DOHA: In recognition of Barclays’ Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) services, the London-based multinational banking and financial service provider, has been named as the ‘Best M&A House’ in the Middle East for the period covering the past twelve months by Euromoney, a leading monthly magazine, said yesterday.
Established in 1969, Euromoney covers global banking, macroeconomics and capital markets, including debt and equity.
The award, which was announced during Euromoney’s global Awards for Excellence 2013, is considered to be among the most prestigious awards for banking excellence in the region.
Barclays acted as sole Financial Advisor to Qatar Holding on the Sovereign Wealth Fund’s $1.4bn acquisition of a 20 percent stake in FGP Topco Ltd. (parent company of Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited) as well as Qtel’s Financial Advisor on its $1.8bn acquisition of all outstanding shares in Wataniya Telecom.
In addition, during the period, it successfully executed multiple transformational M&A deals including the largest public tender offer in the GCC. Barclays also acted as Financial Advisor to OCI N.V. on its $9bn offer to acquire all outstanding Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) and ordinary shares in Orascom Construction Industries – the largest M&A transaction in the Middle East since 2007.
Vice Chairman at Barclays PLC’s Investment Banking Division, Makram Azar, said: “We are delighted to be recognised by such a prestigious industry award for the quality of advice provided on landmark deals within the Middle East. This award recognises the depth of our regional and global capabilities as it underlines the strength of our franchise and demonstrates our commitment to providing our clients with comprehensive bespoke solutions.”
In 2012, Barclays was ranked number one M&A advisor in the Middle East by Bloomberg and is also the leading provider of tailored advisory solutions, advising on multiple cross border Middle East M&A deals including three multibillion dollar landmark transactions.
The Peninsula
