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Dubai’s TECOM Draws Orders Worth $9.6Bln for IPO

A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
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Dubai’s TECOM Draws Orders Worth $9.6Bln for IPO

A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)
A picture shows a view of the Dubai skyline, including Burj Khalifa the world's tallest building, in the United Arab Emirates, on June 20, 2022. (AFP)

Dubai business park operator TECOM Group said on Monday it drew orders worth $9.63 billion for its initial public offering, the latest Middle East listing to attract strong investor demand amid a boom in regional share sales.

It had previously announced setting the final offer price for its IPO at AED2.67 ($0.72) per share.

The Global Offering drew substantial demand from both the Qualified Institutional Offer and UAE Retail with total gross demand reaching AED35.4 billion, implying an oversubscription level of over 21 times in aggregate at the final price.

The UAE Retail Offer achieved an oversubscription level of almost 40 times in aggregate, making it the highest oversubscription multiple ever for IPOs on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).

As a result of the extremely strong demand, the final offer price was set at the top of the price range and the company has raised AED1.7 billion ($462 million) through the IPO.

Malek al-Malek, Chairman of TECOM Group, said: “The tremendous demand we drew both locally and internationally for the TECOM Group IPO, especially amid challenging market conditions, is testament to the company’s appealing value proposition and growth prospects.”

He stressed that the investors’ high turnout is underpinned by their optimism toward Dubai’s economy and confidence in the Emirate’s capital markets.

As previously announced, the Global Offering comprised an offering of 625 million ordinary shares, representing 12.5% of TECOM Group’s issued share capital, all of which is expected to be listed on the DFM on or around July 5.

Upon listing the company, it will have an implied market capitalization of AED13.4 billion ($3.6 billion), and DHAM LLC will continue to own a majority 86.5% stake in the company (or 87.5% together with DHAM FZ-LLC).

TECOM houses more than 7,500 companies and 10 large business complexes including Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City.

Dubai's deputy ruler, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, in November announced plans to take 10 government-linked companies public to boost stock market activity to three trillion dirhams (about $817 million).

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s (DEWA) $6.1 billion share sale in April was the first, and a float of the city’s road-toll system, Salik, is set to follow after the summer.

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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."