Emirates Telecommunications Corp., the Middle East’s biggest phone company by market value, ended talks to buy a majority stake in Zain, Kuwait’s largest, citing political unrest and disagreement among shareholders.
“The current political unrest in the region” and “non- unanimous agreement among Zain shareholders” mean the offer is “no longer viable,” the Abu Dhabi-based company known as Etisalat said in an e-mailed statement today.
Etisalat offered $12 billion in September to buy most of Zain. The collapse of the deal comes after two months of unrest across the Middle East and North Africa that has toppled Egyptian and Tunisian presidents, created civil war in Libya and prompted deadly clashes in Yemen and Bahrain, countries bordering Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a pity, it would have created an Arabic company on the world telecoms stage,” said Irfan Ellam, an analyst at Al Mal Capital PJSC in Dubai. “It looks as if Zain no longer wants to be bought, it looks like they want to remain independent,” he said in a phone interview today.
Etisalat’s offer was contingent on the sale of Zain’s 25 percent stake in Zain Saudi Arabia. Offers from Bahrain Telecommunications Co., known as Batelco, and Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co. (KINGDOM) were rejected by Zain last month.
If Zain Saudi is sold, Zain Group will rid itself of a cash- strained asset and “be left with a nice cash-generative company with a decent footprint in the Middle East,” Ellam said. “The assets would be of interest to acquirers. Etisalat could come back, France Telecom has ambitions in the region, Kingdom Holding could decide at a later stage that it wants to expand in telcoms,” he said.
Al-Khair said March 1 its commitment to sell a controlling stake to Etisalat had expired after Etisalat missed a second deadline in its acquisition attempt. A day later, Etisalat reiterated its interest in Zain.
Discussions “have ended” with Al-Khair, Etisalat said in its statement today.
Etisalat, which had offered 1.7 Kuwaiti dinars ($6) a share, also cited Kuwait’s “upcoming mandatory offer rules” for the deal’s collapse. The Capital Markets Law, which took effect this month, means any acquirer seeking more than 30 percent of a listed Kuwaiti company must make the same offer to all remaining shareholders.
“The current political unrest in the region” and “non- unanimous agreement among Zain shareholders” mean the offer is “no longer viable,” the Abu Dhabi-based company known as Etisalat said in an e-mailed statement today.
Etisalat offered $12 billion in September to buy most of Zain. The collapse of the deal comes after two months of unrest across the Middle East and North Africa that has toppled Egyptian and Tunisian presidents, created civil war in Libya and prompted deadly clashes in Yemen and Bahrain, countries bordering Saudi Arabia.
“It’s a pity, it would have created an Arabic company on the world telecoms stage,” said Irfan Ellam, an analyst at Al Mal Capital PJSC in Dubai. “It looks as if Zain no longer wants to be bought, it looks like they want to remain independent,” he said in a phone interview today.
Etisalat’s offer was contingent on the sale of Zain’s 25 percent stake in Zain Saudi Arabia. Offers from Bahrain Telecommunications Co., known as Batelco, and Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Co. (KINGDOM) were rejected by Zain last month.
Repay Debt
In their latest non-binding offer, Kingdom and Batelco agreed to pay $950 million in cash. In addition, Zain Saudi would repay $250 million of debt to Zain Group after ownership is transferred and the unit has been restructured, Zain said March 16. Batelco is “confident” it can raise as much as $1.2 billion of debt to finance the bid, Chief Executive Officer Peter George Kaliaropoulos said in an e-mailed statement today.If Zain Saudi is sold, Zain Group will rid itself of a cash- strained asset and “be left with a nice cash-generative company with a decent footprint in the Middle East,” Ellam said. “The assets would be of interest to acquirers. Etisalat could come back, France Telecom has ambitions in the region, Kingdom Holding could decide at a later stage that it wants to expand in telcoms,” he said.
Deal Opposed
Etisalat’s bid was focused on talks with Kharafi-owned Al- Khair National for Stocks & Real Estate Co., Zain’s second biggest shareholder after the Kuwaiti sovereign wealth fund. The deal was opposed by Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al-Sabah, whose Al- Fawares Holding Co. owns a 4.5 percent Zain stake. Kuwait’s commercial court in December allowed Etisalat to proceed with due diligence, denying Al-Fawares’ bid to halt the transaction.Al-Khair said March 1 its commitment to sell a controlling stake to Etisalat had expired after Etisalat missed a second deadline in its acquisition attempt. A day later, Etisalat reiterated its interest in Zain.
Discussions “have ended” with Al-Khair, Etisalat said in its statement today.
Etisalat, which had offered 1.7 Kuwaiti dinars ($6) a share, also cited Kuwait’s “upcoming mandatory offer rules” for the deal’s collapse. The Capital Markets Law, which took effect this month, means any acquirer seeking more than 30 percent of a listed Kuwaiti company must make the same offer to all remaining shareholders.
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