Oman

Oman is finalising a $1bn sovereign loan and could sign as early as tomorrow (Thursday), according to a banker on the deal.

Banks are arranging a loan of around $3bn for Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) to build the $4.5bn petrochemicals complex called Liwa Plastics Industries.

Arrangers have not set a closing date for the $1bn loan for the Sultanate of Oman, on which pricing has been widened recently, but bankers hope to close the deal before year end.

The Sultanate of Oman has widened the pricing of its $1bn loan by 10bp to encourage banks to lend, after the sovereign was downgraded by Standard & Poor's in November.

Kuwait petrochemical firm Equate is scheduled to complete its $6bn loan this week, while Oman and Qatar continue syndicating their sovereign loans.

The fate of three Middle East mandates this week spoke volumes about the state of that market, as issuers chase dwindling liquidity into the last weeks of 2016.

CEEMEA bond watchers rarely agree on Middle East perpetual pricing and National Bank of Oman (NBO) was no exception. Rival bankers and investors gave a range of estimates as to how much NBO was paying up for its debut additional tier one (AT1) transaction.

The Sultanate of Oman will launch syndicated for its $1bn sovereign loan tomorrow (Wednesday), according to a banker on the deal.

The Sultanate of Oman is tapping the loan market for $500m, its first loan in eight years, as the formerly cash-rich country faces a fiscal deficit.

National Bank of Oman has mandated five banks for a dollar perpetual additional tier one (AT1) bond and is starting the roadshow for the deal on November 5.

The Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has mandated banks for its Omani rial sukuk, which is expected to be a precursor to an international sukuk.

Omani oil & gas firm Renaissance Services sold a dual tranche dollar and Omani rial perpetual bond on Wednesday amounting to $125m.