingdom’s main exchange. The offer consists of a secondary offering of 19.89 percent of the company’s total share capital through the sale of 17.70 million shares and a primary offering of 10.11 percent via the issuance of […] September 19, 2022
Markets Salik’s $1bn IPO target ‘easily achievable’ after stake boost Dubai toll gate operator Salik’s decision to increase the number of shares offered in its initial public offering will yield lower stock price volatility, and the $1 billion the government aims to raise “seems easily achievable”, analysts have predicted. Salik Company announced on Friday that it has increased the size of the stake it is […] September 17, 2022
Energy Oman’s OQ picks banks for $800m gas pipelines unit IPO Oman energy investment firm OQ SAOC has selected Bank of America Corp. and Bank Muscat as advisors for the initial public offering (IPO) of its gas pipelines unit, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The listing of OQ Gas Network is likely to raise nearly $800 million, sources said, adding the possibility of […] September 16, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Banking and Finance Bahrain’s Investcorp plans three Saudi deals this year Investcorp plans to pump millions into at least three companies by the end of this year under its Saudi Pre-IPO Growth Fund, a senior executive has told AGBI. The first of the three planned deals is with TruKKer Holding, a Riyadh-based digital freight company often referred to as “the Uber of lorries” in the Middle […] September 12, 2022
Markets Saudi Arabia’s bourse generates over $4bn from IPOs in H1 2022 The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) have raised SAR 15.2 billion ($4.04 billion) in the first half of 2022 through initial public offerings (IPOs), Arab News reported. The bourse saw 10 listings and nine offerings from existing listed companies, generating SAR 10.7 billion. Nahdi Medical Company was the biggest on the IPO list, garnering a collection of […] September 11, 2022
Real Estate Dubai real estate trust eyes Saudi after $400m refinancing Equitativa, the manager of Emirates REIT real estate investment trust, is looking to expand beyond Dubai once it concludes the refinancing of its $400 million sukuk within the next two months. The firm is also keen to launch new real estate trusts outside the UAE, in Saudi Arabia and Africa. Founded in 2010, the Emirates […] September 7, 2022
Analysis Construction ‘The biggest construction site the world has ever seen’ Saudi Arabia was described on Tuesday as the biggest construction site the world has ever seen as projects valued at over $1.1 trillion are underway in the kingdom. That’s the total value of real estate and infrastructure projects since the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan in 2016, according to global real estate consultancy […] September 6, 2022
Markets Salik confirms Dubai listing, retail offering starts this month Salik Company, Dubai’s toll gate operator, announced its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM). A total of 1.5 billion shares, each with a nominal value of AED 0.01, will be offered, representing 20 percent of Salik’s total issued share capital, WAM, the UAE state news agency, […] September 6, 2022
Analysis Class act: UAE is a magnet for private school investment The post-pandemic rise in migration to the UAE is fuelling demand for private schools, making the Emirates a “magnet” for investors and school operators, industry experts have said. The UAE’s population grew by one percent in 2021, according to the World Bank. The country’s population currently stands at 9.89 million people and is projected to […] September 2, 2022
Analysis Development Accountability ‘crucial’ for success of Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia is entering a “crucial” part of its ambitious Vision 2030 programme as the kingdom begins to deliver on its promises, described by a leading expert as the “moment of accountability”. Pedro Ribeiro, the recently appointed general manager for commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE in Saudi Arabia, told AGBI that the […] September 1, 2022
Energy Omani energy services provider eyes potential IPO Abraj Energy Services, an Omani state-owned oil and gas field services provider, is looking at launching an initial public offering (IPO), as the Sultanate looks to develop the revamped Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX). The company, which is a subsidiary of state investment vehicle OQ, said in a press statement it is “currently reviewing the possibility […] August 31, 2022
Banking and Finance UAE banks’ exposure to real estate sector declines UAE banks have seen a reduction in real estate and construction exposure as cash buyers dominate the market. Exposure to property sectors decreased by 30 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 19.8 percent, according to the latest UAE Banking Pulse Q2 2022 by professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M). “We have been following this from Q1 […] August 26, 2022
UAE health firm Burjeel plans Saudi expansion as IPO nears UAE healthcare provider Burjeel Holdings, established under VPS Healthcare, on Wednesday announced plans to expand into Saudi Arabia ahead of its initial public offering (IPO) later this year. The company, which owns and operates hospitals and other healthcare facilities, will invest up to $1 billion in the Kingdom by 2030 as part of a memorandum […] August 25, 2022
Energy Oman puts partial privatisation of power distribution firm on hold The proposed partial privatisation of Oman’s power distribution provider, Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), is currently on hold pending a review of options for the broader restructuring of the country’s distribution companies, according to a local media report. The decision to hold the intended privatisation came from the Authority for Public Services Regulation, Hamdan Al […] August 24, 2022
Banking and Finance UAE’s Al Ansari Exchange picks banks for Dubai IPO UAE-based foreign exchange and remittance firm Al Ansari Exchange has picked EFG-Hermes and Emirates NBD Bank to lead its planned initial public offering (IPO) in Dubai, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The money-exchange firm is likely to list in the first quarter of 2023. Preparations for the IPO are ongoing and details […] August 23, 2022
Exclusive Energy UAE biofuel firm in talks with global investors A Dubai-based company which converts waste cooking oil into biofuel is in investment talks with major energy firms, as demand grows among climate-conscious global companies. The sector is expected to be worth over $200 billion by 2030. “I moved to Dubai in 2009. I’d been working for three years by then on sustainability, so it’s […] August 22, 2022
Analysis Startup exits escalate in UAE The UAE is seeing an increase in startup exits this year, as the market matures while bigger players look to acquisitions to scale up their operations. The UAE Venture Investment Report, by research firm Magnitt, states that there were 10 startup exits in the Emirates in the first half of 2022, just one less than […] August 19, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar wealth fund-backed Group One mulls US listing Group One Holdings, backed by sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), is planning an initial public offering (IPO) in the US, Bloomberg reported. The company behind mixed martial arts brand One Championship is changing its legal domicile to the Cayman Islands from Singapore as a step towards the listing. Earlier, the company had explored […] August 16, 2022
Opinion Energy The answer to OPEC’s investment dilemma is in its own hands OPEC members worried about 'years of underinvestment' have a choice: open up to more international partners or increase their oil output August 15, 2022
Energy Aramco’s Nasser: a homegrown engineer who reached the top At an industry event this year in Riyadh, the Saudi energy minister paused at about 9pm in front of some 1,000 people and told them it was bedtime for Amin Nasser, the chief executive of state-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco. He was not joking. Over a career of four decades, Nasser has earned a reputation […] August 15, 2022
Energy Dubai utility DEWA’s Q2 profit up 37% on growing energy demand Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) reported a net profit of AED 2.61 billion ($707.9 million), up 37 percent year-on-year, in the second quarter of 2022 on higher energy demand. Revenue rose 14 percent year-on-year to AED 7.01 billion during the three month period ended June 30, 2022. The utility provider’s first half of 2022 […] August 11, 2022
