Middle East Loans

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has refinanced an existing $1.5bn loan with tighter margins. The deal is one of just a few raised in Bahrain this year, which has seen the number of syndicated loan deals drop almost 50%.

State-owned airline Dubai Aviation Corporation, known as flydubai, has refinanced its debut sukuk into a term loan — a rare win this year for the loan market, which has declined while attractive issuance conditions boost DCM volumes.

Emerging markets issuers are pumping out mandates, with the buy-side showing little sign yet of closing shop for the year, but investors are not throwing cash at everything.

National Bank of Bahrain has made a bid to buy a majority stake in Bahrain Islamic Bank, of which it already owns 29%. The move is the latest in a seemingly endless round of consolidation between Gulf banks, driven by the effort to become more competitive in what many have called an oversaturated banking market.

Do responsible investing, ESG and sustainable finance mean anything? If so, they must mean investors cannot buy Saudi Aramco’s IPO. When the world is desperately trying to cut carbon emissions, ploughing billions into a newly listed oil company is the definition of a backward step.

The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, has closed a $10bn bridge loan, with tighter margins than its debut entry into the loan market in September 2018. The deal is one of this year's highlights from the region, where syndicated loan volumes have declined from last year.

Emerging market issuers continued to enjoy solid market conditions this week with new mandates joining the pipeline and Abu Dhabi’s Mamoura executing a $3.5bn triple tranche trade.

The UAE's Emirates Water and Electricity Co and Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power have secured loans of Dh2.71bn ($738m) for Abu Dhabi-based Taweelah power and water desalination plant.

First Abu Dhabi Bank's global head of loan capital markets, a veteran in the syndicated loans market, has resigned from the bank after five years in the role.

The National Bank of Oman (NBO) has closed a $300m syndicated loan, arranged by regional lenders. The loan was oversubscribed, revealing a reasonable amount of international demand for Omani debt despite a year of ratings downgrades and project postponements.

Gulf borrowers are being increasingly lured by the attractive terms offered in bond and sukuk markets, much to the detriment of international lenders, many of which are disgruntled by the disappointing loan volumes in the region.

MEA-based waste management services provider Averda has amended and extended an existing term loan facility, garnering 70% oversubscription.