Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has entered into formal negotiations with Austrian energy company OMV on the creation of a new combined petrochemicals holding entity.
The companies are proposing to merge their respective shareholdings in Borouge and Borealis.
The state energy company is negotiating as majority shareholder of Borouge and OMV as majority shareholder in Borealis. Any decision is subject to Borouge’s and other relevant parties’ governance processes, Adnoc said on Saturday.
“The potential merger would mark the next transformative milestone in Adnoc’s ongoing value creation and chemicals growth strategy, with any transaction subject to customary regulatory clearances,” the company said.
The OMV executive board has decided to pursue negotiations with Adnoc on a potential co-operation with respect to their polyolefins businesses, the Austrian company said.
“Such co-operation would include a potential combination of the Borealis and Borouge businesses as equal partners under a jointly controlled, listed platform for potential growth acquisitions to create a global polyolefin company with a material presence in key markets,” it added.
OMV said any transaction depended on a number of criteria, including the valuation of both businesses as well as the approval of the Austrian group's management and supervisory boards and antitrust authorities.
Adnoc acquired a 24.9 per cent stake in OMV from Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm Mubadala Investment Company in December. The financial terms were not disclosed.
Through the investment in OMV, which holds a 75 per cent stake in Austrian plastics maker Borealis, Adnoc increased its stakes in both Borealis and Borouge.
Vienna-listed OMV is among Europe’s largest energy companies. The company produces and markets fuels as well as feedstock for the chemical industry, and operates three refineries in Europe. OMV operates around 1,800 filling stations in ten European countries.
Borealis, which is majority owned by OMV and based in Vienna, is the eighth-largest producer of compounds such as polythene and polypropylene used in packaging, plastics and acrylics industries.
It provides services and products to customers globally, both directly and in collaboration with Borouge, a joint venture with Adnoc.
Adnoc bought Mubadala’s 25 per cent stake in Borealis last April. The deal will allow the state-owned oil and gas producer to expand its international footprint in the fast-growing chemicals and petrochemical sector.
In October 2020, Mubadala reduced its stake in Borealis to 25 per cent after it sold 39 per cent to OMV in a $4.68 billion deal.
Borouge, the joint venture between Adnoc and Borealis, is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. In May last year, Borouge raised $2 billion through an initial public offering on the ADX.
After its listing, Borouge was included in the FTSE Global Equity Index Series, which is used by investors globally to guide asset-allocation decisions and support portfolio construction.
Established in 1998, Borouge is a petrochemical company with a 3,100-plus workforce, serving customers in more than 50 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
It provides polyolefin solutions for the agricultural, infrastructure, energy, advanced packaging, mobility and healthcare industries.
Polypropylene, Borouge’s main product, is a thermoplastic material used in products including plastic packaging, car parts and textiles.
The global polypropylene market is projected to hit $167 billion by 2029, from about $121 billion in 2021, registering a compound annual growth rate of 4.2 per cent during the forecast period of 2022-2029, according to Data Bridge Market Research.
The UAE plans to triple its petrochemical production capacity from 4.5 million tonnes – currently produced entirely by the Borouge factory – by 2025.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
