Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
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Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)

Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced on Sunday the approval of the prospectus of OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), one of the OQ companies affiliated with Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

Oman News Agency reported that the Capital Market Authority announced its approval of OQ’s prospectus by offering no less than two billion shares, which constitute 49 percent of the company’s capital, through public subscription.

This is the largest offering in the history of the CMA, in terms of size and market value of the company.

The public offering of the OQ Gas Networks Company, one of the OQ companies affiliated with the Oman Investment Authority, comes within the framework of the National Program for Financial Sustainability and Financial Sector Development, which aims to achieve the strategic goal of Oman Vision 2040 in developing the country’s economy.

As per the prospectus, the subscription period for the company’s shares will extend for two weeks starting from Sept. 26 for the first and second categories, and will continue until Oct. 9 for the first category. Subscription for the second category will close on Oct. 5.

The number of shares offered for subscription has been divided into three categories: institutional, individual and major investors.

The prospectus also indicates that the share of the first category, represented by institutions, amounts to 40 percent of the total offering, which is divided equally among local institutions on the one hand, and regional and international institutions. The minimum subscription for this category will be 100,000 shares, according to the prospectus, which did not specify the maximum subscription limit.

Thirty percent of the total offering will be allocated to the individual category, with the minimum subscription set at 1,000 shares, with no upper limit. The remaining 30 percent is allocated to the investors’ category, which represents qualified investors from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman.



Emaar The Economic City Restructures Finances

Emaar The Economic City is tasked with developing King Abdullah Economic City (official website)
Emaar The Economic City is tasked with developing King Abdullah Economic City (official website)
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Emaar The Economic City Restructures Finances

Emaar The Economic City is tasked with developing King Abdullah Economic City (official website)
Emaar The Economic City is tasked with developing King Abdullah Economic City (official website)

Saudi Arabia’s Emaar The Economic City has revealed a plan to restructure its finances to better support its growth goals, according to a statement on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

The company reported a dramatic increase in losses for the first half of the year, reaching 694 million riyals, compared to 76.2 million riyals during the same period in 2023.

Key points of the restructuring plan include:

On September 5, the Saudi Ministry of Finance transferred the remaining 2.9 billion riyals of a loan from Emaar The Economic City to the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Emaar The Economic City (EEC) has signed a non-binding agreement with PIF for a potential new loan of up to 1 billion riyals ($266 million).

The company, the ministry, and PIF have agreed to transfer existing mortgages from the ministry to PIF, eliminating any debt owed to the ministry.

In September 2021, PIF acquired a 25% stake in Emaar The Economic City by converting part of a 2.8 billion riyal loan into shares.

The Ministry of Finance agreed to extend the loan's grace period by one year, to June 2025, and to add 192 million riyals in interest for 2024 to the loan.

The board recommended reducing the company’s capital by 5.63 billion riyals by canceling 563 million shares to cover losses. It also suggested increasing capital by converting 3.97 billion riyals of debt into new shares.

The company has also signed agreements to reschedule loans with several banks, totaling 3.47 billion riyals, and secure additional credit of 301.5 million riyals.

After the announcement, Emaar The Economic City’s share price fell initially but later stabilized.

Fahad Al-Saif, Chairman of EEC, said the restructuring will help the company align with Saudi Vision 2030. CEO Abdulaziz Al-Nowaiser added that it will improve the company’s financial position and enable faster opportunity capture.

Mohammed Al-Farraj from Arbah Capital expects the restructuring to improve the company’s long-term performance and market value by lowering financing costs and improving efficiency.

He noted some short-term volatility but believes the company will be better equipped to handle future challenges.

Converting debt into shares will make PIF a shareholder rather than a creditor, strengthening their relationship and supporting future plans.