Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards 2023 | GFC Media Group | Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre, Madinat Jumeirah - King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud St - Al Sufouh 1 - Dubai - UAE

Since 2015 the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards has been recognising the most innovative and ground-breaking deals from Sovereign, Corporate and Financial Institution issuers and borrowers in the Middle East.

The exhaustive selection process involves close examination of deal size, tenor, structure, and distribution; analysis and background of the borrower and their accessibility to financing; with extra credit for those deals demonstrating high quality execution, accessing new pools of liquidity, innovative structuring, and opening-up new markets.

Bringing together the industry’s most high-profile figures, the Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Awards ceremony is an opportunity to raise the profile of the financial markets with the international investment community, and to inspire future issuance by Middle Eastern companies.

2022 Winners

Sovereign, Supra & Agency Bond Deal of the Year
Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates
USD 4bn 144a/RegS Triple-Tranche Senior Unsecured Bond (October 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, BofA Securities, Citi, EmiratesNBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan, Mashreq, Standard Chartered Bank
Legal Advisers to Issuer: Clifford Chance
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Latham & Watkins

Quasi-Sovereign Bond Deal of the Year
Qatar Energy
USD 12.5bn 144a/RegS 4-tranche Senior Unsecured Bond (June 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: BofA Securities, Citi, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, MUFG, QNB Capital
Legal Advisers to Issuer: White & Case
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Skadden
Corporate Bond Deal of the Year
TAQA Group
USD 1.5bn 144a/RegS Dual-Tranche Senior Unsecured Bond (April 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Bank of China, Citi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Mashreq, Mizuho, MUFG
Legal Advisers to Issuer: Allen & Overy
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Linklaters
​Bank/FI Bond Deal of the Year
Saudi National Bank
USD 1.25bn RegS Perpetual NC6 Tier 1 Sukuk (Jan 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Citi, Emirates NBD, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, MUFG, NCB Capital, Standard Chartered Bank
Legal Advisers to Issuer: Linklaters, Zamakhchary & Co.
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Clifford Chance

Syndicated Loan Deal of the Year
ADQ
USD 4.5bn Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan (December 2021)
Bookrunners: Citi, Credit Agricole CIB, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Mizuho,
MLAs: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, BofA Securities, Bank of China, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Emirates NBD, Intesa Sanpaolo, JP Morgan, MUFG, Natixis, Standard Chartered Bank, SMBC
Lead Arrangers: Deutsche Bank, ICBC, Mashreqbank, National Bank of Kuwait, RAKBank, State Bank of India
Arrangers: Arab Bank, CBD, Credit Suisse, DBS Bank, Goldman Sachs, ING, Morgan Stanley, Unicredit
Legal Advisers to the Borrower: Allen & Overy
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Structured Finance Deal of the Year
Telecom Egypt
USD 500m Syndicated Term Loan Facility (October 2021)
Bookrunners: First Abu Dhabi Bank, Mashreqbank
MLAs: Ahli United Bank, Arab Bank, Bank ABC, National Bank of Kuwait, AlAhli Bank of Kuwait, EuropeArab Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
Lead Arrangers: Bank of Jordan
Legal Advisers to the Borrower: Pinsent Masons
​Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Norton Rose Fulbright
Project Finance Deal of the Year
Jazan Integrated Gasification and Power Company (JIGPC)
Sponsors: Air Products, ACWA Power, Saudi Aramco
USD 7.267bn Limited Recourse Project Finance Loan (Oct 2021)
Global Coordinators and Bookrunners: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Bank of China, Banque Saudi Fransi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Natixis, SABB, SMBC, Standard Chartered Bank
Bookrunners: AlRajhi, Alinma, APICORP, Saudi National Bank, JP Morgan, Mizuho
Legal Advisers to the Borrower: Covington & Burling
​Legal Adviser to the MLAs: Shearman & Sterling, Dr. Sultan Al-Masoud and Partners
Export Finance Deal of the Year
Sadara Chemical Company
USD 9.9bn Senior Secured ECA, Syndicated Loan and Sukuk Facilities (Mar 2021)
ECAs: K-Exim, K-Sure, US Exim, COFACE, Euler-Hermes, FIEM, UKEF
Commercial Bank Lenders: Mizuho, KfW IPEX Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Riyad Bank, Saudi National Bank, SABB, Banque Saudi Fransi, MUFG, SMBC, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Legal Advisers to the Borrower: DLA Piper
​Legal Advisers to the MLAs: Milbank
M&A/Acquisition Finance Deal of the Year
EIG Pearl Holdings
Sponsors: EIG Global Energy Partners, Mubadala Investment Company, Silk Road Fund, Hassana, Samsung Asset Management, Saudi Aramco
USD 12.4bn Multi-Tranche Acquisition Bridge-to-Bond Project Finance Loan (June 2021)
MLAs/Bookrunners: BNP Paribas, Citi, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, JPMorgan, MUFG, Mizuho, SMBC
MLAs: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Bank of China, Credit Agricole CIB, Standard Chartered, Agricultural Bank of China, ICBC, Intesa Sanpaolo, Natixis, Riyad Bank
Legal Adviser for the Borrower: White & Case
Legal Adviser for the MLAs: Clifford Chance

Leveraged Finance Deal of the Year
Evergrow for Specialized Fertilizers
USD 415m Leverage-linked Syndicated Term Loan Facility (April 2021)
MLAs/Bookrunners: Mashreqbank, National Bank of Egypt, Arab African International Bank
MLAs: HSBC, Ahli United Bank
Lead Arrangers: Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Egyptian Gulf Bank, Emirates NBD, Egyptian Arab Land Bank, Housing and Development Bank, Suez Canal Bank
​Legal Adviser for the MLAs: Allen & Overy
Equity Capital Markets Deal of the Year
ACWA Power
USD1.2bn (SAR 56 per share) Initial Public Offering (October 2021)
Global Coordinators: Citi, JP Morgan, Natixis, Riyad Capital
Bookrunners: EFG Hermes, Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Issuer Legal Adviser: Clifford Chance & AS&H
​Bookrunner Legal Adviser: Baker McKenzie & Legal Advisors (Abdulaziz Alajlan & Partners)
ESG Bond Deal of the Year
APICORP
USD 750m 144a/RegS Senior Unsecured Green Bond (Oct 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Barclays, BofA Securities, Credit Agricole CIB, HSBC, JP Morgan, LBBW, Nomura, Standard Chartered Bank
Legal Adviser for the Issuer: Allen & Overy
​Legal Adviser for the Bookrunners: Clifford Chance
ESG Loan Deal of the Year
Etihad Airways
USD 1.2bn Sustainability-Linked Loan Facility (Oct 2021)
MLAs/Bookrunners: First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC
Legal Adviser for the Borrower: Clifford Chance
​Legal Adviser for the MLAs: Dentons
Global Sovereign, Supra & Agency Sukuk Deal of the Year
Islamic Development Bank
USD 2.5bn RegS Sustainable Sukuk (Mar 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Natixis, Societe Generale, Standard Chartered Bank, Warba Bank
Legal Adviser for the Issuer: Dentons
Legal Adviser for the Bookrunners: Allen & Overy
Global Corporate Sukuk Deal of the Year:
Saudi Aramco
USD 6bn 144a/RegS Senior Unsecured Sukuk al-Ijara/Murabaha (June 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, Alinma Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, BNP Paribas, Citi, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, NCB Capital, Riyad Capital, SMBC, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Albilad Capital, AlJazira Capital, Alistithmar Capital, ANB Invest, BOC International, Credit Agricole CIB, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Gulf International Bank, KFH Capital, MUFG, Mizuho, NBK Capital, Saudi Fransi Capital, Societe Generale
Legal Advisers to Issuer: White & Case
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Latham & Watkins
​
Global Bank/FI Sukuk Deal of the Year
Kuveyt Türk Katilim Bankasi
USD 350m RegS ESG-Compliant Tier 2 Regulatory Capital Sukuk (Sept 2021)
JLMs/Bookrunners: Bank ABC, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Citi, HSBC
Global Coordinators: KFH Capital
Legal Advisers to the Obligor: Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Mutlu Avukatlık Ortaklığı
Legal Advisers to Issuer: Maples Group
​Legal Advisers to JLMs: Clifford Chance, Çiftçi Attorney Partnership
Islamic Syndication Deal of the Year
Ministry of Finance, The Arab Republic of Egypt
USD 3bn Global Green Term Loan and Islamic Financing Facility (Nov 2021)
Global Coordinators & Bookrunners: Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank
MLAs: ABC Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Bank ABC, Dubai Islamic Bank, GIB, Intesa Sanpaolo, Mashreqbank, SMBC
Lead Arrangers: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Ajman Bank, MUFG, National Bank of Kuwait, Standard Chartered Bank
Arrangers: Commercial Bank International, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Deutsche Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Gulf Bank, Kuwait International Bank, Warba Bank
Legal Adviser to the Borrower: Baker Mackenzie
​Legal Adviser to MLAs: Dentons
Islamic Structured Finance Deal of the Year
Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation (Saudia)
SAR 11.2bn Senior Unsecured Syndicated Facility (Mar 2021)
Sole Financial Adviser and Investment Agent: HSBC
JLMs/Bookrunners: SABB, SAMBA, Arab National Bank, Bank Aljazira, Albilad, Al Rajhi Bank
Legal Advisers to Borrower: Norton Rose Fulbright
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: AlDhabaan & Partners, Eversheds Sutherland

Ground-Breaking Deal of the Year
Pure Harvest Smart Farms
USD 50m Privately Placed Secured Sukuk al-Murabaha/Ijara (March 2021)
Global Coordinator: Shuaa Capital
Legal adviser to the Obligor: Sustainable Development Finance Partners
Legal Adviser to the Issuer: Walkers
Legal Adviser to the JLMs: Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Sovereign Treasury & Funding Team of the Year:
National Debt Management Centre, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Corporate Treasury & Funding Team of the Year:
Abu Dhabi Ports Company

Bank Treasury & Funding Team of the Year:
First Abu Dhabi Bank

Project Sponsor of the Year:
ACWA Power

Best MENA Fixed Income Fund Strategy 2021:
Franklin Templeton Investments (ME): Franklin Gulf Wealth Bond Fund

Best MENA Fixed Income Fund Strategy 2019-2021:
Franklin Templeton Investments (ME): Franklin Gulf Wealth Bond Fund

Best Global Sukuk Fund Strategy 2021:
FIM Partners: FIM Partners Global Sukuk Fund

Best Global Sukuk Fund Strategy 2019-2021:
Franklin Templeton Investments (ME): Franklin Global Sukuk Fund

Bond House of the Year:
HSBC

Loan House of the Year:
First Abu Dhabi Bank

Structured Finance Bank of the Year:
Emirates NBD Capital

Project Finance Bank of the Year:
Standard Chartered Bank

Export Finance Bank of the Year:
SMBC

Sukuk House of the Year:
Standard Chartered Bank

Islamic Syndications House of the Year:
Emirates NBD Capital

Equity Capital Markets House of the Year:
Citi

ESG/Sustainable Finance Adviser of the Year:
HSBC

Regional Investment Bank of the Year:
First Abu Dhabi Bank

Banking & Finance Legal Adviser of the Year:
Clifford Chance

Debt Capital Markets Legal Adviser of the Year:
Linklaters

Sukuk Legal Adviser of the Year:
Allen & Overy

Islamic Banking & Finance Legal Adviser of the Year:
White & Case