Day: May 2, 2021

ABU DHABI, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) on Sunday announced the successful placement of an aggregate US$1.5 billion in 7-year and 30-year dual-tranche senior unsecured notes.

The 7-year notes, sized at $750 million and maturing April 2028, were issued at a coupon rate of 2.0 percent. The 30-year notes, also sized at $750 million and maturing April 2051, were issued at a coupon rate of 3.4 percent.

The 30-year tranche is TAQA’s first Formosa issuance dual-listed in Taipei and London to tap into Taiwanese demand.

The order book was four times oversubscribed with strong demand from Asian investors setting the stage for further orders from MENA, Europe and the US. The final order book of $6.1 billion allowed the company to achieve significantly lower interest costs than on existing TAQA bonds. The Notes are rated Aa3 by Moody’s and AA- by Fitch, in line with the corporate credit ratings of the company.

Net proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of outstanding debt.

The issuance was arranged and offered through a syndicate of joint lead managers and bookrunners, comprising of Bank of China, Citi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Mashreq, Mizuho Securities, and MUFG.

In addition to the bond issuance, TAQA offered to buy back, for cash, all the $1.5 billion of outstanding corporate bonds maturing in 2021 and up to $250 million of the bonds maturing in January 2023, subject to customary conditions.

A total of $712 million of the 2021 Notes were tendered by investors, while the buyback of the 2023 Notes continues as of the date of this release. The buybacks were arranged by BNP Paribas, HSBC, MUFG and SMBC Nikko acting as joint dealer managers.

Jasim Husain Thabet, TAQA’s Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, commented, “We are delighted with the results of our first funding exercise following the transformational transaction with ADPower last year. The strong demand from global credit markets and investors from around the world is a strong vote of confidence in TAQA’s strengthened financial profile as well as the company’s strategy to become a low carbon power and water champion in the UAE and beyond.”

Stephen Ridlington, TAQA’s Group Chief Financial Officer, said that TAQA is proud to have been able to achieve very competitive funding rates that “will help lower our financing costs and support future growth. Achieving negative new issue premiums on both tranches sets a strong tone for the company and lays a solid foundation for future financing opportunities.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) recently signed an agreement with Silal, Abu Dhabi’s new fresh food and agritech company, to promote local agricultural products in the emirate.

The agreement aims to achieve Abu Dhabi Local Content Programme objectives, particularly those pertaining to the strategies of enhancing food supply chains. It also supports freelancers and micro and small enterprises to diversify the emirate’s GDP and create job opportunities for citizens in the private sector.

Rashed Abdul Karim Al Balooshi, Under-Secretary of ADDED, and Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, CEO of Silal, signed the agreement virtually, in the presence of officials from both parties.

Al Balooshi emphasised ADDED’s ambition to achieve sustainable economic development and elevate the business sector and economic affairs in Abu Dhabi. This is done by providing distinctive services to investors and business sectors across Abu Dhabi to carry out their economic activities.

He added, “The Department is Abu Dhabi’s competent authority to apply the Local Content Programme mechanisms for government and semi-government entities, contributing to the emirate’s GDP growth, encourage Emiratisation in the private sector and promote a knowledge-based economy.

Al Dhaheri reiterated Silal’s determination to improve the quality of services in the agricultural sector and activate cooperation with government and semi-government entities, as well as relevant stakeholders in the emirate. He also praised ADDED’s key role in facilitating procedures and implementing progressive initiatives for private sector companies, which empowers the private sector and boosts Abu Dhabi’s local economy.

Al Dhaheri said, “The signing of this agreement comes as part of the company’s strategic partnership with ADDED to identify key areas of cooperation in managing and maintaining the emirate’s food reserves. We will implement the Abu Dhabi Local Content Programme to increase local food demand, support local food producers, and strengthen domestic agricultural crop supply chains.”

Under this agreement, both parties will devise proposals for regulations and laws, and launch programmers and initiatives to support local farmers in the emirate, boosting Abu Dhabi’s self-sufficiency in key products. This will be achieved through Silal’s adoption and compliance with the Local Content Programme and Government Procurements Supporting Abu Dhabi’s Golden List project to implement supporting strategic projects.

Joint programmes, action plans and objectives will be arranged by both parties, and a work team will be assigned to follow up on the mechanisms and procedures of implementing the agreement.

Source: Emirates News Agency