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.
