Debt markets remain hot in the Kingdom, with Saudi Awwal Bank, Bank Albilad and Aqaseem closing sukuk issuances over the weekend.
#1- Tadawul-listed Saudi Awwal Bank (Sab) closed the private placement of a USD 650 mn additional tier-one (AT1) green sukuk offering, according to a disclosure. The USD-denominated offering featured 3.3k sukuk with an annual yield of 6.5%.
This is part of the lender’s USD 5 bn AT1 capital sukuk program, which aims to shore up its capital base. It’s unclear whether the issuance will be listed for trading on the secondary market.
SOUND SMART- Additional AT1 sukuk are shariah-compliant bonds that banks issue to increase their capital. This type of sukuk doesn’t have a set maturity date — meaning they can last forever unless the bank decides to buy them back.
ADVISORS- Our friends at HSBC were joint lead managers on the transaction alongside Merrill Lynch International, Citigroup Global Markets, JP Morgan Securities, Kamco Investment Company, Mizuho International, Standard Chartered Bank, and Warba Bank.
#2- Bank Albilad closed its inaugural USD-denominated Additional Tier 1 (AT1) sukuk issuance on Friday, valued at USD 650 mn, Zawya reports. The 5.5-year non-call perpetual mudaraba offering was priced at 6.5% — tightened from initial price thoughts in the 6.75% area — and attracted a final order book exceeding USD 2.5 bn (excluding joint lead manager interest).
The sukuk, issued under Bank Albilad’s existing USD 2 bn AT1 capital sukuk programme, will be listed on the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market.
ADVISORS-The bank enlisted our friends at HSBC as joint lead managers on the transaction, alongside Albilad Capital, Goldman Sachs International, and Emirates NBD.
#3- Nomu-listed Aqaseem Factory for Chemicals and Plastics saw its SAR 50 mn Series 1 sukuk issuance 216.7% oversubscribed, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul. The offering sld 50k sukuk at SAR 1k apiece.
ICYMI- The car oil manufacturer’s Series 1 public debt offering falls under a SAR 500 mn LCY borrowing program that received the Capital Market Authority’s approval in January.
The five-year senior unsecured sukuk carries a fixed annual return of 10% which is paid semi-annually and is redeemed at its full nominal value on 20 May 2030. Meanwhile, settlement and refunds for oversubscriptions are scheduled for Tuesday, 20 May. A Tadawul listing will follow once regulatory procedures are completed.
Proceeds will fund capex, working capital, and acquisitions of new facilities, the company said in a separate filing (pdf). The funds will be deployed through a mix of mudaraba — 51% of the nominal value at SAR 25.5 mn — with murabaha accounting the remaining 49%.
ADVISORS-The firm tapped Alkhair Capital as its lead arranger on the offering. Receiving agents include Al Ahli Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, SNB Capital, Saudi Fransi Capital, Riyad Capital, and Derayah Financial, among others.