CEE & Turkey
The Flipside of Turkey
United States sanctions against two Turkish government ministers triggered the recent bout of volatility in the Turkish currency market. While Turkey was fundamentally vulnerable to begin with, due to a lengthy period of bad economic policies, the fact that volatility was so severe and spread far beyond Turkey indicates that this was not just about Turkey. It is also about the major shift in…
12 Sept 2018
CASE STUDY: Omantel Launches Largest Corporate Bond from Oman to Finance Zain Purchase
In April 2018 Omantel, the Imani telecoms company, successfully priced the inaugural USD1.5bn dual-tranche senior secured offering to refinance a bridge loan closed in late 2017 for the acquisition of a 21.9% stake in Zain Group. It was the largest corporate offering from Oman ever and first dual-tranche transaction from an Omani Corporate with 5.5 and 10-year tenors.
11 Sept 2018
Abraaj Collapse Reverberates Through GCC Private Equity Markets
As recently as 2016 the Abraaj Group was flying high: with around USD13.6bn of assets under management globally, the investment firm was one of the biggest in the region and blazed the trail for GCC private equity investors to expand into the growth markets. Two years on, abandoned by its founder Arif Naqvi, it is facing USD1.2bn in debt, multiple lawsuits and an unprecedented level of attention…
7 Sept 2018
Metito CFO: “Managing exposure to EM investments under the IFRS 9 ECL model is a challenge in GCC”
Metito is a leading provider of choice for water management solutions in the emerging markets with operations covering segments including chemicals, and utilities. Although the company is based in the Gulf, it operates on a global scale. We speak to the Holding’s CFO Wafic Ghanem about Metito’s funding plans for the coming year, including hedging and refinancing programs and market…
5 Sept 2018
Fiscal Woes: We Need to Talk about Bahrain
Questions have swirled in recent months over Bahrain’s strained finances, but there is good reason to believe the country is in much better shape than sensational headlines suggest. This bodes well not just for the country, but fort the region as a whole, writes Anita Yadav.
4 Sept 2018
Turkey: Call and Response
With Turkey seemingly approaching a critical junction in its economic trajectory, a call with the country’s Minister of Finance sheds light on how the country looks to tackle the rising challenges confronting it. Manulife analyst Richard Segal shares the details.
30 Aug 2018
CASE STUDY: Mazoon Launches USD500mn Sukuk to Finance Lamar II Project
The Omani electricity company SPV placed the first ever corporate sukuk from the country with an elegant legal structure that helped navigate regulatory obstacles.
29 Aug 2018
How Serbia Improved its Fiscal Position and Catalysed the Local Capital Markets
Branko Drcelic, Director of the Public Debt Administration at the Ministry of Finance, Serbia sat down with Bonds & Loans to discuss how the country moved from chronic deficits to a healthy surplus, catalysing a local currency debt capital market in the process.
28 Aug 2018
MLP Care CFO: Smart Balance Sheet Management Key to Finding Borrowing Windows in Turkey
Turkey’s healthcare industry has moved forward leaps and bounds since the government overhauled the sector in 2003, and the present currency dynamics coupled with high external savings rates and a huge concentration of domestic medical expertise has translated more recently into a health tourism boom – a bright beacon floating in troubled waters. Bonds & Loans speaks with Burcu Öztürk, CFO of MLP…
23 Aug 2018
Interview: Sharjah DMO Director on the Building Boom in UAE, ECA Financing and PPPs
With trade wars and geopolitics-related volatilities engulfing global markets, the GCC finds itself in an unusual role of a relative safe-haven, insulated from the tremors by strong growth and a high oil price. We speak to Tom Koczwara, Director of the Government of Sharjah’s Debt Management Office, about prospects and challenges facing the Emirate.
9 Aug 2018