GCC

The launch of Saudi Aramco’s IPO on Sunday will begin a fortnight of feverish debates and valuation discussions among investors and banks. But Aramco is not just an investment in an oil company: it is an invitation to be a junior investor in the state of Saudi Arabia — with all the dangers and upside that entails.

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 IPO of Saudi Aramco has finally arrived, ending years of speculation over whether the world’s most profitable company would be listed. For investors, and equity capital markets as a whole, it ends feverish speculation over the company’s gargantuan valuation and allows funds to start crunching real numbers on potential dividends.

Guarantor: Mamoura Diversified Global Holdings

Mamoura Diversified Global Holdings attracted demand from across the planet on Tuesday as it structured a triple tranche trade that allowed Taiwanese bids to flow to its 30 year bond.

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.

Saudi state TV has set a date for the elusive Saudi Aramco IPO, talked up for more than three years — and it’s next week. The deal’s already threadbare rationale might dissolve at the first hint of scrutiny, but it’s too embarrassing to ditch it now.

Mamoura Diversified Global Holdings (formerly Mubadala Development Company) has released initial price guidance for its dollar triple trancher at levels a rival syndicate official said looked fair, and included another 30 year bond from the region in just over a month.

Masraf Al Rayan, the second largest Islamic bank in Qatar by total assets, is embarking on a roadshow for its debut outing in the international sukuk market.

Rating: A1/A-/A

Majid Al Futtaim, the Middle Eastern shopping mall developer, came to market on Wednesday for a Reg S long 10 year sukuk, one day after Saudia Arabia won a $13bn order book for its own deal in the format.