Middle East

Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) brought the world’s first benchmark green corporate sukuk to market last week. Chief executive Alain Bejjani said the format had helped the leads price the deal tighter and that they would return to the green market.

Oman, one of the most fiscally challenged sovereigns in the Gulf, is set to raise a $2.85bn commodity linked pre-payment facility. Natixis and Société Générale are expected to lead the transaction, according to bankers.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise has made a quick offshore loan comeback, aiming to raise $300m.

Investors appear to be split over whether or not Turkey will follow through with its proposed purchase of a Russian S-400 missile system, in the face of likely sanctions from the US if it does.

Investors are clear that president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is once again to blame for another tumultuous week in Turkish assets. The country’s fate in the capital markets is in his hands. Investors have been quick to forgive in the past but their patience is not infinite.

Banks working on the IPO of Finablr, the financial holding company that owns Travelex, had to reduce the price of the IPO and extended the books to 3pm on Tuesday, in order to price the transaction.

MTNs from Middle Eastern banks have flowed freely over the last week, with borrowers printing a range of currencies to take advantage of basis swap opportunities, amid little competition from European financials, say bankers.

Emerging market loan volumes continue to suffer with year-to-date volumes down 60% from the same period in 2018. Global economic slowdown and the fear of trade wars, combined with the increasing appeal of the bond market, are dampening the prospects of recovery in the syndicated loan market in 2019.

There has been no covered message sent on the IPO of Finablr, the financial holding company which owns Travelex, though the deal is set to close today, Monday May 13. The banks are still working hard to close the book on schedule.

Arabian Centres Company (ACC), the owner and operator of Saudi retail malls, has priced its IPO at the bottom of its original range, winning local support for one of the largest deals from the Kingdom in years.

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The Turkish lira this week tumbled to levels it had not seen since last October’s economic crisis after Turkey’s electoral commission (YSK) annulled the results of Istanbul’s municipal elections that had been won by the opposition. Investors said they are concerned that economic reforms will be put on hold and are worried that higher interest rates will prolong the country’s recession.