IslamicFinance.de

The CMA Board has issued its resolution approving the offering of Saudi Electricity Company's sukuk. The total offering size will be determined at a later stage by the Company. The prospectus will be published to the investors in due course.

Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has issued the world's first international 30-year sukuk. The benchmark $2 billion deal is SEC's first sukuk offered to US and other international investors. More tan six-and-a-half times oversubscribed, the sukuk evidences strong international demand for longer-dated Islamic instruments. Although the debut bond has opened new vistas for Islamic finance, the number of companies eligible to take advantage of the precedent is unclear. In the short term, it is likely that only quasi-souvereigns will suceed in securing longer tenors.

The sukuk market had its eyes opened to an expansive new landscape this week, as Saudi Electricity Company defied the doubters to bring the first ever benchmark dollar 30 year tranche, writes Dan Alderson.

Fitch Ratings has assigned Saudi Electricity Company's (SEC) upcoming international Sukuk issue a 'AA-(EXP)' expected rating. The rating is in line with SEC's 'AA-' Long-term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured rating and SEC's 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2007 Sukuks' ratings. The Sukuk will be issued on an unsecured and unsubordinated basis. Among other aspects, the Sukuk benefits from a negative pledge and a cross default clause. Proceeds of the issuance will be used for general corporate purposes.

The GCC countries expect a record year for sukuk issuances in 2012. Already the first half of the year was marked by explosively growing sukuk issuances that reached to US $12.8 billion compared to US$1.9 billion issuead in the same period last year. The sukuk market shall continue growing at the current pace, due to a strong appetite of investors that are demanding Shariah-compliant products.

Saudi Electricity Company has invited banks for a potential bond mandate, reported IFR Markets.
A request for proposals (RFP) has been sent to a limited number of local banks and international institutions with operations in Saudi Arabia, and replies are due by the end of February.

Saudi Electricity Co, the state- controlled power producer, may raise as much as USD 1.87 bn, SAR 7 bn, in the largest sale of Sukuk.

The 5-year Sukuk, which is expected to be rated AA- by Fitch rating service, may pay between 90 basis points to 100 basis points over Saudi interbank rates a market expert is quoted.

The spread above the London interbank offered, or Libor, on corporate and government sukuk has narrowed to 7.6 percentage points from an all-time high of 12.3 percentage points in February, according to HSBC-Nasdaq Dubai indexes.

The CMA announced on 7 June that Saudi Electricity Company’s request to offer Sukuk in the period from (13/6/2009) G to (28/6/2009) G. More details will be published in the prospectus to the public.