Saudi Arabia

Saudi Electricity Co has closed a $2.15bn revolving credit facility after months of talks, as bankers concede that banks are "unlikely to turn the tap off" on Saudi deals amid international political upheaval.

High hopes for a bumper corporate finance year in Saudi Arabia have been dashed by the pulled Aramco IPO, the blockade of Qatar and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, writes David Rothnie.

Saudi Arabia is mired in international controversy but its national energy company, Saudi Aramco, is said to have been sounding out the syndicated loan market for a deal to finance a $5bn petrochemicals plant. With even larger deals on the horizon, lenders appear to be supportive of the borrower despite the highly charged political situation. Mariam Meskin reports.

Despite commodity catastrophes and diplomatic discord, the Gulf is set to be one of the most promising regions for the syndicated loan market in coming years, with a number of projects in the pipeline and governments seeking to modernise their economies by diversifying their funding sources. Banks seeking long-term returns and future ancillary business should pay close attention.

Islamic Development Bank launched its first euro benchmark on Wednesday, raising €650m with a five year bond.

Saudi Arabia’s bond debt was the best performing sovereign in its index last week, despite the country's government admitting that a journalist was killed in its Turkish consulate.

Emerging market issuance is picking up steam once more, despite the weakening across the board in secondary levels.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan waded into the drama unfolding in the Middle East on Tuesday morning. He called the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi a “pre-meditated” and “political murder”, but stopped short of revealing new evidence and left investors unfazed.

Islamic Development Bank’s first euro sukuk benchmark is expected to come later this week, following the conclusion of the roadshow on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia has found itself mired in controversy this week over the disappearance and alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The news has battered Saudi asset prices, but bankers said the market would likely still absorb bond issuance at the right level.

The loan market is weighing up the fate of billions of dollars worth of deals after the disappearance and possible murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi journalist who had criticised the regime. Mariam Meskin and Mike Turner report.

The accusations leveled at Saudi Arabia over the disappearance and alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi deserved more than the blip in Saudi trading we saw this week. There are sound, financial reasons why investors should be wary of investing in the country, no matter the size of its oil reserves.