Middle East Loans

Saudi Arabia has secured its inaugural green loan backed by an export credit agency (ECA). The deal, which is the first of its kind in the region, may have a domino effect on other sovereigns in the Gulf, said bankers.

Oman, one of only two junk-rated sovereigns in the Gulf region, is tapping lenders for up to $2bn, as some say it could not find the right conditions in the bond market. According to bankers familiar with the deal, credit risk considerations are foremost and the sovereign will have to pay up to borrow.

Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, has finalised its acquisition of Saudi chemicals company Sabic in a $70bn transaction. The final amount plus loan fees is set to be paid to the former owner, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), over eight years.

Saudi Arabia is set to raise its inaugural green loan with export credit agencies next month. The groundbreaking loan would be the first of its kind in the Middle East.

Emerging market borrowers are turning their noses up at the terms on offer in the loan market, which have become dearer during the coronavirus pandemic. Lenders say they are willing and ready to lend, but are not ready to concede on their terms, writes Mariam Meskin.

Saudi Aramco has closed a $10bn loan, according to bankers near the deal. The loan — the largest signed in the Middle East so far this year — comes amid a drop in oil prices, which has sent borrowers in the Gulf hunting for financing.

Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, is hunting for a $10bn loan, according to market sources. Plummeting oil prices will send borrowers across the Gulf scrambling to raise financing. But creditors seem happy to plough money into the region, for now. Mariam Meskin reports.

The number of year-to-date loans signed across CEEMEA more than halved compared to last year, which bankers said is a direct result of the coronavirus crisis that has engulfed countries and markets worldwide. The outlook for issuance is bleak, to the dismay of many lenders.

London-listed UAE payments company Network International has refinanced an existing loan, raising $525m from regional and international lenders.

The spread of Covid-19 in the Middle East and the simultaneous drop in oil prices has prompted governments across the region to increase borrowing from capital markets. But some credits will have a far easier ride than others, bankers and experts said.

Oman’s Bank Muscat, which is part-owned by the Sultanate of Oman, raised a $650m loan from international lenders. The loan was announced amid Moody's downgrading the bank and the Omani sovereign, the latest in a string of rating actions that have pushed the challenged Gulf nation into junk territory.

As the deadly Covid-19 virus continues to wreak havoc on global markets and supply chains, emerging market lenders are proceeding to discuss financing options with clients, but are only comfortable funding those of the highest quality, according to bankers. Origination processes are becoming more stringent than ever, with some lenders requesting to see borrowers detailed contingency plans.