meed-logo

line1 line2 line3
SIGN IN / REGISTER

Regional stock market listings near record level

23 December 2024

 

This report also includes: Gulf debt markets make their mark

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region’s capital markets got off to a fairly strong start in 2024, with two sizeable listings on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) in January. Broadcaster MBC Group’s listing on 8 January raised $222m, while Middle East Pharmaceutical Industries Company (Avalon Pharma) followed up with a $131m share sale on 24 January.

The year ended with a far bigger bang, however, with several multibillion-dollar listings in the UAE and Oman in the final quarter. Among them, grocery chain Lulu Group International raised $1.7bn on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) in early November. The following month, food delivery and quick commerce business Talabat Middle East raised $2bn when it launched on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM).

Between those bookends to the year there were dozens of other initial public offerings (IPOs) on the region’s stock markets. According to data compiled by EY, there were 29 new listings in the opening nine months of the year, the same as in the equivalent period of 2023 and only just behind the 31 IPOs in 2022.

The final quarter of the year has been the busiest. MEED’s analysis points to the tally reaching 49 IPOs as of mid-December, with several more listings still on the cards for the closing weeks of the year. As such, the previous record for the most IPOs in the region in a year – the 51 seen in 2022 – could well be surpassed.

As has been the case for many years, the GCC bourses have been the dominant focus of activity, with Saudi Arabia hosting 13 IPOs on the main Tadawul market and 24 on the smaller Nomu bourse.

The UAE has had a further seven, with four on the ADX and three on the DFM, while the Kuwait and Muscat exchanges have had one apiece.

Beyond the Gulf, activity has been more limited, but some markets that were dormant for several years have reawakened. There have been two IPOs in Egypt – Act Financial and United Bank of Egypt – and one on the Algiers Stock Exchange, where Credit Populaire d’Algerie’s listing in March was the first in eight years.

Fluctuating activity

IPO activity has ebbed and flowed through the year. According to EY, there were 10 IPOs in the first quarter, the same as in the equivalent period the year before, although this did not include the Algiers listing.

Saudi Arabia saw nine listings in Q1 2024, raising a combined $724m, the most significant being Modern Mills, which raised $314m. That was overshadowed by Parkin Company, however, which raised $429m by listing on the DFM.

In the second quarter, a further 14 companies came to market, raising $2.6bn between them. This was slightly up on the 13 IPOs in Q2 2023 and the proceeds were also up 45%.

Of the total, 11 were in Saudi Arabia, with five on the Tadawul and six on the Nomu. The biggest was Dr Soliman Abdul Kader Fakeeh Hospital Company at $764m, followed by Alef Education Consultancy on the ADX at $515m.

Notably, Kuwait Boursa saw its first listing in two years, with Beyout Investment Group coming to the market in June. The only other IPO outside Saudi Arabia was retailer Spinneys, which listed on the DFM, raising $375m.

Activity slowed in the third quarter, with just five new listings, which raised $930m between them. Almost all of this was accounted for by the listing of NMDC Energy on the ADX, which involved a raise of $877m – the largest of the year at the time, although that figure was overtaken several times in the final quarter.

Saudi Arabia saw three more listings on the Nomu market in Q3, raising $27m in total. During this period, Act Financial also made its market debut, becoming the first new listing on Egyptian Exchange (EGX) in two years.

At the end of Q3, EY estimated that a further 11 companies were planning to list on exchanges in the Mena region before the year was out.

Not all of these listings have gone ahead, but a number of major IPOs have been completed, including OQ Exploration & Production on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), which raised $2bn on 28 October. It was followed by the IPOs of hypermarket chain Lulu Group and food delivery operator Talabat over the next two months.

In addition, there have been five more listings on the Tadawul, including Al-Majed Oud Company and Arabian Mills for Food Products Company, and nine more on the Nomu market.

Other deals have been announced but have so far yet to be completed. These included Oman’s OQ Base Industries, which in November announced plans to sell up to 49% of its shares and seek a listing on the MSX by mid-December.

The huge listings in the fourth quarter of 2024 mean that the downward trajectory of 2023 has been turned around, even if the heights of 2022’s fundraisings have not quite been matched. 

After the $22bn raised in 2022, the total fell to $10.7bn in 2023. In 2024, the total reached about $12.5bn by 10 December, including $8bn raised in the final quarter.

Diverging indices

The wider market performance of regional bourses has been decidedly mixed in 2024. 

There have been a handful of standout performers across the region. The Moroccan All Shares Index (MASI), for example, was up 22.7% between January and the end of November, with Egypt’s EGX 30 Index not far behind at 21.5%, according to data compiled by Kuwait’s Kamco Invest.

In the Gulf region, Dubai’s DFM General Index was up 19.4% over the same period, while Tunisia’s TunIndex also saw a creditable 12.7% gain.

In contrast, Riyadh’s Tadawul All-Share Index (Tasi), the FTSE ADX General Index, Qatar’s QE20 Index and Jordan’s ASE Index all saw their values fall in the first 11 months, with drops of between 1% and 4%.

Other major bourses saw more limited gains, with the Kuwait All Share Index posting a rise of 6.3%, while the Bahrain All Share Index was up 3.1% and Oman’s MGX 30 Index gained just 1.1%.

It is hard to see any clear pattern in these results. To date, five regional bourses have posted a better overall performance in 2024, compared to 2023, but six are faring worse.

This fits in with the mixed performances seen on the global level. The MSCI World Index gained more than 20% in the first 11 months of the year, helped by a strong performance in the US, where the S&P 500 rose by 26.5%. In contrast, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index was up just 5.4% over the same period.

The buoyant market for regional IPOs suggests that many companies and investors feel relatively optimistic, however.

A second IPO is due to take place in Algeria before the end of the year, with the listing of Banque de Developpement Local, and more are pencilled in for 2025. 

In neighbouring Morocco, irrigation specialist CMGP Group is also aiming for a $110m IPO on the Casablanca Stock Exchange in the near future.

However, Gulf markets are likely to continue to dominate in the near future. At least four more listings are planned in Saudi Arabia in the closing weeks of 2024 and the start of 2025, and many more are sure to follow. 

Main image: Food delivery business Talabat raised $2bn with its IPO on the Dubai Financial Market in December. Credit: WAM

https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/13108022/main.gif
Dominic Dudley

Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.

Click here to register
Exclusive from Meed
Related Articles
  • Qatar seeks to establish new industrial area in Mesaieed

    16 July 2026

    Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce & Industry and state enterprise QatarEnergy have signed an agreement to cooperate on evaluating and allocating hydrocarbon-derived resources to support the establishment of a new medium industries area in Mesaieed Industrial City.

    Under the terms of reference signed between the parties, QatarEnergy will implement a governance mechanism for the allocation of hydrocarbon-derived feedstock to qualifying industrial investment opportunities for the proposed new medium industries area in Mesaieed Industrial City.

    “The agreed terms of reference stipulate the evaluation and allocation of hydrocarbon-derived resources, natural gas, power and related natural resources to downstream derivative industrial investment opportunities,” QatarEnergy said in a statement.

    “It will also ensure the optimal use of national resources and enhance the added value of the industrial sector by establishing a joint governance framework to evaluate and allocate resources required by qualified industrial investment opportunities,” it added.

    QatarEnergy currently operates crude oil refining facilities, including natural gas liquids units, as well as petrochemical production complexes and other units in the hydrocarbon value chain, in Mesaieed Industrial City, situated around 45 kilometres south of Doha.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17688383/main.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Bahri signs deal for two offshore vessels with Dubai shipyard

    16 July 2026

    Bahri Logistics, a division of Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company Bahri, has placed an order for the construction of two advanced offshore support vessels with Dubai-based Grandweld Shipyard.

    Grandweld will custom-build the two vessels to meet Bahri’s operational requirements for offshore activities at Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s busiest oil and gas bunkering and export hubs.

    The vessels will be built at Grandweld’s shipyard in Dubai Maritime City and are expected to be delivered in August, following a 12-month building period.

    The vessels will feature the latest navigation and safety technologies. They are designed to perform multiple offshore support functions, including vessel clearance, crew changes and emergency response, while adhering to international maritime standards.

    The newbuild agreement with Grandweld aligns with Bahri’s broader strategy “to modernise its fleet, enhance technical capabilities, and adopt more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible designs”.

    “Through continued investments in technology, infrastructure and fleet diversification, Bahri Logistics aims to deliver smarter, more sustainable logistics solutions that contribute to the Saudi Green Initiative and the kingdom’s long-term economic diversification goals,” the Saudi Stock Exchange-listed (Tadawul) company said in a statement.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17687877/main.jpg
    Indrajit Sen
  • Egypt intensifies efforts to create petroleum stockpile

    16 July 2026

    Egypt is intensifying its efforts to secure and maintain a sufficient strategic stockpile of petroleum products, according to a statement from the country’s cabinet and its Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources.

    The Egyptian government is closely monitoring regional developments and their potential repercussions on the energy sector, according to the statement.

    Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that the government is implementing flexible plans and looking at alternative scenarios so that it can respond quickly to emergencies while ensuring the uninterrupted supply of fuel to citizens and key industrial sectors.

    Egypt is intensifying its efforts to build up strategic stockpiles amid heightened uncertainty about future global oil and gas supplies.

    Since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, there has been significant disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is a key transit route for oil and gas exports from the Middle East.

    On top of this, the regional war has involved multiple direct attacks on refineries in the GCC, increasing uncertainty about the future availability of refined products.

    Aside from Motafa Madbouly, the meeting was also attended by Hassan Abdullah, who is governor of the Central Bank, Minister of Finance Ahmed Koguk and Minister of Petroleum and Minerals Karim Badawi.

    During the meeting, Badawi gave a presentation on the available quantities of different petroleum products and explained the details of the procedures currently being implemented to increase the strategic stock of petroleum products.

    A review of the coordination framework and joint work between the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank also took place during the meeting.

    This was in order to ensure the management of financial tools needed to strengthen the country’s strategic inventory, according to the statement.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17685719/main.jpg
    Wil Crisp
  • Tunisia orders $86m of trainsets from Chinese supplier

    16 July 2026

    Tunisian public transport operator Transtu has finalised an $86m agreement with China’s CRRC Nanjing Puzhen.

    CRRC will supply 18 new electric trainsets for the capital’s northern suburban rail network, which links Tunis to La Goulette and La Marsa.

    Each new trainset will be air-conditioned and capable of carrying up to 400 passengers, including 90 seated riders, with a top speed of 100 km/h. Once operational, the trains are expected to run at six-minute intervals during rush hour and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours.

    The deal forms part of a broader fleet renewal effort by Transtu, which has struggled in recent years with operational setbacks that have taken a toll on the quality of public transport across Greater Tunis.

    The acquisition is designed to boost capacity on the heavily used line as ridership continues to grow, while also enhancing safety standards and overall service quality.

    Funding for the project comes jointly from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development and the European Investment Bank.

    Beyond the trainsets, the contract includes five years of maintenance coverage, a supply of spare parts and maintenance equipment, and an underfloor wheel lathe aimed at improving long-term fleet reliability.

    This latest investment fits into Tunisia’s larger railway modernisation strategy, under which the government plans to invest $12bn by 2040 to expand and upgrade the country’s rail infrastructure.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17683957/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal
  • PIF developer tenders 365-metre Mecca residential tower

    16 July 2026

     

    Rua Al-Haram Al-Makki has tendered the main construction package for the Ajyad residential tower, a 365-metre high-rise development in Mecca’s central area, close to the grand mosque.

    The bid submission deadline is 30 September. 

    Rua Al-Haram Al-Makki Company was established in October 2017 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

    The project team includes US-based Marriott International as residential operator, Hanmi Global Saudi as project management consultant, Saudi Diyar Consultants as construction supervision consultant, and PLP Architecture as lead design consultant and construction-stage design guardian.

    The tower rises 84 floors with four basement levels. It comprises a total of 212 units, including 82 three-bedroom apartments, 85 four-bedroom units, 29 penthouses and 16 duplex villas.

    The scheme has a gross floor area of 209,231 square metres (sq m) and a built-up area of 242,976 sq m.

    The site is currently being cleared by a demolition contractor, with the existing mat foundation and retaining walls to be handed over to the main contractor, who will build the new superstructure on the retained raft.

    https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17683664/main.jpg
    Yasir Iqbal