Middle East

Omantel Treasurer: Increased Funding Costs, IFRS9 to Weigh on Capex-Heavy Sectors in GCC

Omantel, Oman’s majority state-owned telecommunications company, last year completed a USD2.25bn acquisition of shares in Zain Group, a regional competitor. The deal was funded with a bridge loan that was later refinanced with a term loan and the largest corporate bond issued out of the country – a dual-tranche senior secured offering which attracted a wide group of investors from around the world, including Europe, Asia and the US. We speak with Narayanan Seshan, General Manager of the Treasury at Omantel, about this deal and other “funky” financing structures emerging in the region.