Middle East M&A market outperforms global average as 475 deals made and AI, renewables and infrastructure sectors impress
M&A activity
Latest in M&A activity
EY
UAE and Saudi Arabia lead MENA M&A activity to over $92bn in 2024
UAE and Saudi Arabia were at the centre of the MENA region’s M&A activity last year
M&A
Middle East M&A activity surged 52% to $29bn last year, global uplift expected in 2025
Global M&A activity is expected to increase in 2025 after several quiet years
M&A activity
Gulf sovereign wealth funds drive $36bn+ mega-deal boom as UAE, Saudi buck global M&A slowdown
Saudi Arabia’s PIF and UAE sovereign funds, including Mubadala and ADIA, have been central to this growth
M&A
MENA M&A activity hits $71bn in 9M 2024, led by UAE and Saudi Arabia
UAE and Saudi Arabia were the preferred destinations for investors due to their favourable business policies, with 239 deals reaching a combined disclosed value of $24.5 billion during the period
M&A
MENA M&A activity and IPOs expected to boom in 2024 as interest rates fall: analysts
M&A activity and IPOs in the MENA region could increase if interest rates fall, according to Tenet Consulting
M&A
M&A activity in MENA region hit $86bn last year
UAE and Saudi Arabia lead M&A activity in MENA region
M&A
UAE and Saudi lead $43.8bn M&A activity
UAE and Saudi Arabia dominate M&A activity in first half of 2023
inflation
MENA sees slump to $55.2bn M&A deals in 2022
MENA region sees more activity, but less value as global headwinds make investors cautious
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
Newly formed Islamic insurance giant begins trading on DFM following Dar Al Takaful, Watania merger
The merged company will benefit from “significant cost and revenue synergies, reduced operating expenses, and better IT platforms to expand its product offerings”
acquisitions
Acquirers in big tech need to integrate new capabilities
Big tech companies now face the dual challenge of realising the deal value in any given capability deal while also building a repeatable, high-velocity integration competency to manage the steady flow of deals coming in
Blockchain
Crypto, blockchain to retain appeal in 2022; EMEA fintech investments rise to record $77 billion in 2021: report
Payments continued to attract the most funding among fintech sub-sectors, accounting for $51.7 billion in investment globally in 2021 – up from $29.1 billion in 2020
Abu Dhabi
ADCB “categorically denies” reports of merger with First Abu Dhabi Bank
The banks are two of the biggest in Abu Dhabi, and any deal would have potentially created one of the largest Middle East lenders by assets.
ernst young
UAE, Saudi Arabia lead M&A activity surge with energy, tech sectors in demand
New EY research witnesses a major surge in 2021, registering an increase of 66% compared to 2020
banking business
Goldman hires Citigroup, HSBC bankers amid deal surge in Middle East
Hirings come as deal activity picks up in the Middle East, fueled by governments and state-owned firms looking for new ways to raise money and diversify their economies
M&A activity
Global consulting major Protiviti on an M&A deal drive in Middle East
Protiviti member firms are on a hiring spree of senior professionals with corporate finance, advisory and industry experience to handle the rising number of M&A mandates in the GCC and wider ME region
M&A activity
MENA mergers and acquisitions expected to accelerate post-pandemic
The pandemic has forced many companies to restructure, and the trend is likely to continue as consolidation occurs across sectors