Food & Drink Saudi coffee chain Barn’s plans IPO on Tadawul Barn’s, a homegrown Saudi coffee chain, is planning an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tadawul stock exchange, with an aim to generate funds to finance Middle East expansion. It is working with Saudi regulator Capital Market Authority to meet the IPO criteria and appoint bankers for the potential offering, Bloomberg reported, citing CEO Mohammed […] April 15, 2025
Retail Dubai Holding-backed retailer Azadea puts IPO on hold Azadea Group, which is backed by an investment company owned by Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has put its initial public offering on the back burner, it has been reported. Dubai Holding acquired a minority stake in the Beirut-based retailer in 2018, valued at $1 billion. The IPO pause is not down to […] April 15, 2025
Markets Special purpose companies proposed to boost Saudi IPOs Consultations on introducing special purpose acquisition companies to the Saudi stock exchange’s junior market in an effort to encourage initial public offerings and listings have been announced by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority regulator. A special purpose acquisition company, or Spac, is formed to raise money through an IPO, with the funds then used to […] April 10, 2025
Markets IPOs planned for five Egyptian companies owned by military Egypt has finalised plans to offer stakes in five military-affiliated companies for listing on the local stock exchange in initial public offerings (IPOs). The companies to be listed are the National Company for Producing and Bottling Water (Safi), Wataniya Petroleum, fuel station operator Chillout, food production company Silo Foods and the National Company for Roads […] April 10, 2025
Markets Global stock market dive likely to delay Gulf IPOs Steep declines in stock markets since President Donald Trump set out sweeping tariffs will almost certainly delay initial public offerings in the Gulf, analysts have told AGBI. Markets around the world have tumbled since the US president announced his plans for import taxes last Wednesday. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All-Share Index had its biggest one-day fall […] April 8, 2025
Finance Dubai’s ICD could tap IPO market to fund expansion The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the emirate’s government, could potentially turn to the capital markets with a raft of listings over the next year or so, according to analysts. Established in 2006, ICD is worth about $340 billion and already has one of its crown jewels – Emirates NBD, […] April 7, 2025
Aviation Low-cost carrier Flynas to offload 30% on Saudi bourse Saudi low-cost carrier Flynas has received the market regulator’s approval to offload nearly a third of its shares on the local stock exchange in the latest of a series of bourse flotations. The airline, partly owned by billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, will sell 51.3 million shares or 30 percent of its stock in an initial public […] April 1, 2025
Artificial Intelligence UAE-backed Cerebras passes US security check before IPO Cerebras Systems has cleared a US government review into its ties to the UAE’s G42, a spokesperson for the US artificial intelligence company told AGBI on Monday. The positive conclusion of the probe by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is expected to pave the way for the California-based company’s long-awaited […] April 1, 2025
Markets Hospital operator SMC given approval for Saudi IPO Specialized Medical Company (SMC), which operates two hospitals in Riyadh, has received approval from Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority to launch an initial public offering (IPO). The announcement allows SMC to issue 75,000 shares, representing 30 percent of its share capital. No further details about the listing were released. SMC’s CEO, Bassam Chahine, told AGBI […] March 27, 2025
Renewable Energy Masdar weighs IPO on Abu Dhabi stock exchange Abu Dhabi’s state-owned renewables company Masdar is in the early stages of considering an initial public offering (IPO), three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The company is considering a possible listing in Abu Dhabi to raise funding for renewable projects, said two of the sources, with one of them saying a dual […] March 26, 2025
Markets Cerebras IPO still in limbo over US fears on Abu Dhabi stake Worries in the United States over a stake by an Abu Dhabi company in Cerebras Systems, the US chipmaker, are continuing to leave its IPO in limbo, five sources familiar with the matter said. The sticking point for California-based Cerebras is the review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) of […] March 25, 2025
Finance Umm Al Qura shares soar as more Saudi IPOs approved Shares in Saudi Arabia’s Umm Al Qura for Development and Construction surged 30 percent on Monday, the maximum allowed on a first day of trading. The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) also approved another three companies for initial public offerings. Within minutes of the opening of the Saudi Exchange, after Umm Al Qura raised SAR1.96 billion […] March 25, 2025
Finance Profits of Muscat-listed companies surge over 50% in 2024 Net profits of publicly-listed companies on the Muscat Stock Exchange rose 53 percent to OMR1.3 billion ($3.4 billion) in 2024, compared to OMR877 million in 2023, according to a news report. Of the 90 listed companies, 69 reported profits in 2024, up from 68 in the previous year, Oman Daily Observer reported. Despite the number […] March 25, 2025
Finance International investors target Saudi IPOs and smaller caps Emerging market investors are increasingly targeting Saudi Arabia’s smaller listed companies and initial public offerings, because of their better stock price performance versus their bigger peers. Since early 2020, foreign investors have been net buyers of almost $34 billion of Saudi Arabian equities, a report by the Dubai-based consultancy Iridium Advisors has revealed. Much of […] March 24, 2025
Markets Five more IPOs approved by Saudi regulator Five more companies have received approval to sell shares in initial public offerings from Saudi Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority regulator. Already this year three Saudi companies, Derayah Financial, Umm Al Qura and Arab Company for Agricultural and Industrial Investment (Entaj), have raised more than $1 billion in IPOs. Shares in both Derayah Financial and Entaj […] March 21, 2025
Markets Sport Clubs gets nod to list 30% on Saudi bourse Riyadh-based Sport Clubs Company has received approval to float 30 percent of its share capital on the Saudi stock exchange. The Capital Market Regulator has given its nod to sell 34.3 million shares on the main market. The approval will be valid for six months but is deemed cancelled if the initial public offering (IPO) […] March 21, 2025
Banking & Finance Marketing Home Group wins Saudi IPO regulatory approval Saudi Arabia’s Marketing Home Group (MHG), a company that oversees nine construction retailers and contractors, has received regulatory approval to sell shares to the public in an initial public offering (IPO). MHG is selling 4.8 million shares, representing 30 percent of its capital, the kingdom’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) announced. No further details were given […] March 18, 2025
Markets Entaj share price rises 30% in first day on Tadawul The share price of poultry producer Entaj has risen by 30 percent on its first day of trading, the maximum daily increase allowed on the Saudi stock exchange. Entaj – formally known as the Arabian Company for Agricultural and Industrial Investment – is the fourth company to list on Saudi Arabia’s main market this year. […] March 17, 2025
Analysis Finance Growth-stage investment heats up as Gulf IPOs gain traction Global investors are increasingly vying for stakes in later-stage Gulf startups, betting on the region’s economic expansion and stronger exit opportunities, as the regional IPO markets gain momentum. The region, long overlooked for growth-stage capital – minority investments in established companies aimed at accelerating expansion – is witnessing a surge of interest from giants such […] March 13, 2025
Markets Alpha Data listing brightens up gloomy ADX Shares in Abu Dhabi’s Alpha Data surged on the company’s bourse debut, outperforming a subdued main market index. The first-day performance of the IT services provider contrasts with the struggles of several companies to list on UAE stock exchanges following initial public offerings in the past 12 months. Alpha Data ended 7 percent higher at […] March 11, 2025
Oil & Gas Adnoc targets foreign listing of investment arm XRG Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is considering listing its international investment arm XRG on an exchange outside of the UAE, three people with knowledge of the matter said. This could potentially create one of the largest listed energy companies in the world. The discussions to list a minority stake of XRG, which was established late […] March 10, 2025
Transport Asyad Shipping raises $333m from Muscat listing Asyad Shipping, an Omani state-run company, has raised OMR128 million ($333 million) in an initial public offering of a fifth of its shares on the Muscat stock exchange, the company said in a statement. Based on the final offer price of 123 baisas per share, the company’s market capitalisation on listing will be OMR641 million […] March 5, 2025
